By Ellie Pandya, Senior Social Account Manager

How do you create an influencer strategy for premium-priced products in a world dominated by fast-paced campaigns and creators promoting multiple products a week? Four years into working with kitchen appliance brand AEG, selling high-ticket items, here are the top things I’ve learnt:

Be a detective

Lots of us have shifted our approach when it comes to prioritising quantity over quality. As we know, you don’t need an army, but a few trusted voices that truly align with your brand, with an emphasis on content creation that has real, lasting impact. You’re not going to trust an influencer who buys a new fridge every six months, are you?

Smart creators will know their worth and if they’re in demand. A few years ago, influencers needed brands, now they can afford to be selective. And great content will mean real investment, not just when it comes to budget planning but devoted PR team attention, too.

Timing is key. Honing in on your vetting strategy to ensure you’re identifying the right people at the right time means these chosen creators have the potential to truly influence the right consumers on social media. Just moved house? We know. Renovating your kitchen? We thought so. Tapping into these moments creates authentic partnerships, as their audience is already engaged in their moving process, and so their partnership with a kitchen appliance brand feels like a natural fit. When it comes to marketing premium products, having your finger on the pulse and following creators who you feel embody your brand delivers strong ROI. If they’re worth it, they’re worth the wait.

Fostering long-term partnerships drives brand advocacy

I’ve seen first hand the importance that forming lasting relationships with influencers has to achieving success for a brand with high-value products. It’s all about building authentic advocacy and collaborating with genuine influencers in the truest sense of the word. We’re now in our fifth year working with Meliz Berg aka Meliz Cooks with AEG, she embodies the brand and her followers look forward to her AEG recipes. Creators that are in it for the long haul, become true brand advocates that you know you can rely on time and time again, who want to organically shout about your products and ultimately go beyond their contract. These relationships matter - nurturing a network of trusted influencers across a variety of verticals builds trust with creators and encourages repeat, longer-term partnerships leading to more authentic content.

High-end products = a longer consumer journey

While beauty products might be a throw-in-basket buy on TikTok Shop, an item like a new oven or a new car is generally a carefully considered purchase over several weeks, if not months. It takes many marketing touchpoints before a consumer makes that decision. It’s an investment. And you’re not in the market 99% of the time.

How do you stay top of mind when attention spans online are short? As consumers, we don’t respond well to a ‘sales pitch’ style of content. Mike, aka Candyshowroom, and Alex Harrison showed off their content style for our Hyundai gaming campaign last summer, both hitting our key messages for the same campaign, in their own unique way.

I’m sure we all have our favourite influencers we’ve followed for years and years, who feel we can trust on a personal level. Influencer partnerships can lean into these personalities. The more times we, as consumers, see products recommended by different trusted voices, we’re more likely to consider that product, as we’re tuned into their recommendations. More content, more chances.