Build Long-Term Ambassador Programs
by SARAL
In the competitive landscape of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands, influencer marketing seems like an obvious and straightforward path: hire an influencer, gain more visibility, and watch profits grow.
When the expected surge in profits fails to materialize, brands are left scratching their heads, wondering where they went wrong.
The issue often isn’t with influencer marketing but with the brand’s approach to it.
When brands view influencers, affiliates, and creators merely as sales machines, they’re overlooking a crucial aspect: these individuals can be potent advocates for the brand if nurtured properly. If their partnership with your brand is solely about money and not about a genuine connection, it won’t endure.
More damagingly, if they don’t feel respected or acknowledged for their work, influencers will move on to brands that offer more recognition and a collaborative spirit.
In this blog, we’ll explore 6 strategies that top CPG brands use to build sustainable, long-term partnerships with their favorite ambassadors and influencers, even when there’s no lure of upfront payment.
1— Scaling Together with Micro and Nano Influencers
An often overlooked but valuable approach successful CPG brands utilize is building early relationships with micro and nano influencers.
These influencers, despite smaller follower counts, are usually more dedicated to building meaningful relationships with brands. They tend to have highly engaged audiences who value their recommendations.
As your brand grows, these influencers often grow alongside you. If you’ve supported them in their early stages, they’re likely to stay loyal and support your brand as their influence expands.
This not only allows for a cost-effective strategy but also fosters a mutually beneficial growth journey.
2— Respecting Influencers as Creators
Successful CPG brands understand that influencers are not just promotional tools, but creative individuals with a deep understanding of their audience.
By involving influencers in the co-creation of products, brands can show that they value the influencer’s creativity and insights. This collaboration could take various forms, such as developing new product flavors, designing packaging, or even crafting marketing messages.
This involvement not only strengthens the bond between the brand and the influencer, but it also boosts the influencer’s motivation to promote the product, as they have a personal stake in its success.
Gymshark uses this strategy. They collaborated with creator @whitneyysimmons to launch a new product collection. While this example is from the apparel world, it can apply to any CPG brand as well.
3— Consistent Feedback Loop
The best CPG brands maintain an ongoing dialogue with their influencers. They don’t just reach out for product promotions but involve influencers in key discussions, brainstorming sessions, and even strategic decisions. This could involve regular check-ins, quarterly reviews, or dedicated brainstorming sessions.
To make this more manageable and efficient, they often implement a drip email sequence specifically designed for influencer engagement. You can use SARAL, an all-in-one influencer marketing tool to do that.
By automating these touchpoints, you can ensure that you never miss a chance to interact, while also allowing influencers to feel valued and integral to the brand.
4— Tailored Incentive Structures Beyond Cash
Monetary compensation is a standard part of influencer partnerships, but the best CPG brands recognize that additional, non-monetary incentives can significantly enhance the relationship. They provide thoughtful incentives that not only reward influencers but also contribute to their personal and professional development.
Such incentives could include:
- Exclusive Access to Products: Providing early or exclusive access to new products. This allows influencers to be among the first to try out and review new releases, which not only gives them an edge over other influencers but also signifies trust in their opinion.
- Brand Events: Invitations to brand events, product launches, or industry conferences. This provides influencers with networking opportunities, enhances their industry knowledge, and strengthens their association with the brand.
Bang Energy invites its ambassadors to a ‘creator house’ that they host in a beautiful location around the world, every year.
Bang Energy’s CEO is also known to host creators at his mansion to create a workout, dance, and entertaining videos.
- Co-Branding Opportunities: Offering opportunities for influencers to be featured in a brand’s global advertising campaign or having a limited-edition product line in their name. This helps them expand their portfolio and reach a wider audience.
- Educational Opportunities: Offering professional development resources, such as workshops, training, or courses, related to content creation, marketing, or personal branding.
Lululemon offers coaching, and business expertise to its creators who want to launch their own fitness studios. It invites them to networking events where they can meet fellow fitness enthusiasts and lululemon ambassadors.
5— Shared Values and Mission Over Numbers:
Don’t get dazzled by follower counts alone. Prioritize influencers whose values align with your brand and fit the ideal creator profile for your brand.
For instance, if your brand champions sustainable practices, an influencer who consistently advocates for environmental concerns would be a perfect fit.
When your brand aligns with an influencer’s values, it establishes mutual respect and understanding right from the start. Influencers are more likely to engage in a long-term partnership with a brand that respects their values and gives them the space to remain true to their beliefs while promoting the brand.
Influencers who promote brands that align with their values are generally more motivated and interested in maintaining the partnership over the long term. They are enthusiastic about the brand’s mission and products, making it more likely for them to stay engaged and continue advocating for the brand.
6— Leading with Generosity
Starting a relationship with an influencer is all about giving first. Successful brands send free product samples to influencers right at the beginning.
This way, influencers get to experience the product personally, and it shows that the brand values their potential partnership.
Reaching out to influencers can be tough as they receive many requests daily.
To deal with this, brands can use tools like SARAL to stay in touch consistently. By setting up a drip email sequence, brands can keep reminding influencers about their products and continue the discussion, keeping their brand at the forefront of the influencer’s mind.
And giving doesn’t stop after the first contact.
To keep the relationship strong, brands can offer extra perks like higher affiliate commissions after reaching certain goals, exclusive giveaways, or special discounts for the influencer’s followers.
This ongoing generosity shows the influencer that the brand is serious about the relationship and wants it to last.
Conclusion
Influencer marketing can be tricky, but securing beneficial partnerships with influencers is achievable with the right approach. Keep in mind that influencers are not merely promotional tools, but creative individuals who can add unique value to your brand.
Thankfully, you don’t have to do most of the daunting task of influencer marketing, manually.
Tools like SARAL can be game-changers, helping to find, negotiate, and collaborate with the perfect influencers for your brand. This all-in-one influencer marketing tool makes your journey in influencer marketing significantly more streamlined.
Rest assured, influencers are continuously seeking meaningful partnerships with brands like yours.
So, don’t back down now; continue refining your influencer marketing strategy. With a little effort, patience, and the right tools, you’ll be well on your way to ditch expensive ads and make influencer marketing a profitable channel for your CPG brand.
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