What OLIPOP did to earn a 982% ROI & Why It Worked
By now, I'm sure almost nobody underestimates the power of TikTok and its creators. But who would have guessed the success that social media apps could have brought to a healthy, prebiotic soda, in just 3 years' time? In 2021, OLIPOP launched their creator affiliate program which now contributes ~12% to their yearly sales. From strategy to positioning to process, they've mastered the details. And now we're sharing them with you.
Set Restrictions to Reach A Targeted Audience
OLIPOP recognized that micro-influencers (~10K followers) are going to be limited on the number of posts that they could publish in one year, without becoming ingenuine or what Gen Z might call a sell out. So their goal for content creators became what Impact.com calls a "long-tailed approach". Have as many smaller influencers, or as diverse of a creator community as possible to create strength in numbers. Of course, this meant they could receive hundreds of applicants to the creator program in a single day. Instead, they gave some minor stipulations to help users self disqualify.
Things like a minimum follower count and no previous content that goes against the brand's nature helped to narrow these people down but they also lifted that minimum follower requirement for dieticians or health professionals who were truly interested in sharing the brand.
These guidelines not only cut out creators that didn't really fit the need, but also allowed creators more in tune with the brand's message to be highlighted. Overall, initializing a thriving creator community.
Give Them Liberty or Give Them ☠️
OLIPOP is breaking records with this creator affiliate program and it's because they're taking a risk that hundreds of brands still too scared to take. They're selecting creators and then stepping back. Instead of strict content guidelines, they briefed and let loose. They trusted their content creators to focus on the product in their own voice, in their own way. And guess what? The content felt native to the creators feed. More authentic, meant more conversions.
Platforms are doing a great job of rewarding originality so without a ton of "must haves" and video sequence requirements, each of these creators were able to make unique videos blasting brand awareness without the repetitiveness. Giving life to their creativity and video performance. *chef's kiss
Pay Them What They Deserve - Creator Gifts & Rewards
At the end of the day, OLIPOP didn't just ask everyone to blindly support their brand in exchange for $36 worth of prebiotic soda. They gave each creator a unique code that would allow them to earn 10% in commission for every sale that they drove. Making it not only easy to track ROI but also extremely easy for creators to share their love for the brand offline through WOM as well. Proven sales means proven strategy. No relying on insane reach or hoping for a million views. On the creators side, they were able to be compensated for contributing to real growth of the brand. Much more valuable to them than a one time payment, that could've turned into less than a fraction of what the brand was able to gain from their content.
Okay, But Why Did It Work?
OLIPOP played the long game. They chose to trust their creators (*ahem the experts on internet culture and video creation) and it paid off. When it comes to strategy, they rooted theirs in things that brands tend to forget:
This paired with a strong brand gave creators clarity on the story they needed to tell to attract audiences with one video. From this, OLIPOP was able to build a creator program that generated real affinity, not just quick reach. And a 982% ROI to show for it.
This isn’t just a case study. It’s a blueprint.
Sources
“OLIPOP’s Hybrid Commission Approach: A Creator Community That Drives Real Sales.” Impact.com. Read the full case study
