Influencer marketing is evolving and maturing over the last few years. KOL activations need to be more complicated than just posting an Instagram post from a product sent by mail. Instead of telling KOLs what to post and say, brands can leverage KOLs’ creativity to a greater degree.

Top Social Media platforms like Instagram and Facebook are working to promote authentic collaboration via meaningful and authentic partnerships. Influencers are often involved by brands in the early stages of a campaign. Some even go as far as concept creation.

We would like to share 3 ways we have collaborated with KOLs from Asia.

Create emotionally appealing content

1. Use influencers’ backgrounds beyond content to leverage

Brands usually identify multiple criteria when selecting KOL candidates. One common criterion would be how relevant the content is to the brand’s products and services.

Beauty brands look for influencers who share fashion-related content and makeup tips. Many brands now focus on the personalities and stories of KOL.

MediLASE’s Focus makes Perfect campaign was an example. It featured Hong Kong influencers Emi Woong, and Utah Lee. MediLASE is the largest laser hair removal company in Hong Kong. Utah Lee and Emi Wong are both fitness gurus, so there might not be a direct connection to the brand’s services.

The company discovered its commonality and connected its dedication to providing the best service with these 2 influencers’ commitment to fitness and success.

2. Use an interesting twist to resonate with the audience

More marketers are actively looking for KOLs that could create a bonding experience between the brand and the audience–creatively. Hong Kong surrealist photographer Tony Fu created an eye-catching image last year for the Parisian watch brand Beaubleu.

The catchphrase “Running Out of Time?” was not only a description of the watch’s function but also reflected Hong Kong’s fast-paced life. The surreal image of a hand grasping the bus is also visually stunning.

Create useful and insightful O2O content

User-generated content can be used to convert online to offline (O22), such as to display testimonials from KOLs in the store. This is a great way to boost the product’s credibility. M.A.C.’s Shanghai store was renovated at the beginning of this year with interactive formats to appeal to its Gen Z audience.

The online community can also use the store as a place to discover and shop for products. So, M.A.C. M.A.C. promoted their lipstick campaign with testimonials from Little Red Book, a Chinese social commerce app on LED screens.

LRB testimonials were classified according to 5 lipstick colors. They included comments about the color, texture, and endurance of the lipsticks, as well as suggestions for skin tones. This useful “KOL–UGC” information enriches the visitor’s experience and helps them make a purchase decision. 

The store’s 2nd Floor is also designed for KOL events and public events. This further increases the attraction of influencers to draw people toward the physical location.

Create meaningful and authentic collaboration with influencers

1. Influencers can be tapped for creative direction

Most often, companies decide the campaign direction and concept. Then they pass this information to influencers. Brands are willing to take greater risks and give more freedom to KOLs, even allowing them to direct the creative direction.

This often leads to very successful content creation. We can mention Stuart Weitzman’s collaboration (above) with Chinese fashion influencer Zola Zi (Yuan Lai ShiXi Men Da Sao @sisterinlaw).

Zola, a huge fan of Stuart Weitzman’s luxury shoes, was invited to style and direct the brand’s fashion show across 3 Chinese cities. To match Stuart Weitzman’s shoes, he designed 30 outfits. The brand, despite not having Zola as a designer but believing in her fashion instincts and knowledge, chose Zola to be the sole designer.

Zola shared her experience last week in a detailed behind-the-scenes article that received over 100K+ hits and hundreds of engagements.

2. Involve influencers in product design

KOLs can be used to engage with their audience, creativity, and also for their expert knowledge. KOLs are often involved in the design and conception of new products by some brands to ensure a consistent experience from A-Z.

This type of partnership is often seen in Chinese influencers such as Tao Liang ( Mr.Bags XianSheng). His unique insight and love for luxury handbags have earned him millions of followers.

In 2017, Tao Liang collaborated with Givenchy, a French luxury brand. He designed and produced 80 handbags for his followers. The entire collection sold in 12 minutes despite the high selling price of RMB 15,000 per piece.

He continues to work with brands like Dunhill, TOD’S, and Chloe this year. to design limited-edition handbags.

At last, think out of the box!

Digital Business Influencers are helping some major brands to incorporate social media understanding and influence into traditional HR recruitment and annual review processes.

Brands can leverage employee advocacy by including influence scores in the traditional recruitment process. This will allow them to focus on social media-savvy talent who can greatly contribute to the organization’s overall social media transformation.