With the rise of social media, influencers are continuing to grow quickly and organically to build their audiences. Influencer marketing has become one of the most powerful tools for brands to establish genuine connections in an engaging way with their target audience.
By collaborating with influential people who have a strong online presence, brands can strategically leverage influencers to tap into existing or new audiences, benefiting from the credibility and authenticity that the influencers have established. This approach shows a valuable opportunity to showcase products in a favourable light and spread the brand’s messages to their specific audience.
Here at Escapade, we will explore four brands that have mastered the art of influencer marketing.
Why Does Influencer Marketing Work in The Food Industry?
Influencer marketing in the food industry has a 10x higher ROI than traditional advertising. So, this begs the question: Why does it work so successfully? It’s simple! People buy based on trust. Consumers need to know that the food product they’re purchasing from a brand will be good and worth the money.
It’s so important for brands to have consumers on their side and this is why influencers are the way forward for the food industry.
Four Brands That Are Doing Influencer Marketing Right in 2023
HelloFresh
UK’s leading recipe box delivery service, HelloFresh, is a great example of executing influencer marketing so well. HelloFresh regularly work with food and lifestyle influencers on sponsored content where they would often give a simple review of Hello Fresh and why they like the service.
HelloFresh effectively utilises influencers to gain attention of their target audience that they may not be able to reach on their own. What sets apart HelloFresh, and their influencers is its ability to showcase their service in an authentic way by tying in personal stories or lifestyles that can be so relatable, which adds a personal touch to their collaboration.
HelloFresh also provides influencers promo codes which give the audience an incentive to sign up for the service, but it also allows HelloFresh to track how well each partnership is doing.
HelloFresh is so heavily invested in influencer marketing and know the impact it has. By working with social media influencers, the brand is successfully staying ahead of their competitors.
McDonald’s
The renowned fast-food chain teamed up with a popular television show, Masked Singer, for a campaign centered around their Happy Meal. McDonalds is the biggest charity supporter and what’s a better way to launch a collaboration than with a charitable caused backed by a well-known influencer who was a contestant on the Masked Singer.
This was a smart move from McDonalds by partnering up with Aston Merrygold, as it proved to be an effective influencer marketing strategy that successfully reaped both traction and consumer trust. By working with Aston Merrygold, who has already established a strong connection with his audience, McDonald’s was able to leverage the familiarity and credibility that Aston brings to the table.
Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee is an established brand dominating the coffee industry with stores branching across different countries. With Instagram, Costa Coffee leverages the power of popular influencers on the platform such as Luke Vernon and Dami Hope who already talk to their audiences about food and lifestyle and would make sense with their brand.
KFC
KFC recently launched a charitable campaign in March, partnering with KISS Radio DJ Tyler West. Since 2019, 5p from every Sharing Bucket at KFC has gone to Comic Relief to help organisations in local communities across the UK provide safe social spaces, mentoring, employment, and social skills for young people.
This influencer marketing proved highly effective due to Tyler West being an advocate for mental health among young individuals and actively working with young teens with mental health issues, which adds authenticity to the collaboration. Tyler West’s genuine commitment to the cause aligns perfectly with KFC’s brand message.
Want to read more about popular campaigns? Why not check out Escapade’s blog posts on 5 Lessons that Brands can Learn from Love Island and Marketing Strategies to Takeaway from Rihanna Superbowl!
Sources
https://www.legacymarketing.com/blog/influencer-marketing-food-industry/
