DEEP DIVE

Reinventing the Influencer trip with Topicals in Ghana

The Influencer trip is a tyre that has gone bald until Topicals gave it new life.

Brands first offered brand familiarization trips to members of the press to showcase what a brand is like behind the scenes. In the age of social media and the democratization of publicity, brands have taken influencers and notable individuals on extravagant, often excessively so, trips to generate buzz for new products or brand refreshes. The strategy and execution are often similar: create an extremely luxurious, unattainable experience, pitch it to the biggest influencers in the space, then negotiate a set number of media values that the brand would receive in exchange for providing a complimentary trip of a lifetime.

With the abundance of influencer trips, the rising cost of engaging top-level influencers, and the shift in consumer consciousness, this type of brand execution isn't generating the same level of interest it once did. Customers today have a keen understanding of how marketing executions are put together, and on the other side of the coin, influencers understand their power and now require more than a $5,000/night hotel room purchased in bulk on a corporate discount to post pictures of a brand's product.

So how do you reinvent the influencer trip wheel? In a Vogue Business interview, Topicals founder Olamide Olowe notes, "Brand trips have often faced criticism primarily due to a lack of inclusivity and the perception that participants don't contribute positively to the places they visit. We recognized the importance of giving back and engaging in cultural exchanges during our brand trips." This included a cultural exchange day where influencers visited local markets and businesses.

A common thread that ties brand trips together is capitalizing on the fear of missing out. For other brands, it often feels like missing out on lifestyle markers such as the ability to spend on designer clothes and trips to exclusive hotels. Instead, what Topicals creates through its week-long immersion in a country's culture with fun, youthful experiences is a feeling of "I want to do that, I want to be there." Coupled with selecting well-loved personalities that consumers regularly see with Topicals, these trips further cultivate the brand's authenticity and solidify their position in the hearts of their loyal fans.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

The art of the Small Brand Collaboration with Our Place and Fly by Jing

Meet the Saucy Hot Wok Set

Shiza Shahid’s Our Place brand arrived in many kitchen in 2019 with the Always Pan. The Always Pan was touted as the pan that could do it all which made it a perfect fit for the consumer who desired quality and aesthetically pleasing items that wouldn’t be an eyesore if left outside the cupboard. In line with their ethos of renewed traditions, and better-for-you cookware, Our Place collaborates with Fly By Jing, a condiment company specializing in all-natural better-for-you chili crisps rooted in centuries-old Szechuan traditions, to deliver a cast-iron heirloom worthy Wok and steamer basket set in time for Lunar New Year.

Usually, when we see collaborations in any space it’s a large brand capitalizing on the mystique and coolness of a new or smaller brand in the same category. But what we have seen recently, in the case of Our Place x Fly By Jing, is that these are “use together” collaborations in the same space where one’s customer base would naturally gravitate or would already be a user of the other. From a marketing perspective, “use together” collaborations would be the best way for a brand to engage with an audience that is most likely to be receptive to their brand’s proposition and may be a great way anchor the brand in the lifestyle of its target market.

BRAND DEVELOPMENT

Your brand as a billboard with Gohar World

Founded by sisters, Laila and Nadia Gohar in 2020, Gohar World offers whimsical objects to add joy to any tablescape, even for the most discerning dinner hosts. The label's offerings are fun, functional, and often silly, ranging from an apron for your wine glass to a silk bag for your baguette, all reflecting a high-end quality that reflects Laila's experience as a food installation artist for luxury events with various clients such as Sotheby's, Hermés, and Comme des Garçon.

It is undeniable that the appeal of Gohar World is visual, and their strategies for growing the community hinge on finding and appealing to the market that appreciates the world they create. Their Instagram serves as a billboard for their world, presenting their products in context while sharing conceptual work that helps keep the audience engaged. To immerse us further into their world, their website shares recipes from "studio lunches," presented using Gohar World products to showcase the brand's lifestyle and the functionality of their products, reinforcing the idea that with a little care and time, anyone can do this too.

Gohar World is a great example of a creative individual who gains influence with their unique point of view and harnesses that exact point of view to create a range of products, rather than diluting their ideas to make a collection that is more market-friendly. Laila and Nadia offer objects that fit perfectly with any of their installations for their clients. They collaborate with brands that share the same ethos for craftsmanship, a love for provenance, and a spirit of whimsy, and all their items are meant to be special and celebratory, almost like pre-heirlooms, to be enjoyed now and in the future. And because their offerings are based on a spirit rather than a specific range of products, there is plenty of room for the brand to grow and explore.

SCHEMA is a Brand Marketing & Creative Agency for brands that want to create impact through creativity, community, and culture. To say hello or work with us, send us a message here. Follow our IG here, and our Tik Tok here. Have a good one!