Influencer marketing has been rising in popularity for a number of years now, especially with larger “high-budget” brands. We’ve all seen Kylie Jenner promoting Puma and Cristiano Ronaldo endorsing Clear shampoo on social media. However, more recently, a number of successful influencer marketing examples have encouraged a wide range of much smaller brands to dip their toes into influencer marketing. This effect has been so large that the industry is projected to grow to approximately $37.6 Billion by the end of 2028.
The right influencer marketing strategies can help you stand out from your competitors. They can also have a direct positive impact on your overall business results. Essentially, this is because influencers know exactly how to engage their audience and encourage them to trust and believe in your brand.
So, how do they do this exactly?
Let’s take a look at 9 influencer marketing examples to show you how the right campaign can directly benefit your brand and business.
The first of the notable influencer marketing strategies we are going to look at was created by Dior.
Dior collaborated with Buttermilk, an influencer marketing agency, on its recent “67 Shades of Dior” campaign. The campaign was designed to mark the launch of the cosmetics brand’s new product line, Forever Foundation, which comes in a range of 67 unique shades.
The aim of the campaign was to showcase the broad diversity of the product line. Dior did this by collaborating with 67 different influencers, each one representing one of the 67 unique shades. In addition, each influencer published one post a day on social media, focused on cosmetics and beauty-inspired content, for 67 consecutive days.
In total, these 67 influencers had a total audience reach of 2.66M. Their combined posts had 1.85M impressions and resulted in 592K engagements. In fact, the campaign was such a success that Dior was named the Gold Winner for the Best Beauty Campaign at the 2020 Influencer Marketing Awards. This makes it a perfect example of an effective influencer collaboration.
KEY LEARNING: The success of this influencer marketing example underscores the effectiveness of leveraging a diverse range of influencers, each tailored to represent a specific product feature, to amplify reach and engagement in target markets.
The second of the influencer marketing examples that we hope will inspire you was launched by Dunkin’ Donuts.
Dunkin’ Donuts, the global sweet treats giant, launched a successful influencer marketing campaign with its advertising agency, Trilla, a few years back. The campaign was essentially focused on one special offer: get a free donut with the purchase of any beverage.
During the campaign, Trilla collaborated with the digital talent network and entertainment studio, Collab, to create a number of social media campaigns. Throughout these campaigns, 8 influencers shared fun, playful, and celebratory content built around a shared theme: donuts. The aim was to encourage consumers to visit a Dunkin’ Donuts store and make a purchase in order to claim their free snack.
The campaign reached 3 million people and was such a success that Dunkin’ Donuts made it an annual event.
KEY LEARNING: This influencer marketing example demonstrates the power of a simple, clear offer paired with engaging, themed content from influencers to drive customer action and foster brand loyalty.
Absolut is also getting involved in the influencer marketing world. The renowned vodka brand launched a campaign in 2019 using the hashtag #AbsolutPlanet to highlight ways that we can all be kinder to our home, planet Earth.
During the campaign, Absolute collaborated with a number of planet-conscience influencers with dedicated followers across a range of social media platforms. Each influencer designed and shared content focused on demonstrating the brand’s continued commitment to global values and actions through Product, Planet, and People. This included the use of efficient farming processes, the recycling of distillation resources, and its support of the LGBTQ community, amongst other key pillars.
The campaign lasted 8 months and generated over 8.6M engagements on social media. As a result of this success, Absolut was named the Gold Winner for the Best Food and Drink Campaign during the 2020 Influencer Marketing Awards.
KEY LEARNING: This influencer marketing example showcases the effectiveness of aligning a brand's core values with the interests and values of influencers who can authentically represent and amplify the message, leading to meaningful engagement and recognition.
The fourth of the 9 influencer marketing examples worthy of highlighting relates to a TikTok influencer marketing campaign launched by the HISTORY Channel.
The HISTORY Channel collaborated with a number of TikTok influencers during its “Stay Curious” campaign. The aim was to expand its social media reach through the creation of high-quality videos that showcased how engrossing the channel could be. That way, the channel could position itself as a relevant and entertaining brand amongst younger generations.
The campaign reached over 21M accounts and content was viewed 12.2M times. As a result, the HISTORY Channel gained 50,000 new followers on TikTok.
KEY LEARNING: This influencer marketing example illustrates the power of leveraging platform-specific influencers to authentically engage a younger audience, demonstrating that traditional brands can refresh their image and expand their demographic reach through targeted social media strategies.
Another example that we want to share today is a recent campaign launched by Häagen-Dazs.
Häagen-Dazs wanted to remind its New York City customers that its products were an essential part of their summer experience. It did this by collaborating with a number of local influencers who promoted its new BOGO campaign (buy one get one). The campaign also launched a number of sampling events to entice consumers.
Of all the influencer marketing examples, this is perhaps the most notable as, aside from targeting online users, it also focused on attracting consumers in the real world. It did this by organizing a number of rooftop parties and live social events. This gave the campaign a uniquely New York feel that helped it appeal to local consumers at an emotional, organic level. And this, in turn, helped the campaign achieve 14.3M impressions and 27,400 social engagements.
Pretty impressive for a local campaign, right?
KEY LEARNING: This influencer marketing example highlights the importance of combining online influencer marketing with offline events to create a comprehensive, immersive experience that resonates deeply with local consumers and enhances brand engagement.
Nike's "Dream Crazier" campaign, spearheaded in 2019, featured prominent female athletes who defy stereotypes and embrace boldness in their sports. The campaign was anchored by a powerful video narrated by Serena Williams, aired during the Oscars. It highlighted women breaking barriers and included personal triumph stories from a diverse group of athletes. Nike used both global and local influencers to share their own "crazy" dreams across social media platforms, which significantly extended the reach and relatability of the campaign. By focusing on empowerment and perseverance, Nike strengthened its connection with a dedicated female audience with this influencer marketing example, encouraging them to pursue their dreams regardless of societal expectations.
KEY LEARNING: This influencer marketing example illustrates how brands can effectively use influencer stories that resonate with their values to deepen engagement and inspire their audience, amplifying both brand loyalty and message impact.
Canon’s "Bring It" campaign used YouTube influencer marketing to reach a broader audience of photography enthusiasts and professionals. The campaign featured several well-known YouTube photographers and filmmakers, who created tutorials, vlogs, and storytelling videos demonstrating Canon cameras' capabilities. These influencers not only explained the technical features of the products but also shared creative ways to use them, engaging their viewers by showcasing the potential of Canon gear in real-world scenarios. The campaign successfully increased Canon’s brand presence on YouTube, leading to higher engagement rates and strengthened brand loyalty among photography and videography communities.
KEY LEARNING: This influencer marketing example illustrates the power of YouTube influencer marketing in demonstrating product value through detailed, educational content that engages and informs the audience. This approach not only highlights product features but also empowers users to explore their creativity, driving deeper brand engagement and loyalty.
One of Glossier's most notable Instagram influencer marketing campaigns is the “#GlossierRep” program. Launched to leverage the influence of real users who genuinely love the brand, this program turned loyal customers into brand ambassadors. These ambassadors, or “Reps,” included a mix of beauty enthusiasts from various backgrounds—not just professional influencers or celebrities. They shared content featuring Glossier products, demonstrating their use in everyday life, along with unique referral codes offering discounts to their followers.
This influencer marketing example allowed Glossier to create a network of trusted voices who shared personal testimonials and makeup tips, making the brand's presence on Instagram feel more organic and community-driven. The campaign not only helped increase product visibility and sales but also reinforced the brand's ethos of beauty in real life, or "IRL."
KEY LEARNING: This influencer marketing example underscores the effectiveness of turning actual customers into influencers. This strategy builds trust and authenticity, as potential customers see real people with genuine experiences, enhancing relatability and fostering a strong community around the brand.
Finally, Starbucks' #RedCupContest, an annual event launched during the holiday season, encourages customers to creatively photograph their iconic red holiday cups. Introduced in 2015, this influencer marketing example quickly gained traction on Instagram, inviting participants to tag their photos for a chance to win a gift card. Starbucks enlisted both micro-influencers and celebrities to participate, which not only increased the visibility of the campaign but also added a layer of authenticity and excitement around the brand. The user-generated content provided fresh, diverse, and engaging ways to see the brand, helping Starbucks dominate social media feeds during the holiday season and driving customer interaction both online and in-store.
KEY LEARNING: With this influencer marketing example, Starbucks' strategy of combining influencer participation with customer-generated content creates a highly interactive and engaging brand experience, boosting visibility and enhancing customer loyalty.