Latest news with #Amaze
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
These Small Creators Are Outselling Big Influencers
The creator economy has evolved far beyond t-shirts with catchphrases and quick-hit merch drops. As more than 1 million creator stores have launched, a new kind of entrepreneurship is emerging, powered by loyalty. "We've had creators come in and create 1.5 million stores," says Aaron Day, CEO of Amaze. 'A lot of them are thinking beyond a one-hit merch drop, they're starting to build a brand.' And that brand-building looks very different from what most legacy retail executives are used to. Perhaps the most striking example of this new wave of microbrand success is a creator called Howie the Crab. With just 15,000 subscribers on YouTube, she turned storytelling, engagement and fan inclusion into $280,000 worth of product sales. "She basically created content about the life and challenges of this crab," Day explains. 'It was really fun to watch. You'd think it would be for kids, but her fan base was very adult. She had about 15,000 followers, and the community was very engaged. She weaved them into the story. As she created products, it was very methodical. Those products became part of the community. She sold to 60% of her audience.' In a world obsessed with follower counts, the crab's success speaks volumes: connection matters more than clout. Another breakout microbrand is Katie Shober, whose book club-inspired lifestyle brand Beach & Bubbly has turned seasonal campaigns into a lucrative business. "She's got a group of mainly women, basically like a book club," says Day. 'She doesn't try to monetize the obvious. She doesn't sell books or t-shirts. She sells champagne glasses and things you can use while enjoying the lifestyle she creates. Every time she drops a new seasonal campaign, it's hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars worth of sales.' This approach is experiential brand-building that aligns with lifestyle, not just content. For years, creators chased virality: a big video, a quick merch drop, a fleeting moment of monetization. But that model is shifting. "Creators used to come to us and just say, 'I want to sell something' and put out a random t-shirt," Day says. 'And then they'd get all sad that nothing happened. But now they're asking, 'Can you give us some data on our users?' They're starting to think about audience data. We're seeing the intelligence and maturity of creators improve quite a bit.' This evolution has made community feedback not just a feature of product launches, but a core pillar. The time it takes to launch a store has dropped dramatically, thanks in part to AI. "It might have taken two to three months to get a store live and beautiful. Today it takes five days," says Day. 'We've built in generative AI tools that suggest products based on video content or social data. We're using AI to look at the fan base, look at the fan data, and create lookalike audiences. Then we suggest products to the creator.' This changes the game for creators with limited resources, giving them a data-backed co-pilot for brand development. A surprising takeaway from Amaze's data is that smaller creators often outperform larger ones. "We've got creators with 500 followers and others with 20 million," says Day. 'But we're seeing huge success with those that have 10 to 20,000 followers and a really engaged community. A lot of the micro-creators are small brands—yoga instructors, health enthusiasts, small restaurants. They emphasize community.' These microbrands may never run Super Bowl ads, but they don't need to. Their fans show up, buy in, and stick around. Industry data backs this trend. According to a 2024 report by Influencer Marketing Hub, micro-influencers (those with under 50,000 followers) now drive the highest engagement rates across every major platform—including an average 3.86% engagement on Instagram, far above macro and mega influencers Selling to your audience used to carry a stigma, a fear of looking inauthentic or overly commercial. But that's changing, fast. "If you want to be successful, you have to promote," Day states plainly. 'This idea that 'I want to monetize, but I don't want to promote' just doesn't work.' Platforms like TikTok Shop are normalizing long-form selling, and creators are embracing a more confident approach to commerce. 'Before, promoting a product wasn't really authentic. But now you can find a happy medium. Just that extra little bit of promotion can drive conversion.' The rise of creator-led microbrands is a wake-up call for traditional retailers and DTC brands. "If you think about it, a lot of brands don't even know who their customer is," says Day. 'Creators do. They're having two-way conversations every day.' In that way, creators are teaching legacy brands something profound: sell with, not to, your community. Looking ahead, Day sees an even larger shift coming: brand x creator partnerships at scale. "I think you're going to see brands at scale connecting with creators at scale in a tech-driven way, not agency-driven," he says. 'You're going to see these really nice partnerships between creators and brands come together and dominate in certain communities.' The takeaway? The future of retail might look like a million tiny storefronts, each powered by a loyal community, a distinct voice and a creator who understands that loyalty is the new scale. This article is based on an interview with Aaron Day from my podcast, The Business of Creators.
Miami Herald
15-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Amaze Launches Crypto Payment Strategy to Accelerate Global Creator Monetization
Strategic partnership targets stablecoin integration, digital asset treasury solutions, and next-gen monetization for global creator economy NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / July 15, 2025 / Amaze Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American:AMZE) ("Amaze"), a global leader in creator-powered commerce, today announced a major cryptocurrency initiative designed to modernize global payments, unlock new monetization tools, and enhance the Company's financial flexibility. This strategic initiative follows the recent launch of Amaze's Express Checkout and expanded payment offerings, underscoring the Company's assertive push to lead in both traditional and digital payment innovation. As part of the launch, Amaze has partnered with DNA Fund - a premier digital asset advisory firm - to help design and deploy blockchain-based payment and treasury strategies. "Partnering with DNA Fund accelerates our ability to reduce cross-border payment friction and deliver faster, more flexible solutions to our growing base of international creators," said Aaron Day, CEO of Amaze. "This partnership allows us to introduce new payment offerings for our 13 million-plus creators and brings value to the millions of visitors who come to our platform looking to buy, " Day added." It also lets us start thinking beyond payments - toward helping creators access funding and build real businesses. This is a critical step in becoming a true partner to the global creator economy." Phase One, launching in the next 60-90 days, will focus on stablecoin integration to accelerate international payments and significantly lower transaction costs. Future phases will explore: Digital asset treasury managementCreator-specific financial services (credit lines, cards, etc .)A potential "Amaze Coin" to drive community engagement and new monetization models. "Amaze sits at the crossroads of commerce and community," said Brock Pierce, Chairman of DNA Fund. "We're excited to help bring new Crypto and Web3 technologies to creators- for faster payments, new funding options, and the foundation for bringing Amaze into the Web3 space. We have a long history of helping companies innovate and think Amaze is in a unique position to disrupt the creator economy through crypto." All crypto initiatives will be developed in alignment with U.S. regulatory frameworks, with robust compliance and risk oversight throughout. For investor information, please contact IR@ For press inquiries, please contact PR@ About Amaze:Amaze Software, Inc. is an end-to-end, creator-powered commerce platform offering tools for seamless product creation, advanced e-commerce solutions, and scalable managed services. By empowering anyone to "sell anything, anywhere," Amaze enables creators to tell their stories, cultivate deeper audience connections, and generate sustainable income through shoppable, authentic experiences. Discover more at About DNA Holdings:DNA Holdings Venture Inc. is dedicated to pioneering the next wave of financial innovation through the convergence of Web3, cryptocurrency, AI, and capital markets. Our goal is to foster an ecosystem where advanced fund management, strategic advisory, and visionary infrastructure solutions for AI thrive. Find out more at Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). These statements relate to future events and developments or to our future operating or financial performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based on estimates and assumptions. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about our crypto strategies, including digital asset treasury management and "Amaze Coin," creator specific financial services, stablecoin integration, strategies, initiatives, growth, revenues, expenditures, the size of our market, our plans and objectives for future operations, and future financial and business performance. These statements can be identified by words such as such as "may," "might," "should," "would," "could," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue," and are based our current expectations and views concerning future events and developments and their potential effects on us. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or otherwise implied by the forward-looking statement. These risks include: our ability to execute our plans and strategies; our limited operating history and history of losses; crypto strategies,including digital asset treasury management and "Amaze Coin," creator specific financial services, stablecoin integration, our financial position and need for additional capital; our ability to attract and retain our creator base and expand the range of products available for sale; we may experience difficulties in managing our growth and expenses; we may not keep pace with technological advances; there may be undetected errors or defects in our software or issues related to data computing, processing or storage; our reliance on third parties to provide key services for our business, including cloud hosting, marketing platforms, payment providers and network providers; failure to maintain or enhance our brand; our ability to protect our intellectual property; significant interruptions, delays or outages in services from our platform; significant data breach or disruption of the information technology systems or networks and cyberattacks; risks associated with international operations; general economic and competitive factors affecting our business generally; changes in laws and regulations, including those related to privacy, online liability, consumer protection, and financial services; our dependence on senior management and other key personnel; and our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel and senior management. Additional risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements are included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other future filings and reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from time to time. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Also, these forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of the press release. Unless required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events or developments. SOURCE: Amaze Holdings, Inc.
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Amaze Launches Crypto Payment Strategy to Accelerate Global Creator Monetization
Strategic partnership targets stablecoin integration, digital asset treasury solutions, and next-gen monetization for global creator economy Amaze Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American:AMZE) ('Amaze'), a global leader in creator-powered commerce, today announced a major cryptocurrency initiative designed to modernize global payments, unlock new monetization tools, and enhance the Company's financial flexibility. This strategic initiative follows the recent launch of Amaze's Express Checkout and expanded payment offerings, underscoring the Company's assertive push to lead in both traditional and digital payment innovation. As part of the launch, Amaze has partnered with DNA Fund – a premier digital asset advisory firm – to help design and deploy blockchain-based payment and treasury strategies. 'Partnering with DNA Fund accelerates our ability to reduce cross-border payment friction and deliver faster, more flexible solutions to our growing base of international creators,' said Aaron Day, CEO of Amaze. 'This partnership allows us to introduce new payment offerings for our 13 million-plus creators and brings value to the millions of visitors who come to our platform looking to buy, ' Day added.' It also lets us start thinking beyond payments – toward helping creators access funding and build real businesses. This is a critical step in becoming a true partner to the global creator economy.' Phase One, launching in the next 60-90 days, will focus on stablecoin integration to accelerate international payments and significantly lower transaction costs. Future phases will explore: Digital asset treasury management Creator-specific financial services (credit lines, cards, etc .) A potential 'Amaze Coin' to drive community engagement and new monetization models. 'Amaze sits at the crossroads of commerce and community,' said Brock Pierce, Chairman of DNA Fund. 'We're excited to help bring new Crypto and Web3 technologies to creators- for faster payments, new funding options, and the foundation for bringing Amaze into the Web3 space. We have a long history of helping companies innovate and think Amaze is in a unique position to disrupt the creator economy through crypto.' All crypto initiatives will be developed in alignment with U.S. regulatory frameworks, with robust compliance and risk oversight throughout. For investor information, please contact IR@ For press inquiries, please contact PR@ About Amaze: Amaze Software, Inc. is an end-to-end, creator-powered commerce platform offering tools for seamless product creation, advanced e-commerce solutions, and scalable managed services. By empowering anyone to 'sell anything, anywhere,' Amaze enables creators to tell their stories, cultivate deeper audience connections, and generate sustainable income through shoppable, authentic experiences. Discover more at About DNA Holdings: DNA Holdings Venture Inc. is dedicated to pioneering the next wave of financial innovation through the convergence of Web3, cryptocurrency, AI, and capital markets. Our goal is to foster an ecosystem where advanced fund management, strategic advisory, and visionary infrastructure solutions for AI thrive. Find out more at Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 'Exchange Act'). These statements relate to future events and developments or to our future operating or financial performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based on estimates and assumptions. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about our crypto strategies, including digital asset treasury management and 'Amaze Coin,' creator specific financial services, stablecoin integration, strategies, initiatives, growth, revenues, expenditures, the size of our market, our plans and objectives for future operations, and future financial and business performance. These statements can be identified by words such as such as 'may,' 'might,' 'should,' 'would,' 'could,' 'expect,' 'plan,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'believe,' 'estimate,' 'predict,' 'potential' or 'continue,' and are based our current expectations and views concerning future events and developments and their potential effects on us. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or otherwise implied by the forward-looking statement. These risks include: our ability to execute our plans and strategies; our limited operating history and history of losses; crypto strategies,including digital asset treasury management and 'Amaze Coin,' creator specific financial services, stablecoin integration, our financial position and need for additional capital; our ability to attract and retain our creator base and expand the range of products available for sale; we may experience difficulties in managing our growth and expenses; we may not keep pace with technological advances; there may be undetected errors or defects in our software or issues related to data computing, processing or storage; our reliance on third parties to provide key services for our business, including cloud hosting, marketing platforms, payment providers and network providers; failure to maintain or enhance our brand; our ability to protect our intellectual property; significant interruptions, delays or outages in services from our platform; significant data breach or disruption of the information technology systems or networks and cyberattacks; risks associated with international operations; general economic and competitive factors affecting our business generally; changes in laws and regulations, including those related to privacy, online liability, consumer protection, and financial services; our dependence on senior management and other key personnel; and our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel and senior management. Additional risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements are included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other future filings and reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from time to time. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Also, these forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of the press release. Unless required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events or developments. SOURCE: Amaze Holdings, Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
India Today
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- India Today
Honda sells 5,124 cars in June 2025, eyes festive boost ahead
Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL) reported total sales of 5,124 units in June 2025. The figure includes 4,618 units sold in the domestic market and 506 units to June 2024, when the company sold 4,804 units domestically and exported 4,972 units, this year's exports saw a significant decline, while domestic sales remained relatively current market challenges, Honda Cars India remains focused on maintaining healthy inventory levels and looks forward to leveraging seasonal demand in the months Commenting on the monthly performance, Kunal Behl, Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd., said, "Given the ongoing market conditions and cautious consumer sentiment, we continued to strategically moderate our dispatches this month to maintain optimal inventory levels across our network. We remain optimistic about gradual improvement in demand in the coming months, supported by encouraging monsoon and upcoming festive period."Honda's current portfolio in India consists of the Amaze, City and the Elevate. Honda launched the City Sport at Rs 14,88,900 (ex-showroom) on June 20, a new variant of the sedan. Infused with a sportier identity and enhanced visual flair, the City Sport is a limited edition offering that brings a bold refresh to the City to Auto Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Amaze Surpasses 200 Million Storefront Visits, Solidifying Leadership in Rapidly Expanding Creator Economy
Fueled by Over 13 Million Global Creators, Milestone Reflects Platform Growth, Strategic Positioning, and Accelerating Creator Monetization NEWPORT BEACH, CA / ACCESS Newswire / June 30, 2025 / Amaze Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American:AMZE) ("Amaze"), a global leader in creator-powered commerce, today announced that its subsidiary, Amaze Software, Inc. ("Amaze Software") has surpassed 200 million lifetime storefront visits across its platform. This achievement underscores the platform's scale and influence in the rapidly expanding creator economy and is powered by a global community of over 13 million creators who use Amaze to build and sell more people turn to creators for entertainment, inspiration, and product discovery, Amaze is enabling those creators to monetize their content, audiences, and ideas through streamlined e-commerce tools. Amaze helps creators design, launch, and sell physical and digital products directly to fans, eliminating barriers between content and commerce."Crossing 200 million storefront visits is proof that when creators are given the right tools, they become economic engines," said Aaron Day, CEO of Amaze Software. "This milestone reflects the shift we're seeing in global commerce, away from traditional retail and toward community-powered shopping experiences. We're proud to support over 13 million creators driving this movement forward."This milestone comes at a time of sustained growth across both the creator economy and global ecommerce: The creator economy is projected to reach $480 billion by 2027, nearly doubling from $250 billion in 2023¹.Global creator count is estimated to rise from over 67 million creators globally in 2025 to 107 million by 2030, with monetization pathways like product commerce outpacing sponsorships².Global retail ecommerce sales are forecast to reach $6.42 trillion in 2025³, rising to over $7.5 trillion by 2027, with2.77 billion global digital buyers driving the shift⁴. By aligning with these macroeconomic tailwinds, Amaze is uniquely positioned to scale with the future of creator-led commerce. Through ongoing investments in platform innovation, fulfillment, and strategic partnerships, Amaze is building a future where creators everywhere can launch and grow businesses their fans learn more about Amaze and how it powers the creator economy, visit Goldman Sachs Research, Creator Economy Report, April 2023²Source: Forbes, How The Creator Economy Is Changing The Future Of Work, citing Goldman Sachs Research, July 2023³Source: eMarketer, Worldwide Retail Ecommerce Sales Forecast, 2023⁴Source: SellersCommerce, Global Ecommerce Statistics, 2023For investor information, please contact IR@ For press inquiries, please contact PR@ About Amaze:Amaze Software, Inc. is an end-to-end, creator-powered commerce platform offering tools for seamless product creation, advanced e-commerce solutions, and scalable managed services. By empowering anyone to "sell anything, anywhere," Amaze enables creators to tell their stories, cultivate deeper audience connections, and generate sustainable income through shoppable, authentic experiences. Discover more at Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). These statements relate to future events and developments or to our future operating or financial performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based estimates and assumptions. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about our strategies, initiatives, growth, revenues, expenditures, the size of our market, our plans and objectives for future operations, and future financial and business performance. These statements can be identified by words such as such as "may," "might," "should," "would," "could," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue," and are based our current expectations and views concerning future events and developments and their potential effects on statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or otherwise implied by the forward-looking statement. These risks include: our ability to execute our plans and strategies; our limited operating history and history of losses; our financial position and need for additional capital; our ability to attract and retain our creator base and expand the range of products available for sale; we may experience difficulties in managing our growth and expenses; we may not keep pace with technological advances; there may be undetected errors or defects in our software or issues related to data computing, processing or storage; our reliance on third parties to provide key services for our business, including cloud hosting, marketing platforms, payment providers and network providers; failure to maintain or enhance our brand; our ability to protect our intellectual property; significant interruptions, delays or outages in services from our platform; significant data breach or disruption of the information technology systems or networks and cyberattacks; risks associated with international operations; general economic and competitive factors affecting our business generally; changes in laws and regulations, including those related to privacy, online liability, consumer protection, and financial services; our dependence on senior management and other key personnel; and our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel and senior risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements are included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other future filings and reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from time to time. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Also, these forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of the press release. Unless required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events or developments. SOURCE: Amaze Holdings, Inc.
