Influencer Marketing is the method of utilizing the power of well-known leaders to propel your message to mainstream consumers. The influencers are motivated in some way to use their personal social channels to subtly market products or services.

Working with social media marketing and content marketing, Influencer Marketing is set to be the next big marketing trend. According to Forbes.com, a recent survey reported 84 percent of marketers plan to launch an influencer campaign in the upcoming year.

Even so, not all brands who are embracing influencer marketing are doing so successfully. As more brands join in and saturate the market, consumers are catching on and getting smarter – meaning those catchy influencer campaigns lose effectiveness and leave consumers turned off.

Other brands have been quite successful with their influencer tactics, effectually marketing their brand while setting the tone for the future of the evolving industry. In fact, these five brands are kicking butt and taking names and utilizing influencer marketing efforts.

5 Brands Utilizing Influencer Marketing Effectively

Axe

The majority of influencer marketing campaigns target women. Axe used this information to their advantage asking a group of leading men to market a wide variety of Axe products.

One of the influential men was Josh Peck, popular actor and comedian. Josh boasts over 4 million followers on his Instagram account alone. Making him an ideal influencer known to women of all ages for his varied roles – from Generation Z gals to Baby Boomer grandmas.

Needless to say, Peck got the word out and Axe’s target audience took notice to Axe products more than ever.

Fanta

Fanta, owned by Coca-Cola, successfully used influencer marketing to get their distinct flavors into the mouths and hearts of a new generation with their “Bring the Fun” campaign. The goal: get more people to try Fanta by embracing the quirky, fun side of life.

The drink, long popular with the older set, was falling behind with Gens Y and Z.  Social media influencers from both Gens were called to take colorful, imaginative selfies with their Fantas in hand. 

The influencer marketing campaign was part of a successful multi-million-dollar marketing campaign launching Fanta into a new generation.

Nikon

Nikon made a huge splash with their influencer marketing campaign successfully executed in partnership with the Warner Music Group. With Nikon as the sponsor of Warner’s SXSW Music residency, Nikon used the event as a platform to highlight the quality, capabilities, and potential of Nikon HD-SLR cameras.

Which, live streamed the performers during the three-night event. Photographers roamed throughout the event allowing the audience to use the cameras and share the photos to their own social media feeds.

The promotion’s buzz was successfully trending on Twitter every night during the three-night event. Plus, performing artists increased the pre-show buzz by using Nikon cameras. To share their personal happenings before the event, getting attention and excitement with their fans and Nikon’s target audience.

Boxed Water

Boxed Water’s influencer marketing campaign in partnership with the National Forest Foundation (NFF) encouraged their audience’s philanthropy to improve the environment by planting trees in National Forests. The influencers in this campaign consist of Boxed Water’s consumer base.

Influencer’s posted, encouraging reposting, and with each #retree hashtag posted, Boxed Water planted two trees. In fact, in the three years of the campaign (so far) Boxed Water boasts record engagement and the planting of more than 600K trees.

Skype

Skype’s efforts at influencer marketing face a unique challenge because Skype communication isn’t public even though Skype is very social. The Skype Passion Project campaign used global influencers and leaders to connect via Skype. Whether their passion was food, fashion, or music. This unique influencer campaign resulted in 140K visitors with 10 percent downloading Skype.

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So, as you can see, Influencer marketing – most brands do it wrong, but we are a community of people working to get it right, join us here at H.