- The Pitfall of Superficial Campaigns
- Success Through Authentic Storytelling can equal 89% surge in global sales
- Employee-Generated Content: A New Development
Leveraging influencers solely for their reach without embedding authentic storytelling into your brand strategy can render your marketing efforts not just ineffective but leave you dead in the water. Influencers possess the power to humanize brands, but without genuine narratives, campaigns risk appearing superficial and failing to engage audiences meaningfully.
The Pitfall of Superficial Campaigns
A recent example involves prebiotic soda company Poppi, which faced criticism for its extravagant Super Bowl promotions. The brand provided to 32 influencers—including Alix Earle, Jake Shane, and Rob Rausch with branded vending machines generating millions of views on TIKTOK , a move perceived as wasteful and out of touch with current economic sensitivities. Public sentiment quickly turned negative, with many criticizing the campaign as excessive and out of touch with consumer values.
Instead of gifting high-cost machines to wealthy influencers, Poppi could have made a greater impact by placing them in community-focused spaces like college dorms, hospitals, shelters, or schools.
This backlash underscores the importance of aligning influencer campaigns with authentic storytelling that resonates with consumers’ values.
Success Through Authentic Storytelling
Conversely, brands that integrate storytelling into their influencer partnerships see significant success. Skincare influencer Hyram Yarbro, for instance, gained a massive following by sharing genuine product reviews and skincare advice. His authentic content led to a collaboration with CeraVe. Between March and October 2020, Hyram Yarbro’s videos about L’Oréal’s sub-brand CeraVe played a key role in boosting its popularity and sales. His content generated $3.2 million in media impact value and reportedly contributed to an 89% surge in CeraVe’s global sales that year. This success led to a paid partnership with L’Oréal, allowing Yarbro to create branded content on TikTok and YouTube. This partnership thrived because it was built on trust and real value to the audience.
Employee-Generated Content: A New Development
Brands are shifting away from hyper-polished influencers and #sponsored content, embracing a more authentic voice, their own employees. From Loewe’s artisans crafting iconic bags to Fenty Beauty’s IT team testing their makeup knowledge, companies are turning their staff into relatable storytellers. Whether it’s Marc Jacobs flaunting his XL nails or Ganni’s marketing team playfully battling over a New Balance collab, every level of the business is now part of the content machine, and audiences are loving it.
Employee-generated content, showcasing behind-the-scenes insights and personal stories is leading the way. This approach fosters relatability and trust, as audiences connect with the genuine experiences of those behind the brand.
Influencer marketing must transcend beyond mere reach and impressions. By placing authentic storytelling at the core of your strategy, whether through influencers or internal advocates, brands can forge deeper connections with their audience, leading to sustained engagement and loyalty.