The Marketing Funnel Is Collapsing: How Retailers Should Work With Creators | Jade Beason

Retail brands still hire creators for one post. Jade Beason says that era is over.

Recorded at YouTube Festival 2026 at the London Palladium, this short conversation covers what retailers are missing in how they work with creators, how trust is actually earned, and what a shoppable YouTube does to the customer journey.

In this episode:

- Why a single sponsored post is the least valuable way to use a creator

- Campaigns across paid, owned and earned media, and creators at in-person events

- Know, like, trust: why the story behind the product matters more than awareness

- "I don't think the funnel's dead. I think it's collapsing": discovery, education and purchase in one viewing

- Why long-form content sells, and what YouTube Shopping changes

- Why B2B is becoming as relevant as B2C for creators

Context: Oxford Economics, in research for YouTube, found that YouTube creators contributed £2.8bn in GDP to the UK in 2025.

Guest: Jade Beason, YouTube creator. jadebeason.com

Host: Alex Rezvan, Host of The Retail Podcast

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