Why do you need examples of influencer marketing campaigns?
The answer is simple: they get your creative juices flowing and inspire your next campaign strategy.
Why is it important?
Because influencer marketing is one of the most effective marketing tactics and you need to do it right to reap its benefits.
Have you ever purchased something simply because someone you admire approved of it?
It has happened to most of us.
Why?
It’s simple. Word of mouth marketing and social proof are now two of the main drivers of purchasing decisions.
Consumers are much more likely to trust the opinions of someone they know—even if they’ve never met them in real life—than of brands.
In fact, the numbers say the same.
According to a report by Edelman, 63% of consumers trust what influencers say about a brand than what the brand says about itself.
Image via Edelman
So, it comes as no surprise that influencer marketing has come to override traditional advertising.
Now, for the next part.
How exactly do you plan successful influencer campaigns?
That’s where successful examples of influencer marketing campaigns come into the picture.
In this post, we’ve curated a list of 4 examples of influencer marketing campaigns that marketers can learn from. No recommendations, no tips, no opinions—simple, real examples for you to find inspiration from.
But first, let’s take a quick look at the building blocks of successful influencer marketing campaigns.
What Makes an Influencer Marketing Campaign Powerful?
No matter what your brand, budget, and goals, here are some things that you must keep in mind while designing your influencer marketing campaigns:
- Understand your audience well
- Get the right influencers to promote your brand
- Always stay relevant
- Review and refine your strategy regularly
Remember—influencer marketing doesn’t have to be expensive.
You don’t need to pay Gordon Ramsay to promote your new restaurant. Any good and trusted food influencer can do the trick.
With the right approach, just about anything is possible.
Take, for example, Seth—globally recognized by his Instagram username @dudewithsign.
Image via Instagram
Seth began his Instagram journey in October 2019. 2 years and 188 posts later, he has a whopping 7.7 million followers as well as a verified account.
Did Seth invest huge bucks into growing his account? No.
Did high-end production win him the massive following? Also no.
Seth’s ability to understand his audience and stay relevant is what got him to where he is today.
That’s pretty much the common factor in all the examples of influencer marketing campaigns we’re about to check out.
So, are you ready to see which examples we have chosen?
Let’s get started.
1. Dunkin’ Donuts
Multinational coffee and donuts company Dunkin’ Donuts and its agency, Trilia, wanted to run a campaign for National Donut Day.
They knew the power of visual content, especially when it came to all things food.
So, as part of a stellar influencer marketing campaign, they leveraged visually appealing and playful content that put their delicious donuts in the spotlight. Fans were encouraged to grab their free donut by visiting Dunkin’ stores and purchasing a beverage.
How did they do that?
Digital talent network and entertainment studio Collab worked meticulously to select eight popular lifestyle influencers to spearhead the campaign.
They were organized in a back-to-back line-up to take over Dunkin’ Donuts’ Snapchat channel on National Donut Day.
Image via The Shorty Awards
The creators shared content that encouraged the viewers to visit the stores and avail of the special offer. Dunkin’ Donuts also came up with unique custom Snapchat Geofilters that could be used in their stores.
In fact, the company was also one of the first brands to leverage Snapchat’s new feature, ‘Snap to Unlock’. This enabled fans to use the Geofilter anywhere for 24 hours, winning Dunkin’ a lot of eyeballs.
Image via Twitter
In an effort to drive more traffic to Dunkin’ Donuts’ Snapchat channel, the influencers also posted content on other platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.
The result?
Dunkin’ Donuts gained 10X more Snapchat followers on National Donut Day than it did on a monthly basis. What’s more, the campaign reached 3 million people, generating an engagement of 40K.
Takeaway: Dunkin’ Donuts’ influencer campaign reiterated the power of visuals in the social media world. In addition, the creative combination of a Snapchat takeover and free donuts paved the way for massive growth in followers as well as sales.
2. Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka’s campaign bagged gold for the Best Food and Drink Campaign at the 2020 Influencer Marketing Awards, and for good reason.
The vodka brand has always been committed to the well-being of our planet. But in 2019, it went the extra mile by repositioning itself as “Planet Earth’s Favorite Vodka”.
Image via Ads of the World
The move was crystallized on Earth Day—a global event that demonstrates support for environmental protection.
The brand strongly believes in the idea that little changes can lead to big impact; that climate change is real, and we can only fight this together.
The brand worked with Collectively—an influencer agency—to showcase its commitment to Mother Nature.
Collectively set up an “activist army” which included sustainability and environmental influencers as well as LGBTQ activists. The idea was to collaborate with a pool of influencers that are diverse in their ideals and personalities.
Image via Twitter
Over the next 8 months, the brand’s new positioning came to life.
How?
Through experiential events brought to Absolut Vodka’s fans and followers by the chosen collaborators.
These included a four-day session on the brand’s commitment to sustainability at its Swedish production facility, as well as a photoshoot recreating the historic Stonewall march—a protest for gay liberation.
Image via PR Newswire
Ultimately, a total of 95 influencers helped garner attention to Absolut Vodka’s mission to expand the way the world thinks about our planet. The campaign generated 68 million impressions and 8.6 million combined engagement.
Takeaway: The best takeaway from Absolut Vodka’s campaign is how the brand worked with diverse influencers. By partnering with influencers that are so utterly different from one another, the brand was able to reiterate the idea that although we’re all uniquely different, together, we can create a healthier planet.
What’s more, this campaign goes on to prove that your influencer marketing campaign can help you do much more than selling a product. You can effectively use the tactic to raise awareness, reposition your brand, and more.
3. Mercedes
Not all influencers are humans. Take Loki the Wolfdog, for example.
Loki is a hybrid of a Siberian Husky, Malamute, and Arctic Wolf. His owner, Kelly Lund, began documenting their travels around the US in 2013.
Image via Instagram
Today, Loki has 2 million followers that love him more than you’d imagine.
Mercedes saw value in this and collaborated with the human-dog duo for its #MCPhotoPass campaign. The campaign coupled Loki with VR technology to bring a truly unique experience to fans.
The immersive video features Lund and Loki on their journey through the snowy mountains of Colorado, in the all-new Mercedes-Benz 2017 GLS sport-utility vehicle.
Image via YouTube
Mercedes installed 3D cameras in the car in a way that viewers could experience running through the snow alongside Loki, along with getting a sneak peek into the car’s beautiful cabin.
Mercedes also invited leading Instagram photographers to provide additional coverage.
Image via Facebook
The campaign generated 173 million impressions and $4 million in earned media value on Instagram alone, putting Mercedes at the heart of a social media craze!
Takeaway: What’s noteworthy about the Mercedes X Loki the Wolfdog campaign is the way it tapped into a completely different audience segment by collaborating with a non-human influencer. By partnering with an influential dog, Mercedes proved that influence comes in different shapes and sizes.
4. Häagen-Dazs
Summers are incomplete without ice cream, aren’t they?
This is exactly what Häagen-Dazs’ influencer campaign aimed to remind New Yorkers. To bring in summer in full spirit, the brand came up with special BOGO (buy one get one) offers and sampling events at New York’s Walgreens and Duane Reade stores.
The next task? Promoting the special offers.
Häagen-Dazs worked with lifestyle micro-influencers based in New York City. These influencers created local content aimed at targeting ice-cream lovers near retail stores.
Image via Instagram
Häagen-Dazs also sprinkled a little bit of moment marketing on its influencer campaign.
It had the chosen influencers create content around the theme #HDOpenContainer—inspired by the city’s then celebrated stance on open container laws.
The campaign rightly positioned Häagen-Dazs as an indulgent yet affordable treat to devour with friends during summers.
The influencers also covered rooftop parties and sampling events across the city. Engaging content featuring an NYC-vibe was shared via local influencers on platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.
Image via The Shorty Awards
What’s more?
Häagen-Dazs went the extra mile by segmenting the target audience by zip codes and sharing extremely targeted content.
By leveraging hyperlocal influence, Häagen-Dazs was able to remind New Yorkers that no matter what they’re up to this summer, grabbing a tub of Häagen-Dazs would make everything sweeter and better.
The campaign was a huge success, garnering more than 14.3 million impressions, and over 27,400 social engagements.
Takeaway: Häagen-Dazs’ influencer campaign is the best proof of the power of localized influencer marketing. It reminds us that relevance is key to a successful influencer marketing campaign.
FAQs
Q1. What are some good examples of influencer marketing campaigns?
A. Some of the best examples of influencer marketing campaigns include:
- Dunkin’ Donuts’ campaign on National Donut Day
- Absolut Vodka’s “Planet Earth’s Favorite Vodka” campaign
- Mercedes’ collaboration with Loki the Wolfdog
- Häagen-Dazs BOGO promotions at Duane Reade and Walgreens Stores
Q2. What are influencer marketing campaigns?
A. An influencer marketing campaign involves partnering with relevant influencers to achieve one or more brand goals. These can involve increasing brand exposure, building authority, boosting brand awareness, and finding new customers.
Q3. How do I create successful influencer marketing campaigns?
A. To create an influencer marketing campaign, you can follow these steps:
- Assess your goals and budget
- Find the right influencer(s)
- Come up with an influencer strategy
- Let the influencer do their job
- Review and optimize the campaign
You can also look at our examples of influencer marketing campaigns for some inspiration.
Q4. What are some examples of influencers?
A. A few examples of influencers are:
- Kim Kardashian
- Taylor Swift
- PewDiePie
- Justin Bieber
- Chris Burkard
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Beyonce
Q5. Which brands use influencer marketing?
A. Influencer marketing is for everyone. Brands of all sizes, and across various niches can make it big using this marketing tactic. So, use these successful examples of influencer marketing and plan your next campaign.
Amplify Your Reach with Influencer Marketing Campaigns
These examples of influencer marketing campaigns prove just how much a brand can benefit by partnering with the right influencers.
People are constantly looking up to influencers for recommendations and opinions on purchasing decisions. So, if you don’t leverage this digital marketing strategy, you’d be missing out on a lot.
Influencer marketing can help you increase brand awareness, reposition your brand, find new customers, and boost sales.
What’s more?
If you play it smart, you can reap the benefits of influencer marketing without burning a hole in your pocket.
So go on, and set the wheels of your own influencer marketing campaign in motion. Do use these examples of influencer marketing campaigns for inspiration.
Do you have any questions about getting started? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.