Chris Hemsworth… Social Media Strategist?
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Agency, Australia, Communications, Digital, Influencer Branding, Influencer marketing Sydney, Integrated Communications, Public Relations, Social Media
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Every agency could do with one! But seriously, in the absence of a dashing, internationally-beloved ambassador with social media insight, what do influencer marketing companies look for to make a campaign that cuts through?
A quick online search for ‘Chris Hemsworth’ is enough to make anyone feel inadequate. Once you get through the plethora of blockbusters he’s starred in, you’ll then stumble across his many awards – ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ among them. Safe to say my CV doesn’t read quite so vividly.
Tourism Australia’s ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ aquatic and coastal push was launched in a snowy New York on the eve of Australia Day, 2016. The campaign featured a series of advertisements with voice-over from Hemsworth and immersive, impactful, virtual reality experiences built-in.
Something absent from the ads was Thor’s face. At the campaign’s launch, when Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, was asked if it was a shame to not actually see Hemsworth, she replied, “You can never have enough Chris Hemsworth.” Girlfriend knows where it’s at.
Tourism Australia’s Managing Director, John Sullivan, said Hemsworth was chosen because he provides an authentic Australian voice to help tell the country’s story globally. Did it work, though?
Through the mere use of his husky voice and, of course, some beautiful snapshots of Australian scenery, the campaign generated 2,000 media stories and $54 million EAV (Equivalent Advertising Value). With the outcome being $14 million more than campaign costs – and nine-times more than what was generated by the soothing voice of Sir David Attenborough, who narrated Tourism Australia’s Great Barrier Reef campaign – it’s safe to say TA was happy with the result.
This brings us to the question facing anyone engaging the services of an influencer marketing company: what makes a good ambassador (digital or otherwise)? This question is perhaps even more challenging if you aren’t dealing with a $14m budget – and forgive me for being presumptuous, but that is likely not the case.
Campaigns featuring ambassadors/influencers/talent are often only as good as their strategy. During UMM’s work last year with Italian wine brand Zonin Prosecco, five influencers were taken on a trip to Italy and hosted by the brand. Three major benefits of the campaign were: the establishment of “friends of the brand” (not only a cut above a one-and-done paid post, but also paving the way for future activity); the creation of stellar content; and educational messaging delivered in an engaging fashion.
During the casting process, the factors of formidable following, philosophical alignment with the brand in question, and a creative, organic execution should be at the forefront i.e. not just a selfie of talent holding up an item. Returning to the TA campaign, just because you don’t see Hemsworth’s face, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t believe in the product (also, making the campaign more about him than the Australian landscape would dilute the message).
In case anyone had doubts about ambassador authenticity, Hemsworth actually announced during the campaign that he was moving back to his home country, saying it wasn’t a hard decision to make, as this part of the world is such a special place. Clearly, Brand Australia is something he truly believes in.
If tourists need further incentive to visit our beautiful nation, look no further than here (spoiler alert: it’s Hemmo’s Insta feed).
Once you’ve taken a moment to recover, tell us what you reckon: was Chris Hemsworth a good choice of ambassador?
Viktoria Balanzategui
Influencer Branding forms a part of UMM’s integrated campaign work, and has been undertaken for clients such as Ultimate Ears, Tsingtao, and Zonin Prosecco. Click here for more details.
Display Image: @chrishemsworth Instagram
Featured Image: moviepilot.com
