As a result of these efforts, lotus823 was able to engage 44 YouTube influencers and produce 18 video reviews from these users. Combined, the reviews generated more than 5.8 million potential impressions, 143,805 video views, and more than 20,800 engagements (likes, retweets/shares, and comments/replies).
Further, Audio-Technica has continued to see engagements rise across its social platforms. Gamers know Audio-Technica by name and often interact with the company via Twitter. As a result, Audio-Technica now sees outreach from gamers inquiring about sponsorship and partnership opportunities daily.
The Challenge
Since 2013, lotus823 aided in creating a unified, consistent brand presence for Audio-Technica on the web, while also introducing the brand to new social media platforms, many of which were already being dominated by direct competitors. Then, in 2016, Audio-Technica focused on expanding its audience to reach more users within the gaming community. lotus823 launched a strategic influencer marketing campaign.
Expanding the Market
To build awareness of Audio-Technica in the gaming space as a legendary audio leader, lotus823 implemented a targeted influencer marketing strategy with a blogger outreach plan. Beginning with a public relations setup, a blogger list was developed with a focus on mid-level gaming bloggers and vloggers who had not previously covered any Audio-Technica products on their platforms. Extensive research was conducted on more than 100 targets, taking into consideration key performance indicators (KPIs), including the number of YouTube subscribers, Twitch followers, and Twitter fans.
“Our company is not a difficult client, but we have complicated needs given our vertical markets. lotus823 listens to our needs while understanding the complexity of these, and that just paves the way for our successful partnership. They’re not just an agency that we work with — they’re our true partners, and that works to our mutual benefit.”
Once the list was formed, lotus823 wrote pitches from various angles to target each blogger or vlogger. General messaging focused on positioning Audio-Technica as a leader in the audio equipment industry, creating innovative, quality products that help improve the overall gaming experience. Participating influencers received pairs of the company’s ATH-AG1X closed-back and ATH-ADG1X open-back, high-fidelity gaming headsets for reviews. To extend blogger relationships, those who published product reviews were sent additional in-ear headphones designated for fan giveaways. As a further result of these reviews, not only did website traffic increase, but foot traffic to the Audio-Technica booth at PAX West, a Seattle, Washington trade show, also increased.
