There are a few standard ways to work with influencers. The most common method is a pay to play in which a business pays an Influencer to do, wear, post, try, or attend something. The influencer industry blew up over the last decade, so this is the most common method of partnering with influencers.
However, at Champion, we did not pay anyone famous to wear our clothing. We cultivated relationships with each person and took a genuine interest in what they cared about. We provided a value beyond money that created trust between them and the brand and inspired them to support the brand. Our Influencer Marketing strategy was to build an honest and genuine relationship with them as people by adding value to something they care about. We showed up, sent loads of products, and kept in touch with them about topics that were important to them.
A few of the most well-known people we worked with were DJ Khaled, Chance the Rapper, and the Kardashians, to name a few.
By working closely with people who loved and believed in the brand, our team was able to build mutually beneficially relationships with these mega influencers and the people who worked with them.
These relationships did not happen overnight and took time to build. But the value of patience and consistency was crystal clear every time one of these celebrities chose to wear Champion of their own free will.
This is a great example of reciprocity - a principle that exists in all areas of life. And like most areas of business, the relationships you build are what end up mattering most. No matter the size of your business, you too can find ways to implement influencer strategies.
The visibility and reach from 1 of these celebrities was powerful enough. When you add them all together, it becomes quite impactful. From the photos, you can see that they were wearing Champion in all areas of life: Chance is at ACL on stage as a headliner; the Kardashians are living their everyday life AND posting on their socials in Champion clothing; and DJ Khaled is posing for photos for events that are important to him and his brand.
If you're looking to launch your own influencer marketing strategy for any industry, let's talk!
While this exact influencer/partnership model would be more difficult to mimic now, here are key takeaways that do still work when applying influencer marketing:
Find influencers whose values match your brand's values.
Cultivate real relationships with them as people - be social, get to know them, and build trust through mutual connection.
Inspire creativity within your influencer partnerships by giving them a brief and allowing them to build content that they know will appeal to their audience (i.e. do not micro-manage their content production).
Share clear goals, discuss analytics and expectations upfront, and be fully transparent on how you will judge success.
Depending on the size of the influencer's audience and their engagement metrics, you could consider negotiating product or service trades instead of money.
Always give the influencers time to engage with your product or service so that they can give authentic feedback in their content.
If you are an influencer looking to develop your own brand so that you can attract business partnerships, setup time to chat with us. We can help you determine your opportunities.
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