Influencer marketing made a big splash in 2015 as it became known as one of the most effective ways to reach social media audiences. From product launches to sales promotions to brand building, advertisers are finding influencer content an integral part in virtually all aspects of marketing activities.
This year’s holiday shopping push is no exception. Here are some of the most creative and notable brand-influencer collaborations of the season: Aldo: #InspiredXAldo Instagram has become a niche for fashion and beauty brands, but shoes and accessory brand, Aldo, wanted to go beyond fashion with its # InspiredXAldo campaign. Instead of working with Instagram models and fashionistas, Aldo partnered with influencers from different disciplines to demonstrate how fashion trends inspire personal style and that inspiration can come from anywhere. In addition to photographs of the influencers in their creative element, each influencer curated collections of their favorite seasonal items. Aeropostale: #FreeYearOfAero In an effort to reconnect with its target teen audience, Aeropostale teamed up with Vine influencer Logan Paul for an epic Black Friday helicopter tour from Scottsdale, Arizona to Los Angeles, California. Paul, who has more than 8 million followers on Vine, documented his tour with high-quality videos as he touched down at Aeropostale locations to deliver passes worth a #FreeYearOfAero clothing. While Aeropostale has been named one of the most powerful brands on social media, the best part of the #FreeYearOfAreo campaign with Paul was bridging the gap between the digital world and the brick-and-mortar retail locations.
KMart: #ShoppingIsFunAgain
Like Vine, there are no official advertising products on the mobile live-streaming app Periscope. However, that doesn’t stop brands like KMart from experimenting on the platform. As part of a campaign to revitalize its signature “blue light special” sale, the discount retailer partnered with influencers on Periscope and Snapchat to post videos live and in-store. According to WiFi data published by Digiday, the promotion resulted in nearly 30,000 engagements, and mobile use of the KMart app increased 600 percent over the Black Friday weekend.
Bulgari: A Glamorous Roman Holiday
Luxury Italian accessory brand Bulgari decided to take consumers on a Roman holiday with an interactive microsite featuring Roman monuments and a scavenger hunt for Roman treasures. A companion campaign featured three influential fashion bloggers on a “Glamorous Roman Holiday” together. Other bloggers also documented their Roman experiences. The Bulgari campaign demonstrates the power of using narrative to create aspirational brand connection. While Bulgari worked with influencers to reach social media audiences, it was the brand’s own authentic love for its Italian hometown that really shone through.
