Perlu: Influencer Marketing Reimagined

When a crisis like COVID-19 puts your revenue in jeopardy, any shiny new prospective partner or campaign opportunity can look promising. But don’t let your guard (or your standards) down. How do you know if someone is genuine or looking for a profiteering opportunity? How do you know if a new partnership will be a good match in a time of adversity? We asked these questions of Kristian Sturt of Colossal Influence Limited who, with hundreds of campaigns under his belt, has had plenty of opportunities to learn how to best handle the ups and downs of influencer marketing. Hit play to learn how he helps his influencers and the brands they work with navigate a crisis like COVID-19.

We’re quarantined. And if you’re anything like us, that means you’re snacking all day, every day (the kitchen is right there) and trying to find new ways to stay healthy. Why not hit two birds with one stone? That’s where CHOMPS comes in. CHOMPS has changed the ethical game in the meat snack industry and has partnered with influencers to do so. Listen in to hear how family-owned CHOMPS uses always-on influencer partners to drive brand awareness and showcases their dedication to clean sourcing and raising industry-wide standards for meat snacks through their influencer programs.

Affiliate marketing is the win-win approach all brands should be taking with their influencers. By incentivizing influencer partners who already love your product, you gain access to influencers’ loyal and trusting fanbases. Affiliate marketing rapidly grows your brand’s customer base and establishes a personable rapport with your customers. Despite its efficacy, affiliate marketing is often overlooked when brands develop their marketing strategy. But Gabrielle Pajer and Corinne Travis of CJ Affiliate, one of the most established companies in affiliate marketing, know that affiliate marketing has the power to influence and educate a consumer during their purchase journey, increase engagement and drive sales. On this episode of the Perlu podcast, they describe how they combine their experience in influencer marketing, audience targeting and content to help build brands’ presence across multiple channels and monetize content through affiliate marketing. Take a break from your work-from-home routine to discover how you can do the same!

We’ve talked a lot on this podcast with brands, influencers, and agencies about influencer marketing success strategies. But we’ve yet to hear a consumer speak on their experience with influencers. Do the pretty photos and brand endorsements work? Even for the generations older than Gen Z or Millennials? Jenn Leedy was a skeptic — wary of influencers and their platforms. In this episode, she shares with us how she found an influencer she feels close to, what makes one connection with an influencer last where others don’t and how influencers can lead your brand to more sales.

From micro influencers to celebrities, the question on every brand and agency’s mind is how to navigate paying your influencers. Check out this mini-episode to learn more about why it isn’t an exact science, and how a strong relationship with an influencer can save you money.

In a few short weeks, the world seems to have been turned on its head because of COVID-19. Everyone — consumers, agencies, brands, influencers — is being affected in some way, and most brands feel it’s necessary to pivot their marketing strategy to avoid sounding tone deaf. But how do you decide how to pivot when a crisis of this size is unprecedented? Alison Kimble Charles, senior director of product marketing at CLEVER has spent nearly a decade working with influencers and brands like Dove, Capital One and Chobani. While she, like the rest of us, has never faced a crisis of this magnitude before, her experience with influencer marketing, her belief in influencers’ inherent worth and her passion for helping brands live out their values gives her valuable insight during a time like this. So sit back (at home, please) and hit play to find out the do’s and don’ts of influencer marketing during a crisis.

Ever wish you could be the person who taste tests new ice cream flavors? (Same.) For Amy Verhey, though, that’s not just an ice cream dream — it’s her reality. Along with being a member of Tillamook’s Supertasters, she also works as Tillamook’s senior marketing manager, where she applies her experience from Edelman, Starbucks, HP, Netflix, Ghirardelli and PayPal to make Tillamook one of the biggest household names in dairy through ingenious campaigns such as creating a national holiday. So hunker down, whip up some Tillamook mac and cheese and hit play to make your quarantine a little more enjoyable.

*NOTE: This audio was recorded before social distancing regulations were implemented, and since the spread of COVID-19, your influencer marketing is probably looking a little different these days. We think you’ll still find Bruce's information valuable, and we look forward to seeing how you support your audience and your influencers and adjust your influencer marketing to stay safe during this crisis. What exactly is the difference between a brand ambassador and an influencer? Well, according to Bruce Downes of Willie’s Superbrew, there shouldn’t be any difference at all. From the outrageous yet heartwarming origin story to their annual donation to an environmental charity, Willie’s Superbrew is all about passion, authenticity and fun. And they make sure their brand ambassadors reflect those values and have the product knowledge to speak in detail to consumers about what makes the company unlike any other brewery. Crack open a cold one from Willie's Superbrew and listen in to the latest episode of our influencer marketing podcast.

If you haven’t downloaded it yourself, you’ve probably heard by now about the latest social media platform sweeping the nation’s youth. TikTok, the short-form video-sharing social networking app akin to the retired Vine app, has captured the hearts of Gen Zers. While many brands are still struggling to figure out a marketing strategy to break into TikTok and speak to Gen Z, Casey Smith, social media and influencer manager at Kroger’s family of stores, is wayyy ahead of the game. The Kroger marketing team was the first brand globally to run TikTok’s first-ever Hashtag Challenge Plus campaign, allowing users to shop for products they saw in the videos created by Kroger’s influencer partners. Stay safe at home and do your grocery shopping online, and listen up! Casey Smith shares why she decided to use TikTok for Kroger Marketing and details how to execute your own viral marketing campaign. Just, please, don’t TikTok and drive.

Ashley Ha is no stranger to the power of fashion and beauty influencers, often finding herself filling a virtual shopping cart after hearing a glowing product endorsement from a trusted source. In this episode of Perlu’s influencer marketing podcast, Ashley recalls her experience working with fashion & beauty influencers at agencies and in-house on the Sephora marketing team.

When casting influencers for her campaigns, Elizabeth Walker is passionate about ensuring the talent reflects the diversity of the world. In this episode of the Perlu Podcast, she shares why she doesn’t consider it a difficult task at all...and why if you feel it’s difficult, you are probably doing something wrong. Elizabeth Walker is the celebrity and influencer talent manager for Blavity, (a blend of “black” and “gravity”) which is home to the largest network of platforms and lifestyle brands serving the multifaceted lives of black millennials. Through Blavity, Elizabeth has worked with brands such as AT&T, HBO and Coca-Cola on powerful and inspiring influencer campaigns. Elizabeth is also the manager of social media and influencer marketing at award-winning agency, Citizen Relations. There, she's managed influencer campaigns for Old Spice and Natrol. On every influencer marketing campaign she works on, Elizabeth applies her acute project management, organizational prowess and communication skills along with a dedication to the success of all parties involved. In this episode of the Perlu Podcast, Elizabeth guides us on how to simultaneously wow clients, form lasting relationships with influencers and create campaigns featuring every kind of person out there.

You probably know of Lyft as the popular rideshare service app. But did you know Lyft also owns most of the major bike shares across the country? Or that the company has a huge focus on social impact campaigns for food equity, voting access and job access programs? In this episode of the Perlu Podcast, we sat down with Lyft’s director of influencer marketing, Bette Ann Schlossberg, to learn how she incorporates authentic and passionate influencers of every audience size to these meaningful campaigns. So ask to borrow your Lyft driver’s aux cord and learn about the heart behind what is so much more than a rideshare app – and be one of the first to hear about the new LyftUp program!

If producing this podcast has shown us anything, it’s that the best influencer marketing professionals come from all different backgrounds. For Maria Rendina, influencer marketing coordinator at SheFit, that background was broadcast journalism. But through a connection at SheFit, she found herself launched into the influencer marketing world. The team at SheFit was facing a unique challenge as a startup in the niche sports apparel industry: they didn’t have a wide range of diverse products — they started with a single product built specifically for women. The solution? Influencer marketing. But they didn’t work with just any influencers — they focused their energies on influencers who aligned with SheFit’s mission and already had a passion for the product. Throw on your SheFit apparel, head to the gym and put on your headphones to learn how Maria Rendina helped SheFit go from a startup to a brand with a passionate cult following.

Eighteen-year-old Lily Cozad had no idea she was involved in influencer marketing when she and her college friend started a T-shirt business out of their dorm rooms, but that was when she learned first-hand that people trust people more than ads. Today, as influencer marketing coordinator at Kodiak Cakes, Lily focuses on cultivating personal relationships with her influencers — members of the Kodiak Den — in order to accurately assess whether Kodiak Cakes wants to work with them and to reinforce authentic partnerships. So mix up some Kodiak pancake mix, fire up the stove-top, and listen to this mini-episode filled with influencer-brand relationship advice for an effective social strategy.

Not long after GIFs and memes took the internet by storm, Clare Brown of IDG realized something — brands could capitalize on this trend, too. So she created the first branded GIF. This is just one example of how Clare has innovated the marketing industry. Throughout the last 10 years, she’s worked with major brands like Maybelline and AMC to revitalize their influencer marketing strategy. Lucky for us, she agreed to chat with us about the difference between B2B and B2C influencer marketing and how treating influencers like colleagues rather than strangers has helped her create killer campaigns.

If you’ve ever sat in a salon chair and breathed in the oddly comforting smell of professional salon products while the stylist snips away to the new and improved you, you’ve practically shaken hands with this episode’s interviewee. Randall Chinchilla started his career at Cadbury Schweppes and later spent almost two decades at Procter & Gamble before making his foray into the world of professional salon product influencers. Throughout his years in the influencer marketing industry, he’s used earned and owned media to reach customers in unique and authentic ways for Coty marketing. So grab your OPI polish for an at-home mani-pedi, turn up the volume, and learn how Randall uses influencers to make Coty’s brands household names both at home and in the salon.

Fifteen years ago, Cassidy Stockton began her career at Bob’s Red Mill in customer service. Since then, she’s worked her way up into the influencer marketing world. Now she runs the influencer marketing program at Bob’s Red Mill. With fifteen years under her belt, she’s gained know-how very few players in the industry have had the opportunity to learn. Lucky for us, she was willing to share a few of the lessons. So relax (or bake something with Bob’s Red Mill flour? Pancakes?) and hit play to learn how she fosters genuine relationships with the influencers she works with and respects their content rights.

Expanding your brand overseas comes with mixed emotions. It’s exhilarating – congratulations on the growth! – but it also can lead to a lot of new challenges in marketing. How do you know the best way to reach your new audience? In this episode, we hear from Cody Beavers of international, multibillion-dollar car rental company Sixt. Sixt is one of the first and most influential international car rental companies in the world - with over 100 years in the business. They were the first car rental company with a website and the first to accept mobile reservations. They are present in over 105 countries with branches in over 2,200 locations. You can easily find Sixt car rental services internationally in almost every major city and tourist destination worldwide.

Is an influencer right for this campaign? How do I find and choose an influencer to work with? How much value would an influencer really add to this project? Justyna Torres, senior manager of influencer marketing at 360i, asks these questions every day. We sat down with her to hear about the strategies she uses to lead successful campaigns at a viral scale while leveraging real, authentic influencer relationships such as the #DSWStyleSquad.

A passion for fashion and footwear drove Kibbee Miller to Converse. Now a member of their global social media team, Kibbee works closely with influencers of all scales every day on multiple active campaigns. We sat down with her to hear what it takes to get a gig with a brand like Converse. Are you an influencer hoping to score a collab with a brand of this scale? Are you a brand trying to understand what you should be looking for in your influencers? Kick up your heels ... or chucks ... and listen up. Kibbee breaks it all down.