A candlestick completes it

The budgets within our profession are increasingly shifting from traditional media to influencer marketing. Influencers are becoming aware of their own marketing potential, leading to their prices rising and paid partnerships to prevail. This makes it sometimes difficult for small brands to use influencers. Yet it is still possible with a small budget and the right approach. With the challenge “a candlestick makes it complete” we challenged 7 micro-influencers to create a beautiful table setting with the candlesticks from Zilverstad.

Targets

The purpose of the PR campaign is to increase brand awareness for Zilverstad and to create an experience for the Home Deco collection, which consists of, among other things, vases, lanterns and candlesticks. The target group must be aware that Zilverstad also has interior accessories in its range. We mainly wanted to create goodwill for the relatively unknown brand. In addition, the goal is to inspire the target group to apply the products themselves in the interior. To achieve this, it is important that they are inspired by influencers, whom they see as authorities and experts.

The concept

We have developed a concept for the recognisability of the PR campaign. After an internal brainstorming session with our team, the concept “a candlestick finishes it off” was devised. The idea behind this? A candlestick really completes a table. It brings atmosphere and cosiness. Candlesticks are also completely hip again and stylishly setting your table is a major interior trend. During the brainstorming session, the idea also arose for the largest part of the campaign: the challenge “Who will set the most beautiful table with the candlesticks of Zilverstad?”. Seven micro-influencers, each with an affinity with interior, have been selected by TALK ABOUT for this challenge. They were allowed to choose a number of products from the Home Collection and were asked to use them to create a setting on their table.

Approach

The use of influencers is popular. Because every influencer has its own fan base / followers, you reach many different target groups. However, it is not easy to find the right influencer. That person must fit your brand and very important: be authentic. He / she must believe in your product, so use it himself and not work with the competitor a week later. In addition, there are influencers who buy followers, you don’t want to use them at all.

Zilverstad could only give away products and had no budget for paid partnerships. That is why we selected micro influencers (with about 5,000 to 40,000 followers) who are involved in interior design. With an original invitation containing all the information about the challenge, we approached a number of influencers and asked if they wanted to take up the challenge. In the end @lindy_degraaf, @at_angies_place, @wonenbijchan, @ninaanouk, @wendy_studiozinnig, @lieks_home en @patriciahenskens  competed against each other. They were allowed to choose products that best matched their interior. This brought various products from the Home Collection to the attention.

The candidates set to work on styling their table with candlesticks and other interior accessories from Zilverstad. The challenge has been started twice; the spring table (around May) and the Christmas table (around December). Everyone posted at least one post and story of the end result. In addition, they were allowed to give away the same set of products to one of their followers. This led to another post. The end result? Seven beautifully set tables. Interior stylists judged the tables and chose two winners. All posts of the influencers were posted on social media and other posts were posted that matched the campaign.

To support this campaign, TALK ABOUT has developed a press release. This has been sent to various lifestyle media. In addition, the products of the Home Collection were presented during the annual TALK ABOUT press event. This time this was in the form of an exclusive press lunch. The table, with 20 journalists, was decorated with the candlesticks from Zilverstad and a side table featured other products from the collection.