---
id: "prereq-creator-economy-mechanics"
type: "prereq"
source_timestamps: ["¶4", "§ Integrity: From Concealed Motives to Clear Disclosures"]
tags: ["industry-knowledge"]
related: ["concept-influencer-integrity"]
reason: "Necessary to understand why influencers might hide financial motives and why transparency about monetization is a distinct dimension of integrity."
sources: ["attention"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-attention"
originDay: 4
articleStem: "hbr-foci-65-influencer-marketing-trust"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/12/how-to-do-influencer-marketing-that-customers-actually-trust"
sourceTitle: "How to Do Influencer Marketing That Customers Actually Trust"
---
# Basic Creator Economy Mechanics

**Prerequisite knowledge.** The source assumes the reader understands how influencers **monetize** their audiences: **affiliate commissions, gifted products, Patreon/sponsorships,** and the general fear creators have of being labeled **'sellouts.'**

**Why it's needed.** Without it, you can't grasp why influencers might hide financial motives, why disclosure matters, and why transparency about monetization is a distinct facet of [[concept-influencer-integrity|Integrity]] (and see [[contrarian-transparent-self-interest]]). Enrichment context: regulators such as the **FTC (US)** and **ASA (UK)** require clear, conspicuous disclosure of material connections — the legal backdrop to the integrity/transparency dimensions.