Influencer marketing in the Benelux has proven its value. What comes next?

How does the Benelux stand out from the rest of Europe?

Influencer marketing in the Benelux has moved well beyond experimental budgets and occasional creator campaigns. Almost half (45.3%) of Benelux brands and agencies spend more than €200,000 a year on influencer marketing, compared with 35.7% across Europe. That investment is still growing, with 91.3% expecting to increase their spend over the next 12 months.

That scale is also visible in the number of creators brands work with. 44.5% of Benelux respondents now work with at least 100 creators a year, the highest share of the seven European markets surveyed and above the European average of 36.8%. The number of collaborations is growing quickly too: almost a quarter (24.6%) expanded their creator roster by at least 50% in the past year, compared with 16.4% across Europe.

But spending more and working with more creators is not the only way the Benelux stands out. Brands also keep a close eye on the commercial results of their influencer collaborations. For example, campaign ROI is one of the most-relied-on KPIs for 44.4% of Benelux brands and agencies, again well above the European average of 30.2%. The same pattern can be seen across several other performance metrics. The table below shows the share of respondents that rely on each KPI to measure their influencer marketing activity, comparing the Benelux with Europe:

All figures: Kolsquare, The Future of Influencer Marketing 2026/2027 (September, 2026)

The commercial importance of influencer marketing becomes even clearer when looking at revenue figures. 37.9% of Benelux brands say influencer marketing influences more than 25% of their marketing-driven revenue, compared with 28.6% across Europe. And for almost a third of all Benelux brands surveyed (32.6%), that share sits between 26% and 50%.

Together, these figures show a market where influencer marketing is backed by substantial budgets, large creator rosters and a strong focus on commercial measurement. But the signs of professionalisation go beyond scale and commercial results. They can also be seen in how Benelux brands manage their influencer strategy, work with creators and approach industry standards.

How is influencer marketing professionalising in the Benelux?

The Benelux market is not only commercially focused. There are also clear signs that these brands are taking a more structured approach to influencer marketing. 62% of Benelux brands describe their strategy as established, advanced or fully integrated, compared with 58% across Europe. How brands manage their influencer activity supports that picture: almost a quarter (24%) work in-house with a platform, the highest share of all seven markets, while another 23% combine an in-house approach with agency support.

Professionalisation is also visible in the way brands work with creators. Rather than relying solely on individual campaigns, 47.6% of Benelux brands and agencies use long-term creator contracts, compared with 38.5% across Europe. This is again the highest share among the seven markets surveyed, showing that long-term creator relationships are already common in the Benelux.

The same focus extends to professional standards. 41% of Benelux respondents require creators to have a Responsible Influence certificate or training, compared with 29% across Europe.¹ And when asked about future opportunities for the industry, 37% point to further professionalisation and standardisation, versus 29% across Europe.

¹ Responsible Influence certification data is based on 88 Benelux respondents; this question was not offered in Luxembourg.

Patrick Marck, Director of Influencer Marketing Alliance & FeWeb in Belgium, explains the importance of certification: “Self-regulation is the most efficient, accessible and agile way to guarantee a sustainable influencer marketing sector. It protects the interests of the followers by guaranteeing ethical content, of the influencers (securing trust) and brands (protecting brand safety). Thanks to the national influencer certificates, creators can learn the rules and are guided through this process.”

Technology has become a part of this more professional approach as well. 87% of Benelux respondents already use AI or automation in their influencer marketing activities, compared with 84% across Europe. AI is most commonly used for campaign planning (62%) and influencer discovery (57%), both above the European averages of 52% and 49%. In other words, AI is already being used to support some of the practical work behind running influencer campaigns, from deciding how to approach a campaign to finding the right creators.

This shows that brands are building more structure around how influencer marketing is managed, who they work with and the tools and standards they use. But being professionally organised is not the same as being fully integrated into the wider marketing mix.

Why is influencer marketing integration still lagging behind?

Only 6.3% of Benelux brands describe their influencer marketing strategy as fully integrated across the marketing mix, compared with 9.8% across Europe. This is the lowest share among the seven markets surveyed, with France at a similar 6.8%.

That creates a clear contrast with the signs of professionalisation we have seen so far. Benelux brands are investing at scale, working with large creator rosters and putting a strong focus on campaign ROI. They are also building more structure around creator relationships, professional standards and technology. Yet only a small share have fully integrated influencer marketing into the wider marketing mix.

European findings provide some wider context for the Benelux integration gap. Across Europe, 30.5% still run influencer marketing as a stand-alone activity, while only 9.9% connect it to performance and affiliate marketing, down from 22% in 2025. At the same time, 40.9% amplify influencer activity with paid media and 34.7% repurpose creator content across owned channels such as websites, email and CRM.

As Raffaella Pierpaoli, Head of Content & Social at Intarget, explains: “The issue is not investment anymore, it is integration. Many brands have understood that influencer marketing works, but they still manage it as a campaign layer rather than as a strategic layer. When it is planned separately from paid media, PR, brand strategy or commerce, the channel can grow in volume without really growing in maturity.”

Two Benelux findings are particularly interesting when looking at that distinction. First, the Benelux leads Europe in reliance on campaign ROI at 44.4%, while conversions and lead generation are among the most-relied-on KPIs for only 15.9%, below the European average of 21.3%. For brands already measuring campaign ROI, this raises a practical question: does measurement stop at campaign level, or does it extend into conversion and the wider customer journey?

Second, 50.8% of Benelux brands and agencies use gifting-only creator collaborations, the highest share in Europe and well above the European average of 37.8%. Another 35.7% use a hybrid gifting and commission model. These models can serve different campaign objectives, but for commercially focused campaigns they also raise a practical question: how easily can creator activity be connected to sales and the wider customer journey?

Together, these findings highlight two areas where Benelux brands can look more closely at how influencer marketing connects to the rest of their marketing activity. For a market that already measures the channel so closely, the next step is to connect those results more consistently across the marketing mix.

What does influencer marketing integration look like in practice?

Greater integration does not mean rebuilding an influencer strategy from scratch. The study shows that many of the foundations are already in place. The next step is connecting them more closely to the wider marketing mix.

1. Put influencer ROI next to the rest of the marketing mix

Benelux marketers already rely on campaign ROI more than any other European market surveyed. Using shared targets and reporting structures makes it easier to compare influencer performance with paid media, e-commerce and other marketing activity, rather than keeping creator results in a separate report.

2. Connect sales-led campaigns to performance and affiliate marketing

Across Europe, only 9.9% connect influencer marketing to performance and affiliate marketing. When sales are the objective, trackable links, affiliate structures and social commerce models such as TikTok Shop can connect creator activity more directly to the wider customer journey.

3. Give creator content a role beyond the original post

Benelux brands and agencies already use influencer content as paid-ad creative slightly more often than the European average, at 32.5% versus 30.5%. Repurposing strong creator content across paid and owned channels extends its role beyond the creator's organic audience and original campaign.

4. Match the collaboration model to the campaign objective

Product gifting remains common in the Benelux, with 50.8% using gifting-only collaborations. Gifting can serve both product discovery and awareness objectives. When sales are the goal, trackable compensation models can make it easier to connect creator activity to commercial outcomes.

5. Move AI from planning towards prediction

AI integration is already high in the Benelux, particularly for campaign planning and influencer discovery. Clo Willaerts, Steering Committee Member at Influencer Marketing Alliance, sees predictive AI as the next maturity step: “Most brands are currently using AI as a digital rearview mirror rather than a GPS. Content analysis and performance tracking are low-hanging fruit; they automate what we already know. The real value lies in predictive AI, using machine learning to forecast campaign ROI, cultural relevance, and long-term audience alignment before a single contract is signed. Moving from passive analysis to active prediction is the next maturity leap the industry must take.”

6. Reduce dependence on organic platform reach

Platform algorithm changes are a key influencer marketing challenge for 33% of Benelux respondents, compared with 27% across Europe. Planning creator content across organic, paid and owned channels gives brands more distribution options when platform reach changes.

What should Benelux brands take from these findings?

The Benelux does not need more proof that influencer marketing deserves a place in the marketing budget. The market already combines high investment with large creator strategies, structured ways of working and a strong focus on ROI. The next stage is connecting those strategies more closely to the rest of the marketing activities. Shared targets, data and planning can make influencer marketing a more integrated part of how brands reach, convert and retain customers.