Are you tired of using the same old and traditional advertising techniques without seeing the desired results? Then it might be the right time for you to switch to offline influencer marketing! 

The term “influencer marketing” has gained popularity in the marketing industry as more and more companies use social media influencers to market their goods or services. But what about offline influencer marketing? It is, believes it or not, just as effective as its online cousin. In fact, a study discovered that influencer recommendations through offline word-of-mouth lead to more than twice as many sales as paid advertising.

However, it’s not always smooth sailing when it comes to implementing an effective influencer marketing campaign. Marketers are often faced with challenges such as finding the right influencers, measuring the success of their campaigns, and ensuring that the content aligns with their brand values. But fear not, in this article, we will delve into the role of influencer marketing in offline advertising and explore the various ways you can leverage it to enhance your brand’s reach and credibility.

What is Influencer Marketing?

A growing number of companies are using influencer marketing to advertise their goods and services to new audiences. Although influencer marketing is often thought of as just being used online, it may also be a successful tactic for offline marketing activities.

It is a form of offline advertising technique that makes use of the influence and following of well-known figures to promote a company or item. A good illustration of this is the use of celebrity endorsements, in which companies collaborate with well-known actors, sports, and other famous people to advertise their goods.

A Mediakix survey found that 89% of marketers believe influencer marketing may have a positive impact on how consumers feel about a company. Furthermore, 80% of marketers stated influencer marketing helped them reach new target groups, according to a separate Linqia survey. Overall, offline influencer marketing can be an effective way for brands to reach a wider audience and build credibility, especially in a market like India where personal connections and relationships are highly valued.

How is Influencer Marketing Done?

Offline influencer marketing generally involves collaborating with influencers to advertise a good or service face-to-face, frequently at events or through experiential marketing. An influencer might be asked to a launch party or a pop-up store opening, for instance, where they can mingle with guests and advertise the brand through various media channels. However, here we have listed a few methods that brands can utilize while creating their offline influencer marketing campaigns:

1. Events: Companies can arrange product launch events and invite influencers to attend or speak at them, allowing them to demonstrate the brand’s products or services to their followers.

2. Endorsements: Influencers and brands can work together on offline advertising mediums to establish a long-term relationship in which they continuously promote each other’s goods and services.

3. Sponsorships: Influencers might be paid to participate in events like sporting competitions or concerts so that they can spread the word about the business to their followers.

4. TV commercials: Influencers can be used by brands in their TV advertising to engage their target audience and foster feelings of loyalty and honesty.

5. Product placements: Influencers, such as those in television, film, and music, can work with brands to promote their goods or services in their productions.

6. Print advertisements: To enhance credibility and relevance to their messaging, brands might include influencers in print advertisements such as in newspapers or magazines.

7. Billboards: Influencer-themed billboards can aid in boosting brand recognition, legitimacy, and recall among customers who come into contact with them regularly.

8. Meet and greet behind the scenes: The opportunity for followers to meet their favourite creators at a meet and greet increases the visibility as your brand is praised for serving as the bridge that made it happen.

The Role of Influencer Marketing in Offline Advertising

It creates a lasting impression in the minds of the audience 

Businesses can leave a lasting impression on their target audience by collaborating with the right influencers and providing memorable experiences, which will improve consumer loyalty and repeat business. For example, In 2019, Coca-Cola launched the “Share A Coke” campaign, collaborating with popular Indian celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Alia Bhatt. 

This offline advertising campaign used customised Coca-Cola bottles with Indian names in place of the brand logo, which generated a lot of discussions and helped the campaign leave a lasting impression on the audience and helped in expanding its market in India.

It builds trust for the brand

Influencers are trusted and appreciated by their followers because of their expertise and reputation, which makes their followers more likely to follow their advice. This might help your influencer marketing feel more genuine and less like traditional advertising, which can enhance brand awareness. Your brand may join influencers’ communities and gain the confidence and devotion of their followers by collaborating with them. According to research, consumers prefer to try out the items that their favourite influencers use, making them an invaluable resource for any firm trying to gain a devoted following.

It makes it easy to target key demographic

Targeting particular audience segments through offline influencer marketing can be quite effective. Influencers often have a specific niche audience that follows them closely, and businesses can leverage this to reach those who are most likely to be interested in their product or service. 

A fitness influencer, for instance, can have a sizable following of health enthusiasts, making them a perfect partner for a health food company. Businesses can boost the likelihood that they will acquire devoted clients by collaborating with relevant influencers.

It influences the purchase decisions of the audience 

Influencers have an impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions. Consumers appreciate and trust the opinions of their favourite influencers, which leads to a more positive response to businesses. 

It can help businesses grow their brands, establish a reputation, and boost sales. 49 per cent of respondents, according to DMI Blog statistics, stated they made purchases upon advice from offline advertising activities by influencers.

It helps in forging long-term bonds with the customers

By utilising the trust and authenticity that influencers have established with their followers, offline influencer marketing can assist businesses in developing lasting relationships with their clients. 

Consumers can be reached in person and effectively through offline influencer marketing, which can be an important part of any marketing plan. This relationship might result in greater brand loyalty, repeat business, and effective word-of-mouth marketing.

It saves marketers money and time

Partnering with influencers can help businesses save time and money and create new content on the fly. Businesses can use influencers to promote their brands on a variety of levels. 

Also, offline influencer marketing aids in the generation of immediate audience feedback, which allows businesses to develop retargeting advertising for a particular clientele. Working with creators has reportedly allowed 41% of advertisers to save time and money on the creation of marketing material.

Some Examples of Successful Offline Influencer Marketing Campaigns

Here we have listed some of the most influential offline celebrity marketing campaigns that are worth remembering:

1. Cadbury Bournvita’s celebrity meet and greet

Bournvita organized a “Tayyaari jeet ki” quiz campaign, including a meet and greet event on October 19 at the Hyatt Regency in Andheri, Mumbai, for the top 50 students and their parents. Celebrities including Leander Paes, Rajeev Khandelwal, Naina Satelvad, Anand Chulani, and Natasha Suri attended the event to share their success stories and interact with the students.

2. L’oreal’s TV commercials

For a long time L’Oreal has promoted its beauty products with the celebrity Aishwarya Rai in television advertisements. The advertisements portray the Bollywood actress as a role model, drawing a sizable Indian audience. L’Oreal has immensely benefited from an uptick in sales and brand exposure because to her ability to influence the audience.

3. The Maybelline India product launch event

On February 12, 2013, Maybelline India held a star-studded event in Mumbai, India, to launch its Baby Lips product. Brand ambassador Alia Bhatt and other famous people attended the event. The debut was a big success, and the product quickly became a sensation in the Indian market.

4. The “Glow and Lovely” billboard ads

To advertise its skin-lightening cosmetics, Glow and Lovely launched a billboard ad campaign featuring Bollywood starlet Yami Gautam. The public responded well to the Yami-starring advertisements, and some people even liked the inclusion message they conveyed. This helped to improve the brand’s reputation.

Key Takeaways

Influencer marketing has the potential to significantly increase the efficacy of offline marketing activities. Businesses may use their social influence to reach a larger audience and raise brand awareness by collaborating with the right influencers. Moreover, influencer marketing can give offline advertising initiatives a feeling of authenticity and credibility, increasing their consumer relatability and trustworthiness. Companies that incorporate influencer marketing into their offline advertising campaigns are more likely to be successful in attracting their target audience.