Capitalizing on Big Events

Timing is everything, and there’s no better time to partner up with an influencer than throughout big events.

On April 28, Chicago hosted the NFL 2016 Draft showcasing the best upcoming talent in the NFL. With major media coverage, these popular players — such as Jared Goff, Carson Wentz and Ezekiel Elliot — were some of the most followed men on social media, making them prime candidates to act as influencers throughout the the draft.

Let’s start off with Jared Goff. The highly ranked player worked with Gillette, Pantene and Redbull throughout the draft process. He posted three tweets and one Instagram post, mentioning the brands in each post.

What did he do right? 

Both Gillette and Redbull knew that the majority of his followers would be friends and fans similar in age to Goff (young 20’s). Redbull did a great job of showing Goff in a casual setting with his friends, showcasing the product and how it fits into any situation among friends.

Carson Wentz opted to work with JCPenny, posting a video on Youtube of him preparing for the draft wearing a suit from the company.

What did he do right?

The brand knew that he would be wearing a suit for the draft. It’s also important to note that he stated #ad in the caption, a must when working as an influencer.

Ezekiel Elliot also had a high brand count, working with FedEx, Old Spice and Quest Nutrition.

What did he do right?

Ezekiel Elliot did a great job at keeping his personality in his posts with the brand. Following Elliot for awhile, it’s obvious he’s a lighthearted person and the brands that he worked with recognized that and capitalized on his personality as well as his draft placement.

So what does this mean for influencers? 

These brands were successful because they recognized who the influencers were in the moment. High numbers of followers are great, however, sometimes the best way to get customers attention is catering to the events they’re already watching.

Working with high profile athletes might not be in the budget of every brand so consider thinking outside of the box. Work with the family members of athletes or those being featured, chances are the celebrity will retweet or repost the image of their friends and family anyways, reaching that extra audience.