Influencer marketing has been one of the hottest topics of recent years, especially in the Polish social media marketing world. However, retail brands seem unable to fully use the potential of working with influencers. Despite this, there are several ways to achieve this with tremendous results. In Poland, retail businesses have been using the power of influencer collaborations for many years. How to use an influencer campaign to promote a retail business? How to choose the right influencer? Here are some tips to maximise your reach!
Table of contents:
- Rise of influencer marketing in Poland
- Go big with the type of influencer
- Create a new product and invite influencers to promote it
- Give influencers space and trust
- Focus on some niche to reach your target group
- Use the power of trends in your marketing efforts
Rise of influencer marketing in Poland
According to the “EY Future Consumer Index” survey, 61% of respondents admit they’ve bought a product at least once based on influencer post on social media. Three-quarters of consumers believe that content shared by influencers can be trusted.
The TERRITORY Influence report, “Mastering Social Influence in the Food Industry,” shows that influencer marketing’s impact on Polish consumers’ purchasing decisions is growing. More than half of Poles choose products based on their discoveries on social media platforms and thanks to someone they follow. This is something worth taking advantage of.
How to find the right influencer for your brand? Let’s take a deep dive into some of the Poland’s most successful influencer marketing campaigns from the past year!
Go big with the type of influencer
Without any doubt, retail business works on its own terms. To be effective for a larger target group and achieve a high engagement rate, you have to go big. Of course, the advertising budget in this industry is much bigger than in many other markets. In Poland, from time to time, we can notice loud 360⁰ influencer marketing campaigns with the more prominent names from show business.
The most important issue, if you want your influencer marketing campaign to hit the widest target audience possible, is to find influencers who are recognised by as many Poles as possible. Regardless of their age, sex, or the media they use on a day-to-day basis. Millions of followers may be a must.
One of the most famous media campaigns of recent years was the memorable cooperation between Polish musician, Cleo and Media Expert. Each ad is based on a short jingle composed to match the melody of popular pop songs.
The partnership didn’t end with just catchy TV and radio ads. Cleo’s face appeared for a long time in all Media Expert’s advertising material, such as social media posts, bulletins or billboards. Even though the advertisement quickly became irritating to many customers, it appeared to be an extremely effective advertising solution that will be remembered for many years. The same brand previously gained fame with a similar multi-year powerful marketing campaign featuring another music star, Ewelina Lisowska.
Create a new product and invite influencers to promote it
Sanah, famous Polish singer, made headlines on Polish TV and the internet for her advertising collaboration with Żabka – a grocery store chain. Previously, she gained attention for an unusual partnership with the food brand Sokołów, where she launched her own line of kabanosy (smoked sausages).
The collaboration with Żabka followed a similar path. Sanah created a line of products called “Feast with Sanah” for the chain, featuring sandwiches, focaccia, and salads “with a hint of rose.” The campaign was heavily promoted on social media, as well as through TV and radio ads. A short jingle was also produced, using one of Sanah’s popular songs.
Creating entirely new products or services in collaboration with specific influencer gives people a fresh reason to visit the store. When they come in for the influencer’s product, they will likely make additional purchases. And who knows, they might even become loyal, regular customers?
Another effective influencer marketing strategy could involve selling products endorsed by the influencer exclusively. A prime example of this is Yummer’s, a brand offering cereals and sweets, which teamed up with the Biedronka supermarket chain. Their products come in various flavours, each with the endorsement of a different influencer, such as Lexy, rapper Smolasty, or singer Viki Gabor.
Give influencers space and trust
One of the biggest mistakes in many influencer marketing campaigns is trying to control 100% of how the campaign should look. Remember this: influencers are people who are followed and liked for a specific reason. They know their audience best and understand what will work in a campaign and what will come across as fake.
So, if you have a vision for the campaign, take some time and make a good influencer search. Find the right influencers who genuinely fit that vision. If you don’t have a clear idea, give them creative freedom. Every online creator’s community has its unique language, memes, and sense of humour. By incorporating these elements into the campaign, you gain something far more valuable than just exposure. You gain authenticity. And authenticity is exactly what people in Poland are looking for online. The TERRITORY Influence report highlights that honesty and authenticity are key factors affecting the health of brands in the FMCG sector.
A great example of handing over control to an influencer is the collaboration between Dino supermarket and TikToker Irena Mąsior. TikTok she made for Dino is in her funny, signature style. The partnership was a huge success, as you can see from how well it was received by her audience.
IKEA also gave creators full creative freedom during one of the best influencer marketing campaigns in 2023 – #IKEAStarterPack campaign. Aimed at Gen Z, the campaign was created with influencers from the same age group. Popular TikTokers like Wielorybek and Ciepłe Skarpety took part, showcasing IKEA products they couldn’t imagine their important “new beginnings” without. As part of the campaign, interactive zones featuring sets from the clips were set up in some IKEA stores in Poland. These zones allowed customers to do things like try on outfits from the influencer-styled ads.
Focus on some niche to reach your target group
Working with A-list celebrities is effective – but there are times when it’s better to go with smaller influencers. Especially if your target audience isn’t a large, homogenous group. The narrower the campaign target, the greater the chance of reaching some niches.
We must mention the example of dm drugstore, which takes advantage of smaller influencer marketing collaborations on social media. Dm has recently expanded its assortment to many vegan products and used this as a strong element of its promotional campaign. The drugstore decided to create a YouTube video in cooperation with Juszes – a Polish YouTuber and influencer who promotes veganism on her channels. This cooperation is a good fit – it combines the creator’s philosophy and brand values.
Hebe drugstore chain works in a similar way. Its activities predominantly focus on using Instagram and partnering with influencers from one specific niche, such as hair or make-up. A few posts from smaller creators that don’t have million followers may work even more effectively than one loud influencer marketing campaign with one celebrity. This kind of promotion arouses great engagement and brand awareness with less cost.
Use the power of trends in your marketing efforts
Influencer marketing is a form of marketing just like any other. It’s not only about who you collaborate with, but about the right strategy and what you create with influencers that represent your brand. In Poland, Lidl is a master at effectively using online trends in its TikTok, Instagram and YouTube campaigns.
An excellent example of this is Lidl’s podcast, hosted by their long-time brand ambassador and one of Poland’s most famous chef influencers, Karol Okrasa. On Lidl’s channels, Okrasa hosts the “Dobry Temat” podcast, where he discusses social issues, cooking, and more with various guests. Each episode gets tens of thousands of views on YouTube, so it’s safe to call it a success.
Another example of following trends is Lidl’s presence on TikTok. Launching its channel on the platform was promoted through a collaboration with Łatwogang – currently one of the fastest-growing Gen Z social media influencers with a number of followers. The strategy worked, as Lidl’s TikTok account now has nearly 100,000 followers. According to the TERRITORY Influence report, marketing in the food sector is increasingly turning towards Generation Z. Gen Z is the most frequent audience for ads created by the food industry.
Partnering with an influencer is still worth it – even in the retail sector. However, choosing the right influencers, marketing tools, and social media platforms for your campaign, along with a well-thought-out strategy, is key to success. If you’re looking for reliable experts with experience in influencer marketing in Poland, get in touch with us!