Sagum

This is the rare piece that actually answers the question you asked, is the creator deal really cheaper, instead of quoting a feel-good ROI multiple. It walks a single case study through paid ads, an influencer deal, and a hybrid, and puts a real cost per acquisition on each ($83 vs $125 vs $73), then shows why the influencer number usually looks worse than it is because the attribution is weaker. Read it as a starting point for building your own honest comparison, not as a verdict on which channel wins.

Influencer Marketing vs Digital Ads: The Real Cost Analysis

From Sagum by Sagum about 12 minute read

• Compare true total cost, not the invoice: add production, agency time, and rework to the sticker price before you divide by customers acquired.
• Influencer spend often looks more expensive only because promo codes and UTM links undercount it, while ad platforms self-report every sale they can plausibly claim.
• The right unit to judge is cost per customer plus the lifetime value that customer brings, so a higher CPA that pulls better buyers can still be the cheaper deal.