Influencers & Message Thought Paper
The brand I chose for Week 10 Thought Paper is SodaStream. SodaStream claims it is the “№1 sparkling water brand in the world” (SodaStream 2018), and based on its market share, that may well be true. While SodaStream has been extremely successful in promoting its product, its consumers are mostly those individuals who are seeking healthier water versus those who are concerned about conservation and saving the planet. One of the main proponents where SodaStream wants to focus is, using SodaStream versus buying cans and bottles of another brand, such as LaCroix, has a much less impact on the environment. In an article in BeverageDaily.com, it is reported one bottle of SodaStream “can save 550 plastic bottles per year” (Shoup, 2017). On Instagram, SodaStream posts often specifically promote the environmental benefit of using its product.
One of the issues for SodaStream not reaching the environmentally conscious audience is they may be using the wrong type of influencer. If they want to focus on promotions saying use of their product benefits the environment, they should use an influencer who has an aligned focus. One example is, SodaStream has an influencer agreement with Snoop Dogg. As we all know, Snoop Dogg is a mega star, and claims he likes the product and is happy to promote its advantages for the environment. But in a recent Influencer Intelligence Blog, Barnett reports, “Overall, SodaStream and Snoop Dogg’s primary market aren’t exactly aligned, apart from geographically” (Barnett). SodaStream also uses other macro-influencers such as Martha Stewart and Michael Bublé. Although these three macro-influencers mentioned all have a tremendous fan base, they may not be aligned with those individuals who are concerned about saving the planet and ocean environment.
I suggest SodaStream also consider using micro-influencers and perhaps a mid-tier influencer whose fan base is mainly concerned about environmental issues. One such influencer is Alicia Ward, who is also known as @alliciaunderwater.
Alicia Ward is an underwater photographer, videographer, creative and free diver, who is dedicated to ocean preservation and education. She may also be found at SeeThroughSea.com, with her husband, Jim Ward. Alicia, who lives in Hawaii, has 125k followers and her demographics are mostly female. Alicia’s posts are gorgeous images of the underwater world, where she continually expresses concern about protecting the ocean and marine life. Jim takes the photographs of Alicia swimming and following the marine environment. Alicia’s comments on her posts reflects her passion for the sea, its fragile ecosystem, and various living creatures.
Reviewing her Instagram posts, Alicia appears to have only promoted brands with which she uses in her work, such as Ikelite, Watershot Incorporated, etc. It would be beneficial to SodaStream to use Alicia as a social influencer because she doesn’t promote too many brands and would be a natural fit for a company which promotes reducing the number of plastics we use, and to stop polluting the oceans. We’ve learned in our reading; marketers have realized some macro-influencers have oversaturated the market if they promote too many brands and consumers may tend to ignore those type of social influencers. Studies show it might be more effective to work with fewer social influencers who are able to reach specific target or alternative market.
Based on her popularity and passion, Alicia would be an ideal influencer for SodaStream. She obviously cares about the environment and protecting the ocean. Recent pictures of plastic waste in the ocean would make a tremendous impact on Alicia’s followers, such as the photo below, which could also be impactful if used in a SodaStream post.
As we’ve learned from the class readings, more companies are moving toward influencers who can provide a “creation of influencer communities” (Qudsi, 2020). Alexi’s posts are more personal, she develops strong relationships with her followers and lets people view her life. This fits exactly with what was mentioned in the Top 8 Influencer Marketing Trends in 2021 article, “influencers have begun creating more value-driven content and are giving their audience a real glimpse into their lives” (Carbonne, 2020). There may be other social influencers who could help SodaStream reach the environmentally conscious consumers, but @aliciaunderwater would be a good beginning.
References:
Barnett, D. (n.d.). [web log]. https://www.influencerintelligence.com/blog/TgQ/snoop-dogg-x-soda-stream.
Carbonne, L. (2020, December 25). Top 8 Influencer Marketing Trends Coming in 2021 [web log]. https://later.com/blog/influencer-marketing-trends/#:~:text=Influencer%20Marketing%20Will%20Be%20Bigger,budget%20in%20the%20next%20year.
Corporate Website. (2018, June 12). About SodaStream. SodaStream. https://corp.sodastream.com/about/.
Shoup, M. E. (2017, November 8). SodaStream zeroes in on plastic bottle waste: ‘We, as an industry, have a big problem’. beveragedaily.com. https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2017/11/08/SodaStream-sustainability-and-plastic-bottle-waste.
Qudsi, I. E. (2020, December 18). Council Post: The State Of Influencer Marketing: Top Insights For 2021. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/12/21/the-state-of-influencer-marketing-top-insights-for-2021/?sh=307b14a5ddcd.
