In the bustling world of travel, establishing a strong brand presence is key to success. This is especially important in competitive markets like the United States. Contiki, a renowned travel company, found itself facing a challenge: despite thriving sales in Australia, its brand awareness in the US market was surprisingly low. With only 3% aided brand awareness and a mere 13% of sales, Contiki realized it needed to revamp its strategy. They aimed to capture the attention of the coveted 18-35 age group, known for their adventurous spirit and social media savvy.
Recognizing the power of influencer marketing, Contiki embarked on a journey with AIM. Together, they leveraged the influence of affiliate content creators to amplify their brand message. The goal was clear: increase brand awareness, drive conversions, and ultimately boost bookings through an affiliate-led campaign. The first step was recruitment, a process that proved successful with 12 confirmed influencers on board.
AIM’s approach was strategic, aiming to engage a diverse range of content creators to cater to different platforms and audience preferences. From Media Publishers to Bloggers, and YouTubers to Instagram and TikTok influencers, each type of affiliate content creator had a specific role and objective. Media Publishers focused on broad reach and awareness, while Bloggers and YouTubers aimed to engage their audiences and drive conversions. Meanwhile, Instagram and TikTok influencers were tasked with fostering engagement, generating user-generated content (UGC), and driving affiliate bookings.
Customized briefs were meticulously crafted for each affiliate partner, ensuring alignment with their objectives and deliverables. These briefs provided detailed guidance on campaign storylines, post directives, and information about Contiki, setting the stage for authentic and compelling content creation.
As the journey unfolded, AIM played a crucial role in providing support to the affiliate partners. Account Manager Nate, representing AIM, served as the bridge between the affiliates and Contiki, ensuring smooth communication and collaboration during the trip. Nate’s responsibilities were comprehensive, ranging from reviewing footage to ensuring proper affiliate links were used and monitoring compliance with FTC guidelines. His presence ensured that all posts met the required deliverables and maintained alignment with the campaign’s creative vision.
Conclusion
The collaboration between Contiki, the affiliate partners, and AIM yielded impressive results. Throughout the campaign, the influencers created 181 content pieces out of the 37 posts that were contracted. The captivating content generated 107.3K total likes and 3.5M (and counting) views. Additionally, the campaign came in 36% under budget for paid placement fees. These numbers underscored the campaign’s success in not only increasing brand awareness but also driving tangible conversions.
In the end, Contiki’s influencer-led journey to brand awareness proved to be a testament to the power of collaboration and strategic influencer marketing. By leveraging the creativity and reach of content creators, Contiki was able to captivate audiences, spark interest, and ultimately inspire them to embark on their own unforgettable Contiki adventures.
If you’re a brand looking for innovative ways to broaden your reach or launch a new product/service, reach out to an expert today. Affiliate marketing offers boundless opportunities and AIM is here to guide you through them!