The beginning of the millennium marked the dawn of modern internet culture. For the first time, ordinary people could create loyal global communities and have mainstream influence. Bloggers began generating revenue streams from brand deals typically reserved for celebrities.

As these creators migrated to social media, influencer marketing became ubiquitous and prolific (and sometimes notorious). The influencer economy grew, creating more opportunities for creators and brands alike. But some wonder if influencer marketing's potential has already reached its peak, and if trends like "deinfluencing" could topple it.

Taylor Lorenz, author and tech journalist at The Washington Post, strongly disagrees. As Lorenz said at Sprout's Under the Brand-fluence digital event, "This just isn't true. None of the data supports that. That's a media narrative we hear every few years like clockwork. But over the past two decades it's just continued to grow. Even deinfluencers influence-they are influencing someone to live a certain lifestyle."