Case Study – Influencer Kit
What is influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing is a form of marketing that targets specific people (or types of individuals) rather than the target market as a whole. Think of it as a response to the changing social atmosphere and opportunities for people. In this day and age, anyone with wifi and a device can reach millions via the platform of their choice. Smart businesses try to engage with these people in different ways to promote their products. This usually takes the form of influencer kits.
Influencer kits, what are they?
An influencer / press kit is a collection of products sent by a brand to an influencer; usually on the occasion of a product launch or for an exceptional event. Items sent as part of an influencer kit do not necessarily have a real utilitarian purpose. They are usually to attract attention and possibly entertain the recipient in the hope that they speak about the influencer kit on their social accounts and share photo+video of the items.
Influence kits are a new approach to a sales kit. Rather than directly *selling* to a consumer, these kits are designed to attract a very specific market segment. They should include content that speaks to influencers and to their audience. The construction of the kit should also embody the brand.
How does it work?
Influence on the Web and social networks are very different compared to traditional marketing. It makes it possible to reach a very large audience that is already engaged and convinced thanks to the work of the influencer.
The challenge for companies wishing to use influencer marketing is thus slightly different from traditional marketing. Rather than convincing customers directly, it is the influencer himself who must be convinced by the brand. His reputation being at stake, an influencer cannot afford to promote a defective product or one in which he does not believe. He would lose the trust of his community and his influence would suffer.
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Duel Links Press Kit
Video game press kits need to constantly adapt to trends, technology, and the gaming public. When it came time to do another influence kit for Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links, WAYPOINT decided to try a different direction.
Our Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Duel Links influencer kit may not have a lot of items, but it doubles down on the impact and quality of its content. The centerpiece of the kit is a laser cut Stardust Dragon etched into a glass ball. When perched on the accompanying wooden base, the Stardust Dragon is illuminated .
The Stardust Dragon glass ball is presented inside a custom video box. The box features a full-wrap art and has a built-in video screen, complete with playback and audio control. Upon opening the box, the screen automatically plays the official Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Duel Links trailer.
Konami sent one of these kits to content creator CyberKnight. His unboxing video captures his initial reactions to our press kit, and dives into all the content. Check it out for a close look at our Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Duel Links press kit, and you can find more Yu-Gi-Oh content on his Youtube channel here.
Why do you need influencer marketing?
Traditional advertising has taken a hard blow. As consumers, we completely lost interest in brands whose sales techniques were too aggressive. The opinion of our peers is now more important: 92% of consumers prefer to follow the product recommendations of an individual, rather than a brand.
Do you remember the last time you paid attention to a banner? Where did you finally hide them, like me? If you find them intrusive, go for ad blockers. According to Google, the average clickthrough rate for a banner is 0.06%.
Advertisements are almost completely ignored.
How to handle this problem as a marketer? The answer is clear: steer towards social media marketing. Get the news thread trending on Twitter, post on Instagram, and scrutinize the publications of others.
However, being well aware of the value of their advertising activity, social media has made it easier for companies to reach their subscribers with organic publications. For example, Facebook has changed its news feed so that users see more status updates for their friends and families. Business pages have lost visibility.
WAYPOINT’s Sword Art Online: Integral Factor Influencer Kit
What is the purpose of an influencer kit?
Companies have several goals and reasons for commissioning an influencer kit. An already well-known company can grow their brand image through influencers instead of directly from themselves.
Secondly, it serves to advertise. Indeed, an influencer kit can be made for celebratory reasons, like the one-year anniversary of a video game launch, as with the SWORD ART ONLINE influencer kit.
Also, it enhances the reputation of the chosen influencer. An influencer chosen to represent this influencer kit can win subscribers, be sponsored, receive products for free, and share their opinion..
From an economic point of view, the use of an influencer is less expensive than conventional communication. The return on investment is more easily measurable and the attrition rate (prospects lost on the conversation path) can sometimes be relatively low. On the technical side, influencer marketing improves the SEO of a website via the mentions and the number of links pointing to the latter. Insofar as brands make use of influencer bloggers.
3D-Puff Embroidery for Konami’s Metal Gear Survive Backpacks
Why is it important?
It is important for video game publishers to buy influence kits for several reasons.
First of all, it’s important for these brands as it’s an easy and accessible way to get acquainted quickly.
A popular social media post about influencer kits are unboxing videos. The influencer unboxes and reacts to the kit in front of his camera, sometimes even on a live-stream. Brands can also get reactions from the audience commenting on the unboxing. Unboxing videos are quite fun for the influencer, and guarantees they provide a genuine, emotional, reaction to the kit. This is a more natural and relatable method for audiences to engage with the influencer kit and content.
Today, a majority of the population is present on social networks, which allows the brand to easily influence their target audience. Unlike traditional marketing tools, influencer marketing requires different approaches and strategies. Influencers should not be seen as just a new marketing lever, but rather as partners, with whom to collaborate new ways of communicating. It is important to remember that they have their own approach, audience, and brand. Always respect that and consider that their first priority is to their own brand. Popular and well-established influencers often have a better understanding of how their subscribers respond to certain messages and types of content. They know how the message is conveyed most effectively and their experience can bring new approaches to your brand, what works and what does not work.
Custom Press Kit for Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links
In short, influencer marketing can help your business on many parameters, including:
● Improve the brand image;
● Learn / Inspire consumers for using your business products;
● Generate sales;
● Generation of user content;
● Promote the launch of a new product or new brand identity;
● Reach a specific target audience that other platforms do not touch;
● Inspire new approaches / angles for your brand and your marketing.