10 Influencer Marketing Examples to Spark Your Campaign Ideas
Author & Editor
Social Media Team Lead
Published on: Jan 24, 2023 Updated on: Dec 17, 2024
In need of influencer marketing examples that will spark a new idea for yours?
Influencers and influencer marketing have grown bigger than ever before. Everywhere you look online, particularly in social media spaces, the faces of influencers are the new vehicle for social media campaigns – and for good reason.
Through digital marketing agencies, brands can grow their online presence quickly and even achieve more sales for businesses. And with the right strategy, campaigns can be tailored to reach relevant people wherever they are.
Learn from these influencer marketing examples that can drive your business forward towards meeting your target audience and increasing your brand reach.
Is influencer marketing an effective strategy?
Currently, 51% of marketers believe that an influencer can help them reach and talk to more quality customers. And these customers will not only purchase your product once but will keep buying and even recommend your products to others. So, you pay one name for the big bucks, while others advertise for you for free. That sounds like a sweet deal.
Typically, with an influencer’s large fanbase, you are sure that there are people who will be interested in your brand. Through influencer activation, you can increase brand awareness and expand reach, beef up the content strategy, and quickly build rapport with the target audience.
In fact, 93% of marketers have admitted to using influencers to boost their online presence. The popularity of this approach has even produced apps and influencer marketing platforms meant to track how well the campaign is doing. But before you hop on the influencer marketing train, you should know that there are different types of influencers who you can interact with!
What are the benefits of Influencer Marketing?
Influencer marketing campaigns make use of the power and following of social media and influencer marketing platforms to promote products and services. Enhancing credibility, extending reach, raising brand awareness, producing authentic content, increasing engagement, and being cost-effective are just a few benefits it provides. That said, let us delve in these benefits:
1. Increased credibility and trust for your brand.
Influencers are known figures in ther community, whether they’re doing it for entertainment or regard professionals or experts in their industry. Their followers respect them and give them a lot of authority and credibility in their niches or general scope of interest.
These influencers have developed a positive and respectful rapport with their audience. With their help, your marketing campaign won’t feel like a classic advertisement if you follow their lead and advice.
Indeed, content that promotes your brand favorably establishes a solid reputation. This continued promotion will ensure that your audience will gradually come to trust the products and services that you offer.
2. Influencers encourage engagement and purchases.
Studies show that 54% of Gen Zs have bought a product based on an Influencer’s recommendation. This same study also provides that 85% of the Gen Z consumers are more likely to support a social cause and brand that they believe in.
This shows the impact that Influencers have on the market by showcasing their unique ability to encourage their audience – especially the younger generation – to drive purchases for your business.
3. Influencers help establish brand awareness.
Influencer marketing is one of the most effective and popular trends in generating authentic content for your products or services. This marketing strategy is an impactful tool for building brand awareness for your company as well as trust for the products and services that you offer.
This is because influencer marketing is like word-of-mouth, people are more inclined to believe an individual whose opinions they already respect and trust.
4. Authentic content creation.
Your brand has the chance to create a content-generating machine that increases your visibility to your target consumers by working with the right influencers. Additionally, utilizing an engaged and active internet user base may help guarantee that the material you use is genuine and pertinent to your market.
5. Influencers improve SEO.
Influencers affect your market directly and indirectly. They can directly influence your SEO by providing content for you to use on your social profiles, help you with experiential marketing, supply material for your usage on social media, and even improve your SEO.
In fact, 86% of advertisers use influencer marketing, and 57% of them claim that it performs better than other brand-created material. So, instead of focusing solely on SEO, a collaboration with an influencer will help you reach a larger audience because they have a huge number of devoted followers.
What are the types of influencers you can collaborate with?
Influencers are classified primarily into macro, micro, and nano and it’s usually dependent on depending on their number of followers, according to Forbes:
The hype though, is not without its merits. According to The State of Influencer Marketing, influencer marketing has an ROI that is 11 times higher than banner ads on social media. It’s not surprising to hear brands amping up their budgets specifically for influencer marketing, especially if the industry itself generated $16.4 billion last year.
So why not cut yourself a piece of the pie?
Your fear of an unsuccessful campaign is not unfounded, by any means. But brands have shown that influencers can do what is expected of them – and then some. Fortunately, there are many influencer marketing examples you can get inspired by.
10 influencer marketing examples to get inspired by
The influencer marketing examples below are from local and international brands. As you might expect, they vary in approach, as they are shaped by different social trends. Take inspiration from these campaigns.
1. Palawan Pawnshop: Pala-Paraan Dance Challenge
Palawan Express Pera Padala is a Philippine-based pawnshop and non-banking financial institution offering services such as pawn-broking, money remittance, insurance, bills payment, remit-to-account, corporate payout, collections, and electronic reloading.
To increase brand awareness and cement its position as the top one-stop shop for money services, Palawan Pawnshop created an infectiously fun and memorable dance challenge called Pala-Paraan Dance Challenge.
It involved challenging their audience to recreate the dance choreograph and put their main twist to it.. This was mainly ran on TikTok to garner virality as well as mass brand engagements.
To ensure that new audiences are aware of the brand's specialized services, the new brand jingle would highlight some of PPS-PEPP's distinctive value propositions. The brand spokespeople for PPS-PEPP performed the following lines to a cheery tune:
- Low-interest rate pawning with high appraisal values;
- Fast cash-outs for Pera Padala;
- Dominant presence – boasting over 10,000 branches; and
- Low transaction fees.
Why it worked:
The competition for PPS-PEPP’s financial services is fierce. Maintaining brand relevance can be difficult due to huge competitors with established brand reputations and totally digital alternatives gobbling up the market.
However, PPS-PEPP and its partner agency Propelrr demonstrated recently that the odds might be changed in their favor by investigating contemporary, data-driven platforms and approaches for online marketing.
The brand received 17.6 million total views for their promotional videos highlighting the firm's major offerings by fusing influencer marketing, TikTok marketing, and pay-per-click advertising. It even prompted a rise in followers and solidified its status as the leading, reasonably priced money services brand in the nation.
2. Subaru: #MeetAnOwner
Capitalizing on their loyal customer base, prominent car brand Subaru launched the website meetanowner.com, which features profiles of Subaru owners and their respective stories. To promote the site, the company partnered with YouTube influencer Devin Graham, who had about five million subscribers at the time of the campaign launch.
Enjoy a look back at 7 years of adventure on YouTube with Subaru owner @devinsupertramp. #MeetAnOwner https://t.co/kn6GC2RlL5
— Subaru (@subaru_usa) March 22, 2017
Graham shared a video of him and his friends sliding off a 500-feet cliff and driving their Subaru through rugged terrain. As of writing, the video has over 1 million views, 21,000 likes, and almost a thousand comments, an impressive feat for an influencer marketing campaign.
Why it worked:
Subaru was able to capitalize on brand popularity and capture the interest of its target audience in tapping Graham for the campaign. The influencer was known for his daredevil videos, which suits the typical adventure-filled lifestyle of current and aspiring Subaru owners.
The video content added a compelling narrative to the Meet an Owner website. As a principle, your choice of an influencer must reflect your audience interests and brand values.
3. GrabFood Campaign
The GrabFood Campaign featured food content creator Erwan Heusaff and TikTok star Sassa Gurl in a mukbang video series, showcasing unexpected food finds from non-major food brands.
The campaign garnered significant online engagement, reaching millions of viewers, and resulted in a 65% category uplift, benefiting partner merchants with a 70% increase in orders. Grab Philippines' dedication to supporting local entrepreneurs and fostering viability for small-scale businesses was recognized and praised through the awards.
The two-part mukbang series of Erwan and Sassa Gurl attracted 21 million viewers and 32 million online impressions. Because of its popularity and 10% interaction rate, the series is currently ranked 27th on YouTube's trending list.
The popularity of the series caught the attention of mainstream media as well, earning the brand a PHP 116 million media value for the Indie Eats program.
Why it worked:
The success of Coca-Cola’s “Share-a-coke” campaign is primarily attributed to personalized Coke bottles and cans with their consumers’ names. This encouraged social media sharing through the use of the #ShareACoke.
This personalized character of the campaign resulted in an increase in sales of 2.5%. The added bonus of influencers, such as Selena Gomez, Lupita Nyong’o, and Tyrese Gibson, who were involved in Coke’s #ShareACoke campaign all contributed to the success of the marketing campaign.
4. Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”
In 2010, Old Spice launched a viral campaign on social media called "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like." The campaign featured a series of humorous videos featuring actor Isaiah Mustafa. The campaign was a huge success and resulted in a 107% increase in Old Spice sales. During this campaign, Furthermore, Old Spice’s X following increased by 2,700%.
While the actors tour, Old Spice has enlisted social media personalities Adam W., Jeff Wittek, and Spice Adams to upload their own renditions of the original "Man" ad. Partners in the campaign who provide digital video content include Snapchat, Giphy, Pandora, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
Why it worked:
The Old Spice social media marketing campaign worked because it was innovative, engaging, and effective at driving sales and building brand awareness. The campaign demonstrated the power of social media as a marketing tool and set a new standard for other brands to follow.
5. Dove’s “ The Cost of Beauty”
Ogilvy London and Ogilvy Toronto's "The Cost of Beauty" campaign for Dove aimed to question conventional notions of beauty and advance body positivity. This three-minute film, highlights the negative effects of social media on mental health and aims to emphasize the emotional toll that unattainable beauty ideals can have on people and urge a more inclusive and accepting definition of beauty through compelling advertising and thought-provoking themes.
Why it worked:
The primary reason why this campaign worked is that it resonated with a wide audience by addressing a sensitive, yet relevant topic: the detrimental effects of unrealistic beauty standards. The campaign’s authentic and empowering message allowed Dove to position itself as a brand that genuinely cares about the well-being and self-esteem of its consumers. This fostered a deep and emotional connection to the brand which resulted in an increase brand awareness and emphasized Dove’s advocacy to its audience.
6. Nike x Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick’s partnership with Nike was a ground-breaking influencer marketing effort that advanced awareness for social justice concerns. Colin was chosen by Nike to represent its “Just Do It” 30th anniversary campaign because of Colin’s advocacy against racial inequality and police brutality.
While the collaboration between Colin and Nike sparked debates on social media and political issues around the world, the influencer marketing nonetheless garnered a lot of media attention which increased Nike’s brand impression and brand awareness and advocacy.
Why it worked:
This influencer marketing campaign was successful for a number of reasons. First, Colin Kaepernick had a strong personal brand not only as an activist, but also as an athlete. This character resonated with Nike’s target audience, specifically, the younger & socially conscious demographic. By aligning with Colin’s values, Nike was able to showcase its commitment in supporting social justice causes, which appealed to consumers who value corporate social responsibility above all else.
This campaign characterized Nike as a bold company that is willing to take a stance on a rather controversial issue that ultimately captured their target audience’s attention as well as sparked conversions; thus, amplifying the brand’s message and visibility.
7. Estée Lauder's Beauty Influencer Program
Estée Lauder’s Beauty Influencer Program involved partnering with influencers to create tutorials, reviews, and other content featuring their product. Big names and spokesmodels, such as:
- @beautybyfreyja – Freyja is a makeup and skincare enthusiast and influencer in the beauty industry. In her tutorials and critiques, she frequently mentions Estee Lauder items to showcase the caliber and potency of the company. Her enthralling posts and in-depth expertise have won her a devoted Instagram following.
- @fashionwithjess – Fashion influencer Jess is renowned for her flawless taste and forward-thinking aesthetic. She showcases her best looks on Instagram and frequently uses Estee Lauder cosmetics in her beauty rituals. She is a sought-after influencer in the fashion business thanks to her distinctive sense of style and innovative content.
- @travelwithsarah – Travel influencer Sarah travels the globe and shares her experiences on Instagram. In order to highlight Estee Lauder's travel-friendly cosmetic products and how they improve her travel experiences, she routinely works with them in collaboration. Her audience has been enthralled by her beautiful travel pictures and educational posts, which have made her a well-respected influencer in the travel industry.
Why it worked:
By collaborating with influencers, Lauder’s brand presented an authentic and relatable manner that effectively reached an engaged audience who came to trust the recommendations of these influencers.
8. Zara: #IAmDenim
Top retail clothing brand Zara launched the campaign #IAmDenim to promote its new line of denim jackets and jeans. The project was a collaboration of 10 different girls who work at Zara stores in different locations and brought their own unique experiences to the creative venture.
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To amplify the noise on the project, Zara tapped fashion and beauty influencer Teesh Rosa, who was featured on the promotional materials. The Instagram post, introducing the campaign, had over 360,000 views, as of writing. It’s among the most successful influencer marketing examples in the fashion industry.
Why it worked:
The partnership with a micro influencer, with less than 20,000 followers, worked to the advantage of the brand. More often, these types of personalities are more credible than their bigger, more popular counterparts since they are more likely to partner with brands that they genuinely love and support. Therefore, it’s equally important to consider micro influencers in your marketing strategy.
9. Bumble: Ambassador Program
Popular dating app Bumble sustains an influencer marketing strategy through their Bumble Honey program. The program, which aims to establish presence in colleges and universities in the United States, invites students to become brand advocates. They will create content and organize events on the campus to promote Bumble in their community.
In 2019, the brand executed an activation in the Atlanta area around prominent schools Georgia Tech, Georgia State, and University of Georgia. As macro and micro influencers published good content, the campaign generated over two million social impressions and 4,000 app downloads.
Why it worked:
The Honeybees Program is an excellent influencer marketing example because it harps on the power of proximity. The chosen personalities are the very people the target audience sees in their campus or goes to class with, allowing them to have shared experiences with each other. The mutual understanding makes for better, stronger influence on consumer behavior.
10. Enervon: #IbalikAngHappy
Enervon’s #IbalikAngHappy campaign was a response to the reality of adjusting to the new normal. The nutritional supplement brand aimed to bring back the energy and vibrance in Filipinos who were trying to cope with dramatic life changes brought by the pandemic.
The campaign was executed through a song that carried the name of the campaign in its title. Unsurprisingly, Enervon chose pop rock band Ben&Ben as their brand ambassador and had them perform the song.
As part of the promotion, various TikTok content creators were tapped to create buzz around the song launch. They encouraged followers to watch out for the YouTube premiere. Once the song was out, they used it for their own content, giving their own rendition, dancing to the tune, or sharing clips of happy moments with loved ones.
The #IbalikAngHappy hashtag garnered about 99.6 million views on TikTok as of writing. The full performance video on YouTube had 11 million views and 1,600 likes, a testament to how effective this influencer marketing campaign was.
Why it worked:
Enervon’s brand ambassador choice contributed to the campaign’s success. Aside from the loyal follower base, Ben&Ben, with its brilliant song performance, provided content material that people can engage with. This paved the way for an explosion of user-generated content (UGC), which amplified further the message of the campaign.
Top considerations for choosing an influencer
In today's digital age, where social media has a big influence on customer behavior, choosing the correct influencer can dramatically boost your marketing efforts. To ensure you select the appropriate influencer for your marketing campaign, you must take into account four factors, including:
1. Audience match
Knowing the demographics of an influencer's audience can help you identify untapped markets that you might have otherwise overlooked. It's always possible that your influencers' audiences contain an interesting subset of people, even when their audiences are based on defined parameters. By locating these segments, you can create new key segments to investigate reaching out to new audiences.
2. A senior influencer or a novice?
When evaluating influences, grade seniority is less important than you may imagine. It is important to consider whether using seniority will help you accomplish your campaign goals rather than just how long an influencer has been active. Even if a more seasoned influencer could be more known and have a larger audience, newer influencers can benefit from the following:
- Cost-effectiveness: Hiring inexperienced influencers would be less expensive than hiring influencers with more experience.
- Exclusivity: Many seasoned influencers collaborate with a range of brands to build an image of a brand endorser rather than to enhance the brand's reputation. Thus, utilizing a more recent influencer will provide you the chance to secure branding exclusivity.
- Building a long-Lasting relationship: It is the perfect opportunity to establish a long-lasting partnership if you are one of the first brands to collaborate with a new influencer.
3. Interaction rate
The interaction rate should be taken into account when selecting an influencer to collaborate with. If an influencer's followers do not appear to comment on, like, retweet, or otherwise react to the regular content the influencer posts, this may be a sign that the influencer is not as current as their large following would lead you to assume.
4. Type of followers
Because there is no assurance that these followers are genuine accounts with a real human being behind the computer, raw follower counts might be deceiving. Followers may be "bot" accounts, which are artificial identities set up to engage in or create social media activity online.
These days, influencers may buy hordes of these fake accounts to give brands the appearance that they have a very broad reach. These accounts will share, like, or otherwise react to the social media content these influencers create, providing the impression that their contributions are being well-received.
Key takeaways
Choosing the right influencer for your influencer marketing is a rather crucial step for your business as it allows you to tap into the vast and engaged audience that your potential influencer-partner harbors.
Thus, by collaborating with these influencers, your business can effectively reach not only your target audience but those over and beyond. Additionally, influencer marketing can also build trust and credibility for your product and ultimately drive growth & return for your business.
That said, here are key takeaways you can take with you in choosing an influencer for your influencer marketing:
- Choose an influencer that matches your audience. In choosing the right influencer to represent your products and services, it is important that you choose the influencer that you share a demographic with and that you share the same values. This is illustrated by the Nike x Kaepernick collaboration.
- The right influencer can boost your reach and engagement. Having the right influencer for your business ensures that you will have the proper interaction with your target audience. This will ultimately lead to more clicks and more people visiting your website which results in more engagement and reach for your products or services.
- Influencers can help build brand credibility and trust. Influencer marketing increases brand credibility and trust by leveraging the authentic and relatable voice of influencers, which resonates with their followers and lends credibility to the endorsed products or services.
So, how about it? Did this article help you get ideas for your next influencer marketing campaign? We’d love to hear them. Make sure to share your thoughts and tag Propelrr on Facebook, X or LinkedIn.
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