Hiring Influencers & Ambassadors on Full-Time Payroll

It’s not unusual for brands to hear from their biggest fans, “I tell everyone I know about you!” or “You should hire me!” But it IS unusual for a brand to take them up on the offer — yet in early 2024, that’s exactly what Olipop did.

A beverage brand sold in 30,000 retail stores nationwide, Olipop has a long history of leveraging customer feedback, social media, and the power of superfans to generate both sales and brand awareness. “Over the last five years on social media, the number one comment we get is: ‘I tell everyone about Olipop! You should hire me; I’m acting as your unpaid sales rep,’” said Steven Vigilante, Olipop’s Director of Growth and Partnerships, in a recent Forbes article. “We heard this so many times we finally thought…why don’t we just do it?”

The Dream Job contest set out to find two influencers/brand ambassadors to spread brand awareness in key markets. The qualifications were simple: two-person teams consisting of U.S. residents 18 or older who can demonstrate experience in content creation for Instagram, TikTok, and Threads — the brand’s preferred platforms. The prize: $5,000 per person for each city visited, plus hotel, flights, and per diem. Contest winners were allotted up to four cities ($40,000 in total compensation) for the overall project. In just three weeks, more than 2,000 Olipop fans applied, sending in resumes and video samples and social media tags.

For Olipop and the winning duo, the collaboration was a successful one, likely because it was a next logical stage in the development of the brand’s long standing social media emphasis. “The Dream Job campaign represents just one facet of Olipop’s broader marketing strategy,” says Forbes,  “which places a heavy emphasis on influencer partnerships and social media engagement.”

Over its history, Olipop has scored some two billion views on TikTok product placement videos (as opposed to direct sales pitches). Rather than viewing social media as a direct route to sales, Olipop uses it as a tool for driving awareness and audience engagement.

The nature of Olipop’s relationship with content creators is different from the norm, too. According to a brand strategist quoted in the Forbes piece, rather than giving influencers some cash and a to-do list, Olipop has instead created “a flywheel, spitting off content while bringing in new audiences.” The audience response to the Dream Job contest scored 5,000 shares and 600-plus submissions from TikTok alone — a clear indicator of the strategy’s success in generating awareness and engagement.

Beyond the Dream Job competition, Olipop has also hired two creators to run the brand’s TikTok account, including one who now works full-time on retainer for the beverage brand. “Both creators are on-camera in most of the brand’s TikToks,” notes a Fast Company article. They lip sync to trending sounds, act out comedic skits, share recipes, and announce new flavors,” growing Olipop’s following from 1,000 to 34,000 followers in just six months.

Having creators in-house is more efficient, says Vigilante, allowing the brand to create more authentic content than it could relying on an agency or traditional social media manager.

Olipop isn’t the only brand experimenting with forging deeper relationships with influencers and content creators: over the last several years, companies like toy brand Nerf, delivery startup GoPuff, and the L.A. Times, have paid TikTok personalities to run their accounts, according to the Fast Company article.

How might your brand succeed by bringing influencers into your marketing team? Here are five key practices that have paid off:

Start Off Strong

Establish relationships with properly vetted influencers and content creators before undertaking an ambitious project like Olipop’s. Try some smaller and shorter-term projects so that you and the creator have an opportunity to evaluate the relationship and whether you’re a good fit for each other.

Not only are these “trial runs” a great way to collaborate with influencers you might want to hire later, you and your marketing team will learn a lot about how best to partner with creators.

Work with Multiple Influencers

No single influencer can target your entire audience, says Olipop’s Influencer Coordinator Ariel Vaisbort. Identify specific influencers who can speak to specific audience types. “There are going to be people who will have different target markets, there are going to be people of different interests,” Vaisbort says. An influencer whose primary interest is cosmetics wouldn’t be a good fit for posting recipes, for example. Play to each influencer’s strengths and expertise.

Consider Micro-Influencers, Too

A creator with more than 50,000 followers probably isn’t going to commit to one brand, notes the Fast Company article. Creators who have begun to accumulate followers and gather momentum are a better choice, even though their numbers might be lower. They’ve demonstrated talent and commitment to the medium, and they’re interested in earning stable income through TikTok.

So instead of focusing solely on high-profile creators with millions of followers, look for micro-influencers who are a great fit for your brand and have a highly engaged (and growing) audience. Ask questions like, “Would I follow this person?” and “Would I find value from this person?” Vaisbort says.

Stay Nimble

Olipop tried a variety of advertising and social media approaches before forming partnerships with influencers, according to an article on www.getsaral.com. “While traditional advertising methods didn’t work for Olipop, they were willing to pivot and try new approaches until they found the right fit.”

Toss Out the Script

Social media audiences are savvy when it comes to the authenticity of content, and they can tell when an influencer is just reading from a script. If you want people to engage with your product, you have to allow the influencer to speak authentically, says Vaisbort.

Another way Olipop threw away the script and opted for a more spontaneous, authentic approach is by using product placements more than traditional ad- or endorsement-style presentations. “This approach highlights the importance of adapting your influencer marketing strategy to fit the platform and the needs and preferences of your target audience,” says getsaral.com.

Much more important than working with creators who stay on message, reciting taglines and slogans, is consistent, authentic communication. Creators who naturally speak with your brand’s voice will draw engaged followers to your brand.

Find the Right Platform

When seeking influencers to collaborate with, Olipop cast a wide net, reaching out across multiple platforms. When it came down to execution, though, the brand focused most heavily on TikTok, because it works for them — a “bold move,” because so many brands still focus on Instagram or a variety of platforms, says getsaral.com, but a wise one. “Their success on TikTok highlights the importance of finding the right platform for your target audience and investing in building a community there.”

Trust Your Creators

“Give the creator the creative freedom to guide your TikTok, as they’re best suited to determine what content might resonate for the brand,” says the Fast Company article. Rather than treating creators like contractors hired to execute specific projects, integrate them into the marketing team so they’re closer to the product, aware of what’s happening at the company, and have opportunities to contribute beyond just TikTok.

One of the reasons to choose influencers and content creators is to tap into their engaged, interested audience who know and trust the influencer. Influencers earn and hold their audiences’ trust by understanding what they will engage with, so trust your influencer-partners to know how to connect. “At the end of the day, the creators and the influencers know best what their audience is going to respond and react to. This isn’t their first time doing a partnership. They know what their audience is going to purchase, they know what their audience is going to be excited about.”

Promobile Marketing is a dynamic experiential marketing agency based in New York City. For over a decade, Promobile Marketing has collaborated with a range of brands—from budding startups to major CPG brands—on immersive marketing campaigns. Get in touch to discuss your next project.