Let’s get right to it. We love a good influencer campaign. No matter the product or the industry, we’re always interested to see how brands are optimizing this exciting channel. Recently we looked at bed-in-a-box brand Tuft&Needle’s multi-persona campaign that emphasized the lifestyle values mattresses, and Diet Coke’s campaign which ignited a social conversation on social labels.
Next up ThredUp, an online consignment store revolutionizing the fashion industry.
Why We Love it
ThredUp’s #secondhandfirst campaign is an amazing example of what we love most about influencer marketing. Not only did the brand work with fashion influencers, but they also partnered with environmental activists who help promote the positive impact of shopping second hand.
Why It Works
ThredUp’s unique campaign helps to convey a larger message about the ethical dilemma in the fashion industry, and the role fashion production plays in climate change. As more customers choose products based on brand accountability, TredUp’s campaign is a sophisticated way to share brand values on a complex issue.
Mixing Activism With Influencer Marketing
ThredUp’s unique approach to influencer marketing echos the brand’s visionary platform (figuratively and literally). ThredUp is more than a market place, it is a digital consignment store promoting a sustainable fashion future. And, as fashion is the second most polluting industry, ThredUp’s mission has a global impact.
On ThredUp’s Business Instagram page they have 2 hashtags: #secondhandfirst and #chooseused. We decided to look at influencers who were leveraging the first hashtag… and there were many! So we selected 35. From sustainability, simply living, vegans, environmental activists, fashionistas, parents, and even travel bloggers, it’s clear that ThredUp’s appeal runneth over.
Tip: We have compiled lists of global fashion influencers, sustainable fashion influencers, top sustainability influencers, top fashion influencers in Singapore, and South African fashion influencers to partner with.
Influencer: @lauren.engleke, the sustainable fashionista
10 years ago it would seem like an oxymoron to include vegan and fashion in the same sentence. Many brands had yet to embrace cruelty-free or sustainable materials, so the options were… let’s be honest, not that chic. Now, vegan is the new norm (thanks Ellen DeGeneres), and due to the undeniable environmental impact of fast-fashion, sustainability is en-vogue.
Enter Lauren Engelke, a fashion influencer and podcast host who shares her sustainable looks with her 14K followers on Instagram. Lauren has a 4,142 True Reach, which is extremely high for her following, meaning her audience is extremely interested in her content. Previous collaborations have included Zara, Nike, Lululemon, and Stichfix, giving her serious fashion influencer cred.
Influencer: @tayloridso, the second-hand advocate
Taylor is a US-based recycled clothing advocate who runs her own fashion repository and blog ThredsOfTay where she resells her clothing in an attempt to minimize her closet and live more sustainably. Taylor has 4.5K Instagram followers with 4,420 True Reach, and an average of 650 engagements per post, both extremely high metrics compared to other influencers with a similar audience.
Taylor mainly shares fashion-focused content with her audience, 96% of whom are women. In early 2019, she took a vow to only show second-hand, and to cut off all fast-fashion brands, making her the perfect advocate for ThredUp.
#secondhandfirst: Impactful Influence
Sustainability and fashion. As mentioned early, we randomly selected 35 influencers who have leveraged the #secondhandfirst hashtag to see how the brand has benefited from the influencers promoting their values.
As of September 29, 2019, these 35 influencers shared 328 posts with the hashtag #secondhandfirst or tagging @ThredUp generating 680K engagements, and an EMV of $2.5M. The EMV is extremely impressive as this is only 35 influencers. The ROI of all influencers leveraging both of the brand’s hashtags should be substantially larger.
ThredUp #secondhandfirst Campaign Success (as of Oct. 2, 2019)
- 328 Posts
- 681.1K Posts
- 6.7M Reach
- 2.5M EMV
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