Next in our series of great examples of brands using influencers as a part of their marketing strategies comes home and living brands. Check these seven examples of collaborations that have worked for them, and maybe you’ll find inspiration for your own influencer campaign.
Made.com
Made.com, a UK home furnishings, and decorating brand, is a wonderful example of how impactful listening to audiences truly is. In the research they did, they found out that their audiences dislike obvious influencer endorsements but rather search for a bit more meaningful content. So, Made.com switched its strategy entirely and started a series of influencer collaborations called YouTube Madeover. Here, the creators were asked to redecorate a room in their house using the items solely from Made.com, and it resonated with the audiences tremendously. Of course, if the viewers wanted to buy any of the objects used, they can just click a link in the video description.
IKEA
I think we can all agree that IKEA never lacks excellent marketing ideas and the Spanish ambassador club they launched a couple of years ago solidifies the point. The aim of the ambassadors club was to collaborate with micro-influencers who’d introduce IKEA to new audiences in an unfiltered and relatable way. They’ve also opted for co-creation of the content, so it would be genuinely relatable to the creators’ audiences.
The ambassador club’s content pieces gathered over 63M views and helped IKEA increase its shop visits by 11% and purchases by 5%.
Bassett Furniture
Bassett Furniture, although a renowned luxury home furnishings brand, didn’t skip the chance for a quality influencer marketing campaign. Their idea was to collaborate with Jenni Holmes, an interior designer of Dear Lillie Studio. Together, they went to Bassett Furniture factories, with Jenni designing her own furniture for her home. Of course, Jenni documented it all very thoroughly and shared her process in four detailed blog posts and various social media posts, revealing the custom-made items.
The campaign ran for several months, and the audience’s interest didn’t wane at all. In fact, the campaign’s engagement rates went up with each content piece, and Bassett Furniture relished in their newly found website traffic.
Freedom of Motion
Freedom of Motion, a brand specializing in modular furnishings, did its homework impeccably before launching its influencer campaign. This is what they chose to do – first of all, Freedom of Motion categorized its consumers into three personality types. The three segments of the audience then fell under the types called ‘innovator,’ ‘inspirer,’ and ‘cultivator.’ Knowing this, Freedom of Motion collaborated with three creators, each of whom represented a type and became a Key Opinion Leader of the segment. Then, the creators were asked to create content pieces featuring Freedom of Motion items in their Instagram posts and YouTube videos.
And if it all sounds simple enough to be ingenious, then you are right! Freedom of Motion’s heavily calculated plan elevated brand awareness, formed a bond with its loyal customers, and invited new ones to its website.
Wayfair
Although we’re seeing the trend of working with micro- and macro-influencers becoming quite a prevalent one, collaborations with social media superstars are still one of the most popular ways for influencer marketing. Take, for instance, the example of Wayfair and its collaboration with Kelly Clarkson.
The campaign’s highlight was to show Kelly’s 5.7M followers just how easy it is to shop online with Wayfair and how great their delivery services are. To emphasize this, Kelly did unboxing videos, showed the audience how she’s incorporating the items she bought into her own home interior, and even co-created her own line within the brand.
This campaign went so well that her posts marked with #kellyclarksonxWayfair usually got twice the engagement than they normally would!
Tuft & Needle
Tuft & Needle, a brand that’s all about comfortable sleep, chose that the feelings evoked by each of their influencer-created content pieces are much more important than anything else. The company’s brand message is authenticity and eye-pleasing visuals inviting the audience to take a deep breath and relax.
The influencer that Tuft & Needle collaborates with sticks with the company’s aesthetic of minimal design and soft colors, also integrating loads of family-related content. And this clear visual style always lets you know that it’s Tuft & Needle content, radiating wellness, daily values, and relaxation at you from your Instagram feed. In fact, this is the key to great influencer-generated content – a clear style you won’t mistake with any other brand.
Article
Article is a contemporary home brand that chose a unique social media influencer marketing strategy. Unlike any other brand that accentuates the people’s side of their company, Article chose to solely show their products in their content. And while this strategy of eliminating people’s experience using the items might become cold and distant, for Article it definitely works!
The influencer-generated content blends seamlessly into their own, and although there aren’t many faces on their Instagram feed, it doesn’t lack any character. Their distinctive style, aptitude for gorgeous interior design, and variations within create an incredible impact on anyone visiting their account.
As you can see, many different strategies work. But the most important thing is that whichever of these examples inspire you, you have to make it your own! The key to a successful influencer campaign is to reflect your brand values, authenticity, and make your content relatable to your audience.
