Influencer PR

By Scarlett Young

“Influencer PR” is a term used to describe the transactional relationship between brands and influencers that they choose to work with. An important factor is that the chosen influencer’s audience aligns well with the brand’s audience. Oftentimes, this occurs when a brand adds an influencer to their PR list – the list of people that the brand will be sending their announcements and products to upon its release. The idea behind this mutually beneficial relationship is that the influencer will have new content for their platform and the brand will gain exposure amongst their target audience. Here are some of the best examples of influencers promoting brands:

Dunkin’ Donuts and “The Charli”

In 2020, during the height of the TikTok influencer Charli D’Amelio’s fame, Dunkin’ Donuts released a collaboration with her in which they added her favorite drink to the menu under the name “The Charli.” Prior to this announcement, Charli D’Amelio had made numerous social media posts about Dunkin’ Donuts products, making the collaboration seamlessly blend in with her normal content when promoting it. Not only was this an ingenious partnership because of her history with the brand, but it also allowed for Charli’s fans to experience the drink she loves for themselves.

Alix Earle’s Beauty Brands

One recent TikTok sensation in the realm of influencer PR is Alix Earle. Earle’s influence is unique, as one of the main reasons she gained a following in the first place was through promoting brands, which contrasts the typical rise to fame most influencers experience. Because of this, Earle has since promoted many beauty brands such as Tarte Cosmetics, Nars Cosmetics and Benefit Cosmetics, as well as many more. These partnerships make sense for both the influencer and the brand because a majority of Earle’s audience is made up of people who want to hear her opinion on beauty brands. 

Glossier and the Everyday Person

Darcy McQueeny poses after speaking at an influencer event (@darcymcqueeny on Instagram).

Glossier is a relatively new makeup brand that has grown drastically in popularity in recent years, with much of this growth due to influencer PR. Though Glossier does work with some larger influencers, one of the most unique things about Glossier’s PR strategy is that they often choose to work with micro-influencers. By working with these micro-influencers, Glossier is able to reach an entirely new audience that trusts the brand more than if they were to have found Glossier through a larger influencer.

Darcey McQueeny’s Amazon Storefront

TikTok influencer Darcey McQueeny has brought a new technique of brand promotion to the table. McQueeny gained a following on TikTok through different beauty-related videos and generated a large audience that trusts her opinion on brands and products in doing so. Instead of posting videos or pictures to her social media one at a time to promote products, McQueeny created an incredibly popular Amazon storefront page. On this page, all of the products she talks about are in one place for followers to view and buy and she is able to make a profit off of the purchases. This is a unique technique on social media influence because McQueeny does not have to promote each brand individually, but is instead able to promote products through the loyalty that she has built with her followers.