Influencers and TikTok
Driving authentic connections and engagement with influencers across style, music, and sport was a highly effective tactic within our Marketing mix, especially as we sought to attract the next generation of Levi's fans. There were multiple types of influencers that we engaged with on a local level, from larger well known names to a college ambassador program. Content from these influencers was leveraged across channels, including social, paid media, Levi.com (and Wholesale partner sites), in-store, and live events. Exposure was fueled and made more authentic with our influencers also posting on their own channels. We credit our influencer programs with helping to quickly grow our presence on TikTok where we have over 1 million followers and engagement rates that are above industry average.
We strategically leveraged known influencers with a strong presence in the US for larger campaigns, collaborations, product launches, and brand values moments. These partnerships included Hailey Bieber, Emma Chamberlain, Barbie Ferriera, Naomi Osaka, Jaden Smith, George Kittle, Jimmy Garoppolo, and more. We found them highly effective to drive quick awareness, buzz, and sell-through of new styles and a great traffic driver for in-store events.
We created a mid-level influencer program in the US that provided content for social throughout the year, as well as during brand moments like festivals, 501 Day, and seasonal product storytelling.
Our College Brand Ambassador program was launched in 2021, and included ~50 college students from key campuses/markets in the US. These ambassadors were given product on a monthly basis and in exchange they created content that was leveraged across shared social channels. These smaller but mighty ambassadors were also leveraged via in-store activation to drive traffic to retail, as well as to provide content for storytelling on Levi.com. The program was refreshed quarterly to ensure fresh voices were given a platform.