From macro to niche, influencers have been touted as an effective medium for brand visibility in the digital age.
As a PR and digital marketing agency, we’d be remiss to say influencer partnership hasn’t garnered us our share of successful campaigns. Here are just some of the campaigns that we personally loved executing with our valued influencers:
1: Jo Sebastian for TipTop Easy & Tasty Chicken Tocino
Why this worked: Dietitian Jo Sebastian shot to online popularity due to her unique content on nutrition, indulgence, moderation, and healthy dieting in the Philippine context. Watch her videos and you’ll often see her concluding them with the reaffirming mantra: #YouDeserveToEat! Her followers range from the hard-core health-conscious to the budget-restricted healthy-eating ‘testers’, all seeking healthier dining recommendations. She was the easy pick to create content for TipTop’s Easy and Tasty Chicken Tocino! TipTop’s tocino emphasizes being 100% fresh chicken breast and 0% nitrites, making it an easy, healthy kitchen staple for the whole family. Jo Sebastian answered the questions for anyone skeptical about the ‘health’ component. The way she helped Connect the Story of the brand’s #TOCIisToBelieve campaign – showing, not telling, that it’s absolutely possible to include tocino in a balanced diet – was a master class in informative, engaging, and realistic, easy-to-follow content! We won’t spoil it for you. Go watch her reel!
Results: The dynamic content Jo produced about finding the right balance between indulgence and moderation affirmed that the Filipino’s inherent love for a good breakfast tocino (any time of the way) doesn’t mean you’re compromising health. That garnered over 50,000 views and comments like “ANG SARAP! I’m trying this!”
2: Beatriz McLelland advocating for cervical cancer elimination in the country
Why this worked: There’s more to former Miss Eco Teen Philippines 1st Runner-up Beatriz McLelland than meets the eye. Apart from pageantry, Bea is passionate about advocating for women’s health. You’ll see her using her platform to be the voice of Filipinas battling cervical cancer.
MSD in the Philippines’ campaign, ‘Di Mo DeCerv ang Cervical Cancer, aims to encourage women to get screened for cervical cancer because they don’t deserve to suffer from a vaccine-preventable disease. Bea, for her part, agrees. This is why she has staunchly supported all these events!
Results: The reflective and educational nature of Bea’s post hit home for many, and even inspired a sense of urgency in taking control of their health back through vaccination, screening, and early diagnosis. Check out just some of her posts here and here.
Case Study 3: Chibog Tayo PH showing weekenders where to spend their time – at a weekend market, of course!
Why this worked: It’s common for Filipinos to want to try something new, exciting, and fun. Chibog Tayo’s PH’s curated list of must-try destinations and activities always makes the ‘Let’s Follow Their Recommendations!’ roster. Their refreshing, honest, and laid-back approach to content made them the perfect partner to collaborate with to feature Greenfield’s Weekend Market. Their thoroughly informative run-through of the duration, location, and selections ensures tens of thousands of eyes saw just what Greenfield had to offer.
Results: Their content sparked a domino effect of shares among intrigued friends and family and even amplified buzz for the ongoing installation in Mandaluyong. Apart from the high number of views, people were tagging their own friends and community in the original TikTok post and practically scheduling their next trip to the Greenfield Weekend Market right then and there.
The importance of influencer marketing in today’s digital landscape
Marketing options used to be limited and composed of the traditional media: TV, newspapers, billboards, and radio. But as we transitioned into a more digital-centric society, visibility demands became dynamic and specific. So, the no-brainer solution – for a world now dominated by people glued to their phones and perpetual feed-thumbing – meant: influencers!
These creators boast a large following because people trust their insights, find them entertaining, and want to emulate their style (e.g., cottagecore, dark academia) or life choices (e.g., wellness or minimalism girlies). Thus, brands entrust influencers with the task of featuring their products in content, in a way that appeals to their audiences and nudges them toward tangible conversions!
Succeeding across campaigns
Across these case studies, several ingredients contributing to marketing success are:
- Partnering with influencers with high, active followers.
- Doing a background check to ensure the influencer’s values align with your brand’s.
- Granting them creative freedom to create what they know will appeal to their followers.
- Providing brand marketing materials to use (e.g., logos) to enforce cohesiveness.
- Reviewing their feeds to gauge their expertise in the field
- Observing their interactions with followers and the typical comments they attract.
Challenges and considerations in influencer marketing
Don’t just focus on the follower count; worry more about whether they’re real, engaged audiences. After all, it’s easy to reach “influencer” status with just paid followers (or bot accounts), which won’t guarantee that much return on investment.
Also, keep in mind that not all influencers are equipped with the necessary professionalism and media training to work with a brand. So, watch out for those creators who regularly utilize the unethical strategy of pinning rude comments to stimulate more engagement: associating with these types will only reflect poorly on your brand. In short, take a page out of these strategies to complement your approach and drive tangible results, but first: always vet your selections!
Want to harness the power of influence? Work with NGP-IMC for inventive influencer campaigns that will cement your brand’s place in the cultural zeitgeist – just like we’ve done for other brands!
Gayle is a copy editor and contributing writer for NGP-IMC, covering all the latest buzz around PR and digital marketing. Previously, she’s penned personality-packed ad copies, headlines, print journals, and articles for industry-leading brands and publishers such as foodpanda, Under Armour, Klook, and more! Additionally, she’s profiled Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, developed scripts for South Korea’s SK-Zic and interviewed female riders to shed light on their experiences at the forefront of dismantling gendered expectations within the male-dominated delivery space.