REACH's Inventive Influencer Marketing Collaboration with Coca-Cola for Halloween 2021
In October 2022, Coca-Cola wanted to create a unique campus activation to engage the University of Southern California (USC) student population in celebration of Halloween. To achieve this, they collaborated with REACH, a renowned influencer marketing agency. This case study highlights the novel methods REACH employed to stimulate interest and excitement in Coca-Cola's campus activation.
Coca-Cola's objective was to engage USC students through a distinctive Halloween-themed activation involving vending machines on campus. They aimed to recruit influential Gen Z micro-influencers to promote this activation. REACH was responsible for identifying these influencers, orchestrating their involvement, and ensuring maximum visibility for Coca-Cola's activation.
Coca-Cola's innovative idea involved transforming five vending machines on the USC campus into Halloween-themed Coca-Cola vending machines. To add an interactive element, each machine was equipped with a QR code that participants could scan for a chance to win a variety of prizes, including Puma X Coca-Cola apparel, music festival tickets, and Coachella passes.
REACH selected 30 USC micro-influencers, each with less than 5,000 followers, to promote the activation. The influencers were tasked with creating videos and posts about the vending machines. This content involved expressing surprise at finding the transformed vending machines and visiting all the vending machine locations. This strategy was designed to ensure that word about the activation would spread throughout the campus.
The influencers were chosen based on their ability to reach the maximum number of USC students. This ensured that the campaign targeted a relevant and engaged audience.
As a part of the campaign, REACH collaborated with Coca-Cola to create custom, limited-edition Halloween merchandise. The REACH members who promoted the Coca-Cola activation were given the exclusive merchandise to wear, adding an extra layer of engagement and promotion to the activation.
The clever vending machine activation successfully stirred up excitement and engagement among the USC student population. The selected micro-influencers played a pivotal role in spreading the word about the activation across the campus. The campaign not only brought the transformed vending machines to the attention of the students but also drove participation in the QR code prize initiative.
Moreover, the exclusive Halloween merchandise served as a symbol of Coca-Cola’s commitment to the campaign and further incentivized REACH members to promote the activation.
The Coca-Cola x REACH collaboration showcases how influencer marketing can be used effectively to engage a specific audience in a unique and interactive brand activation. By leveraging the power of micro-influencers within the USC campus, REACH was able to ensure Coca-Cola’s Halloween activation reached its target audience, driving engagement and promoting brand visibility.
The success of this campaign demonstrates the potential for future collaborations that leverage the power of influencers to create buzz around unique, event-specific activations. This approach can lead to higher engagement and more successful marketing outcomes.