OVERVIEW:

Influencer marketing is on the rise as businesses seek to use public figures and content creators to assist them with their marketing and outreach efforts. This digital marketing strategy of using influencers in campaigns has become wildly popular. In the beginning stages, brands would solely work with celebrity talent as influencers, but as things continue to evolve brands are working with influencers of all ranges from celebrity to nano influencers. 

Here are the following tiers of influencers:

• Nano-influencers: 1,000-10,000 followers.
• Micro-influencers: 10,000-50,000 followers.
• Mid-tier influencers: 50,000-500,000 followers.
• Macro-influencers: 500,000-1 million followers.
• Mega-Influencers: 1 million+ followers.

THE CHALLENGE:

When our client Bozzuto and HYM Investments approached us about managing the digital presence of their new luxury apartment development in Downtown Boston, we jumped at the opportunity! The Sudbury Apartments sits at 480’, 45 stories high, and is home to 368 apartments and 55 premiere condominiums. With a prime location, state-of-the-art appliances, and unbelievable views, the building sells itself.

THE GOAL:

To increase their digital marketing reach, The Sudbury wanted to utilize influencer marketing to create brand awareness for their property amongst the Boston community. What would’ve normally been an easy request became a logistical challenge. “How to execute influencer marketing during a global pandemic”? Everything from site visits, influencer outreach, and safety compliances had to be rethought in order to make this safe for both The Sudbury staff and influencers. This was uncharted territory for all parties involved. 

THE STRATEGY:

With so many features to highlight at The Sudbury, we created campaigned ideas that showcased everything from Boston’s Bulfinch Crossing neighborhood to their state-of-the-art gym with a breathtaking view of the city.  We separated campaign ideas into the following 5 categories: lifestyle, food, fashion, fitness, and interior design.  

Neighborhood & Lifestyle – “Life in Bulfinch Crossing” 

With so much to see in the Boston area, we wanted to work with a local Boston Influencer to take us through a day in the life around the city. This would allow them to demonstrate the walkability of the Bulfinch Crossing area, their favorite local spots, and what makes this area so unique. This would be a great tie into The Sudbury as they are located in the city’s heart and could be executed by the influencer safely on their own.

Food – “What’s Cooking at The Sudbury” 

Our cooking campaign targeted Boston chefs and foodie Influencers. The campaign would be centered around preparing a meal in The Sudbury kitchen. Everything from purchasing groceries from local Boston shops to the meal prep would be highlighted in the takeover. The idea behind this campaign would be to share The Sudbury appliances, especially their coveted Bloomberg stoves. This would be a first-person perspective and, while well planned out in advance, would be non-contact for all parties. 

Interior Design – “Design at The Sudbury” 

DIY interior design is wildly popular on social media – from before and after touches to creating and styling home improvement projects. We wanted to pitch local interior designer influencers to walk people through how easy it would be to style a Sudbury apartment and the colors and features they could accentuate for their home.

Interior Design – “Work from Home at The Sudbury”

With the current climate of the world, many people have shifted to working from home. With people spending more time in their homes, we thought it would be a great idea to have an influencer showcase how they transform a space in a Sudbury apartment to the perfect WFH oasis describing the top tips to working from home (and still being productive!)

Fashion & Lifestyle – “Style at The Sudbury” 

We wanted to work with fashion and lifestyle influencers to showcase their personal style and highlight The Sudbury bedrooms/closet space. Inspired by TikTok, fun videos of outfit changes from within the model units. We also believed this campaign would be a great opportunity for the influencer to share the best areas in the buildings to take photos. 

Fitness – “Wellness at The Sudbury”

With so much to show in The Sudbury gym, we wanted to work with local fitness influencers and trainers to do a solo tour of the facilities and show how to use different machines. Being cognizant of the pandemic, we also wanted to show how easy it would be for residents to also work out from the comfort of their apartment. 

CONCLUSION:

Working with The Sudbury on their influencer marketing campaigns allowed us to think outside of the box, and what we found is the best ideas are typically the ones that have been unexplored. Our collaboration with The Sudbury allowed us to work with a diverse group of influencers, we not only presented our great ideas but tapped into the influencer heartbeat to learn about their needs, ideas and concerns when it came to doing influencer marketing during a pandemic.

What we found from our communication and campaign execution is that both the influencers and clients are very much so open to discovering new ways to communicate through social media. We know now that not even a pandemic will stop the growth and future of influencer marketing and look forward to executing more influencer marketing campaigns.