If you were just as upset as I was to hear Vanessa Hudgens was not attending Coachella this year, then you know how social media has shifted the focus of the festival to be about more than just music. Hundreds of celebrities and influencers gather and, of course, share their experiences with their fans. Brands have been taking advantage of this influencer mecca and using it as a marketing tool.
Brands will typically invite a group of influencers to a branded house in the area to create festival content. For example, companies like Poosh, Kourtney Kardashian’s wellness brand, have rented out an estate full of different amenities for a group of influencers in the past years. These brands know the millions of eyes that loyally follow these creators.
This year, Poppi, the viral healthy soda, has taken a refreshingly different approach. Instead of the usual practice of inviting a group of influencers, they chose to focus on one, Alix Earle. This TikTok sensation, known for her ‘Get Ready With Me’ videos, has amassed a huge following due to her raw and authentic content.
Earle’s appeal is her girl-next-door character dressed in the latest luxury clothing. She has built quite the ‘relatable-chic’ brand for herself. Earle and her crew have spent the last two years attending all the most exclusive events, so it’s no wonder budding brands like Poppi invested in her.
Poppi partnered with Earle to debut their new Lemon-Lime flavor. They flew her and her friends to their lemon-lime-inspired, decked-out Poppi house. They even coined the term “Coachearlea” to give her and her crew the most personal experience.
Coachella, these days, can feel like just another exclusive ‘influencer event’ that our favorite creators get to boast about on our timelines. The public has become accustomed to these big brand trips with obligatory posts, and the content often falls flat. However, Earle’s content felt different. With her friends and family in tow, her stories and ‘Get Ready With Me’s’ felt more like a glimpse into a relatable friend’s vacation than forced branded content.
In this influencer-saturated world, brands must continue to push the boundaries and think outside the box to stand out. The success of Poppi’s unique approach with Alix Earle at Coachella is a testament to this.
Carlie Desjardins, Account Associate
prowlpr.com 