Pierre Fabre is the 2nd largest dermo-cosmetic laboratory on the planet and the 2nd largest non-public French pharmaceutical group. Within the US, Pierre Fabre USA has an intensive portfolio of prestigious manufacturers akin to Eau Thermale Avène, Klorane, René Furterer, Glytone, and extra.
Within the article under, Elena Suarez, Affiliate Director of PR and Influencer Advertising and marketing at Pierre Fabre USA shares how she constructed its influencer program from scratch throughout a time of unprecedented uncertainty and alter.
How Pierre Fabre USA Constructed a Profitable Influencer Program
Crafted a tailor-made technique with the power to pivot
“Once I joined Pierre Fabre in 2019 there was no inside PR division and no influencer program. The technique felt very straight from the normal ‘playbook’, together with issues like massive gifting campaigns, minimal analytics, and no in-person influencer occasions. When the COVID pandemic hit and all the pieces modified. The explanation why we have been capable of rapidly and efficiently pivot was as a result of we did the onerous work of clearly defining our targets and key areas of differentiation, and didn’t enable ourselves to get distracted by competitor noise.” — Elena Suarez, Affiliate Director of PR and Influencer Advertising and marketing at Pierre Fabre USA
Constructing an influencer program for a big model from scratch isn’t any small feat. There are sometimes lots of issues and transferring elements, and it may be overwhelming to construct a method that’s measurable, predictable, and (if profitable) repeatable. To deal with this problem, Elena and her crew:
Outlined and prioritized key areas of differentiation. Every model has a singular character and differentiation level, and, based on Elena, understanding and clarifying these two issues can present a powerful however versatile basis to your influencer program. This may also help you establish who you accomplice with, what content material you place out into the world, and extra. For instance, Avène is a portfolio model with a French pharmacy heritage, and is rooted in dermatology with merchandise which can be focused in the direction of delicate pores and skin. As a way to craft Avène’s individualized influencer program, Elena first frolicked researching who was educating and speaking overtly about delicate pores and skin points on social media. This led her to search out skincare and dermatologist influencers — most of which have been prepared to attempt Avène’s merchandise as a result of they have been already carefully aligned with their viewers’s wants and pursuits. Elena’s recommendation to different entrepreneurs? Don’t waste your time development chasing or copying competitor methods. There isn’t one strategy to construct a great influencer program, so it’s essential to search out your personal path to success!
Set clear key efficiency indicators. When Elena kicked off Pierre Fabre USA’s influencer program, she knew it was essential to set key efficiency indicators (KPIs) so they might simply measure success and determine areas of enchancment. For the reason that authentic influencer program was meant to construct model consciousness and affinity, her and her crew set normal KPIs like variety of activated influencers, video views, common engagement charge, and distinctive hashtag makes use of. Then for extra particular campaigns like influencer product seeding, Elena set related “quantity” or exercise targets. For instance, she would monitor the variety of new influencers connections or product sends. When she began Pierre Fabre USA’s influencer product seeding campaigns, there have been solely 15 influencers per week (roughly 60 a month), however since then it has quickly expanded to a listing of over 1,000 influencers that continues to develop.
Tip: Study extra about find out how to set targets and KPIs to your influencer program.
Created room for adaptability. The unique influencer program technique that Elena set out for Pierre Fabre USA in 2019 included basic components like natural influencer product seeding, sponsored content material, and in-person occasions. Nonetheless, lots of this needed to shift when the COVID-19 pandemic took maintain in 2020. Fortunately, lots of the targets, targets, and key messages that the crew had outlined for his or her influencer program might be translated into different initiatives. For instance, in-person influencer occasions have been not allowed attributable to shelter-in-place mandates, so the crew morphed them into instructional Instagram Lives. Equally, influencer product seeding campaigns remained a staple, however grew to become extra advanced. Elena and her crew wished to keep away from waste and likewise weren’t positive how a lot house every influencer needed to retailer merchandise — this meant they averted doing mass sends, and as a substitute chosen influencers fastidiously and requested each to opt-in to receiving merchandise. (Extra on this within the subsequent part.)
Developed various and artistic partnerships with prime influencers
“I’m actually passionate concerning the relationship part of influencer advertising and marketing! If you wish to construct up a powerful community of companions to your influencer program you have to be scrappy, personable, and artistic. That is very true if you’re making an attempt to construct long run model advocates on a funds! I’m at all times difficult myself and my crew to repeatedly put money into their influencer relationships, even when it might take a while to see the return.” — Elena Suarez, Affiliate Director of PR and Influencer Advertising and marketing at Pierre Fabre USA
Influencer advertising and marketing is, at its coronary heart, all about constructing sturdy relationships. When you don’t have a powerful community of companions, then your influencer program will fall quick. Elena and her crew did a number of sensible issues when constructing their community of companions for his or her influencer program:
Leveraged use instances to personalize influencer product seeding campaigns. To keep away from waste and inefficiency, Elena and her crew wished to be sure that they have been strategic about how they gifted merchandise. The crew did this by utilizing product use instances to search out prime influencers. For instance, they used Traackr to discover influencers that had beforehand posted about challenges that their merchandise assist remedy like thinning hair and eczema breakouts. The crew additionally used Traackr to guage how influencers’ posts about gifted merchandise carried out — influencers that had excessive efficiency have been then thought of for paid partnerships.
Tip: Do you know that 61% of entrepreneurs report that lower than half of influencers receiving gifted merchandise really put up on social media? Try our latest influencer product seeding report back to uncover extra knowledge, suggestions, and techniques that may assist your influencer program.
Prioritized a various set of influencer companions. The sweetness trade is a extremely saturated house, particularly in relation to influencer advertising and marketing. Elena and her crew knew they wanted to work with greater than conventional magnificence influencers, in order that they created influencer “subcategories”. A few of these embrace: pores and skin specialists (physicians, dermatologists, and different pores and skin professionals), “skintellectuals” (common customers and influencers who’re enthusiastic about all issues skincare), comedians, and mothers. These influencer subcategories have been activated based on every model’s tone and desires. For instance, portfolio manufacturers Avène and Glytone are centered round schooling and science — so the crew partnered with physicians.
Invested in relationship constructing and artistic campaigns. To make sure alignment, earn model love, and enhance creator retention, Elena and her crew centered on constructing sturdy relationships with every influencer. A part of this was achieved just by spending time with each influencer, and a part of it was achieved by discovering distinctive methods so as to add worth to their influencer companions. Throughout the pandemic the crew wasn’t capable of put money into lots of conventional sponsored partnerships attributable to low funds, in order that they discovered a strategy to help causes that their influencers cared about. For instance, #AskAvene was an Instagram Stay sequence that centered on the academic side of the model. Dermatologist companions like Dr. Mona Gohara, Dr. Ted Lain. Dr. Adeline Kikam, Dr. Elyse Love, Dr. Onyeka Obioha, Dr. Latanya Benjamin, and Dr. Jenny Liu have been requested to return on each week and talk about a subject and pores and skin concern. In return for collaborating on this phase, the crew despatched Avène merchandise to a charity or hospital of the physicians alternative. By the tip of the sequence, there have been over 10K merchandise donated to totally different charities whereas additional creating a fantastic relationship with key opinion chief (KOL) physicians.
Embraced a performance-driven influencer advertising and marketing mindset
“Information is probably the most highly effective instrument accessible for influencer advertising and marketing groups! This is the reason it is so useful to see that we’re getting extra platforms (like Traackr) to assist us measure and analyze efficiency metrics, spend effectivity, and price equivalency. At Pierre Fabre USA, we use knowledge to grasp what we’re doing effectively, set benchmarks for ourselves to work in opposition to, and to uncover the place the “grey house” or alternatives for enchancment lie.” — Elena Suarez, Affiliate Director of PR and Influencer Advertising and marketing at Pierre Fabre USA
One of many trickiest and scariest elements of beginning a brand new influencer program is that you just don’t have previous knowledge to base funds or projected efficiency on. Fortunately, Elena was in a position to make use of her prolonged expertise in influencer advertising and marketing to approximate what “good” efficiency appeared like for the totally different campaigns that the model was working.
As soon as the model accomplished its first few campaigns, one of many first orders of enterprise was to do a full efficiency audit. For instance, with a few of its early influencer product seeding campaigns, the crew evaluated:
- Which influencers talked about them probably the most?
- Which influencers carried out greatest? (earned probably the most engagements, most video views, and highest engagement charge?)
- Which influencers integrated the messaging and tone that match the model?
- Primarily based on the above, which influencers would move the “spend effectivity” take a look at in the event that they have been to be introduced on as sponsored companions?
One other instance was the model’s first TikTok marketing campaign, which had over 25 influencers. On this case, the crew evaluated:
- Variety of mentions per influencer
- Efficiency metrics per influencer (complete posts, engagement charge and views)
- Spend effectivity per influencer (price per view, price per engagement, and so on)
- Value equivalency per influencer utilizing Traackr’s Model Vitality Rating (VIT)
Tip: When you’re simply getting began and are uncertain find out how to measure or report on success, we’ve got a template for the last word influencer program report.
Pierre Fabre USA’s influencer program outcomes up to now
“Our main purpose has at all times been to make sure that we’re growing model consciousness, whether or not it is by means of natural or sponsored campaigns. As we glance to our future campaigns, we’ll proceed using a data-led technique, whereas guaranteeing that we’re staying aggressive with our KPI’s, and leveraging a wholesome mixture of platforms and developments.” — Elena Suarez, affiliate director of PR and influencer advertising and marketing at Pierre Fabre USA
On condition that Pierre Fabre USA’s funds was small for its first marketing campaign, the crew initially set conservative KPIs. However as a result of model’s capability to choose the precise companions, develop actually participating content material, and leverage a number of social platforms, their outcomes far surpassed their targets:
- 15 energetic influencers and posts (67% over purpose)
- 7,434,611 video views (1387% over purpose)
- 9.6% engagement charge (380% over purpose)
- The marketing campaign additionally resulted within the creation of a brand new hashtag (#30secondstosoothe) which when first launched had 6.7M views on TikTok however now has 9.1M views
This was the start of Pierre Fabre USA’s paid influencer campaigns, and since then the group has continued launching totally different ones throughout all of their manufacturers, difficult themselves with aggressive KPI’s every time. Two standout successes embrace:
- Avène’s Cicalfate+ Restorative Protecting Cream marketing campaign earned a 2.7M attain, 4.66% engagement charge, and a spike in gross sales that helped shift it to the present primary product inside the Avène portfolio.
- Klorane’s Nationwide Dry Shampoo marketing campaign highlighted the cult favourite Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk, activating 98 creators and leading to 41M attain and a 7.3% engagement charge. This product remains to be a favourite and prime performer inside the model portfolio.
Elena and her crew additionally use Traackr’s Model Vitality Rating (VIT) metric to repeatedly glean new insights and monitor the efficiency of their influencer program. For instance, in 2022, regardless of having a decrease variety of activated influencers, the model efficiently elevated their VIT attributable to sturdy content material efficiency and influencer loyalty. This yr, the crew is seeking to improve that VIT success much more by sustaining its sturdy model advocates whereas additionally placing additional emphasis on activating extra influencers.
If you wish to keep updated on the superb work that Elena and her crew are doing at Pierre Fabre USA, observe the manufacturers on Instagram at @aveneusa @glytoneusa @renefurtererusa and @kloraneusa!
