Influencer Campaign | Esther Park

Influencer Marketing Case Study

Expanding Brand Reach through Strategic Influencer Marketing on a Limited Budget

Client:

LILIANA

Role:

Influencer Marketing

Deliverables:

Brand Identity

Digital Content

Event Planning

Marketing

Duration

3 Months

Objective

To find a cost-effective solution to clear the backlog of unsellable shoes by leveraging influencer marketing without increasing the marketing budget.

Planning and Strategy Development (3-4 weeks)

Challenges

Navigating Budgetary and Market Challenges

The company was facing a significant issue with a backlog of unsellable shoes due to late shipments. Traditional sales methods were failing to move this inventory, and with a limited marketing budget, there was resistance to spending on new initiatives. The company had a history of using paid influencers with little brand mention on social platforms, further complicating the marketing efforts.

Strategy

Turning Tight Budgets into Big Wins

Maximizing Existing Resources: Recognizing the potential in the unsellable shoes, I proposed repurposing them as assets for influencer marketing. Instead of continuing with the current model of paid influencers, I shifted the focus to trade agreements.

Influencer Selection: I experimented with three distinct groups of influencers:

Established Influencers: Despite budget constraints, we collaborated with well-known influencers by offering personalized promo codes and other non-monetary incentives, ensuring they remained engaged and motivated to create high-quality content.
Experimental Influencers: Selected for research purposes, this group didn’t exactly match our target audience but provided valuable insights into potential new markets. We also leveraged trade agreements with these influencers to minimize costs.
Emerging Influencers: These creators were aligned with our brand’s aesthetic but were still building their following. They were ideal candidates for trade agreements, providing us with content in exchange for free shoes, which helped us save an estimated $1,500 monthly compared to (3) traditional paid influencer partnerships.

Cost Efficiency: While the theoretical cost for 10 paid influencers would have been $5,000 ($500 per influencer plus $250 in shipping), in reality, we only used 3 paid influencers per month, costing $1,575 ($500 per influencer plus $75 in shipping). By switching to the new approach with trade agreements, we reduced our expenses to just $250 in shipping, achieving a 95% cost reduction compared to the theoretical model and a significant savings compared to our actual previous spending.

Launching (4 weeks)

Strategy

Crafting Content, Counting Conversions

Content Strategy: I collaborated with the selected influencers to ensure the shoes were not just featured in content but were actively promoted on their social channels with brand mentions and hashtags.

Analytics and Measurement: I implemented a comprehensive analytics tracking system, monitoring follower conversions and engagement metrics. Additionally, I introduced a Content Creator Credit Program, where each influencer received a personalized discount code. This incentivized influencers to engage with their audiences while providing us with precise metrics to measure their success as brand ambassadors.

Results (4 weeks)

Challenges

High Impact on a Low Budget

Blue and Red Modern Sales Analytics Graph-2.png

Successful Clearance: The shoes that had been languishing in the warehouse for months began to sell out within weeks of the influencers' posts.

Budget Optimization: Saved approximately $4,750 using (10) non-paid influencers compared to the traditional (10) paid influencer model, achieving similar, if not better, promotional outcomes.

Increased Sales: The influencers who agreed to trade agreements provided more sales on our e-commerce site compared to previous paid campaigns, demonstrating the value of this strategic approach.