The rise of celebrity-led businesses that bypass traditional advertising has raised important questions for marketers and small business owners. MrBeast’s Feastables and MrBeast Burger have made headlines not just for their product success but for how little they rely on paid media. Instead of costly ad campaigns, these brands lean into fan engagement and community-led promotion. But is this approach truly effective for businesses that lack the clout of millions of followers?

Let us break down the mechanics behind community-driven growth, examine what makes it work, and assess whether this model can be replicated by smaller brands in Canada, the United States, and beyond.

What celebrity brands are actually doing differently

While it may seem like these brands are skipping marketing altogether, the truth is more nuanced. They are not eliminating marketing, they are reallocating their efforts into platforms where audience trust and organic engagement carry more weight than polished campaigns. This is not a budget decision; it is a strategic one.

Celebrity entrepreneurs like MrBeast have built ecosystems where fans feel invested. They become contributors to the brand’s visibility through user-generated content, word-of-mouth promotion, and viral social participation. Essentially, the audience is both the target and the amplifier.

Community-first marketing: a breakdown

This model hinges on four key components:

1. Direct audience participation

Product decisions, feedback loops, and campaign ideas are co-created with the community. This builds trust and reduces the perceived distance between the brand and the consumer.

2. Content as connection

Rather than selling through ads, brands focus on storytelling, entertainment, and behind-the-scenes narratives. The goal is engagement over direct conversion.

3. Peer-to-peer promotion

Audiences share their experiences voluntarily, often incentivized through recognition or social currency, not necessarily discounts or traditional rewards.

4. Platform leverage

The brands use channels like YouTube, Discord, and Reddit not only to distribute content but to create spaces where community conversations continue long after product launch.

Can small businesses scale this model?

The short answer: Yes, but not identically.

Small and medium-sized businesses will not benefit from the same initial reach or media buzz as celebrity-led enterprises. However, they can adapt this framework by scaling it down and focusing on niche relevance.

What SMBs can do

Identify a core group of advocates

These are your most loyal customers or early adopters. Create a feedback loop with them. Make them part of product decisions. This enhances retention and builds loyalty.

Shift the content strategy

Instead of selling, inform or entertain. Educational videos, behind-the-scenes looks, and customer stories build a brand narrative that resonates over time.

Track peer-led engagement

Monitor who is talking about your product and where. Use tools like Google Alerts, Mention, or Sprout Social to understand and amplify your organic brand reach.

Incentivize naturally

Instead of pushing referral discounts, highlight customers on your platforms. Recognition in a public space can be a more effective motivator than a 10 percent coupon.

Limitations to be aware of

1. Time to scale

Building a community is slower than launching an ad campaign. Patience is essential.

2. Audience size matters

With limited visibility, early-stage companies must rely more heavily on targeted outreach and content seeding to build momentum.

3. Measurement complexity

Community-based strategies are harder to quantify using traditional metrics. Businesses need to focus on engagement rates, content shares, and qualitative feedback.

4. Team resources

Community management requires consistent effort. Responding to comments, moderating discussions, and maintaining authenticity takes time and staff bandwidth.

Supporting data and trends

According to a 2024 Nielsen report, 92 percent of consumers trust user-generated content more than traditional ads. Additionally, a study by Sprout Social found that brands with active online communities report 33 percent higher customer retention rates compared to those without.

The shift away from paid media is also being fueled by rising ad costs. Meta’s average cost-per-click increased by 23 percent year over year, while engagement on paid posts continues to decline. These factors make community-first models not only more authentic but more cost-effective over time.

Practical tools to implement the strategy

Facebook Groups or Slack Channels for community building

Canva and CapCut for content creation

Trello or Notion for campaign planning

LoyaltyLion or Smile.io for rewards and recognition

Hotjar or Typeform for capturing customer feedback

These platforms provide small businesses with the tools to build structured engagement without enterprise-level resources.

Is this the new marketing playbook?

Not entirely. Paid advertising still has its place, especially for quick growth, product launches, or retargeting efforts. However, community-led growth is becoming a necessary complement, particularly for businesses looking to foster long-term loyalty and reduce reliance on algorithm-driven visibility.

What we are witnessing is not a replacement, but a rebalancing. Marketing is shifting from push to pull, from campaigns to conversations.

Final thoughts

Celebrity brands like MrBeast’s succeed without traditional ads because they leverage a different form of capital: community trust. That strategy, while shaped by fame, is rooted in principles that any small business can learn from. By building real relationships, empowering your audience, and prioritizing value over volume, it is possible to create brand advocates who amplify your message far beyond what a single ad ever could.

For businesses in North America aiming to future-proof their marketing, it is time to reconsider where value truly lies. Not just in how many people you can reach, but how many want to reach back.