How The Swedish Furniture Company Is Harnessing The Power Of Social Celebrities

The stylish furniture company that you can famously assemble yourself (most of the time) thrives on their back to school season. From freshmen moving into their first dorm to seniors getting a new apartment with affordable furniture, IKEA's modern design and transportable furniture is a go-to.

This season, IKEA is looking to comedy-music duo Superfruit, aka real life roommates and Pentatonix members Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying, to capture millennial audiences via Snapchat. In this blog, Hollywood Branded looks at how IKEA uses social influencers and Snapchat for a perfect back-to-school campaign.

The Rise Of Interactive Storytelling

The way IKEA and Snapchat have collaborated on this brand marketing campaign is nothing short of brilliant. With their choose-your-own adventure, they use two huge social influencers (and roommates) to show you just how wonderful their back to school collections are.

Starting with a regular ad featuring Grassi and Hoying, users are invited to swipe up to choose how they want to decorate their own space. Not only is it interactive and funny, but users get to see IKEA's latest lines of furniture.

The idea of interactive storytelling is one that should not be lost on brand marketers. Research has shown that users would much rather interact with ads than watch something. In fact, users are less likely to ignore interactive ads, especially those featuring a social influencer.

The Superfruit YouTube channel has over 2 million subscribers and both Grassi and Hoying have millions of followers on their social medias combined. They are the perfect fit for both the brand and the storytelling format within Snapchat.

Why Are Social Influencers So Influential?

Social and digital influencers are such celebrities nowadays because users see them on a day to day basis. Via social media and their channels, users can keep up with their lives, relating to them on a personal way that is a bit more difficult with traditional celebrities. This is what makes them such great brand marketers.

While the idea of traditional celebrity holds a spot in the trophy case for brand marketers, sometimes social influencers are the perfect celebrity endorsers to use in a social media campaign, especially one on Snapchat.

For more on how social influencers can help brands get ahead in their marketing, check out our blog post "3 Brands Show How To Market Mobile Apps Using Influencers."

How Can Your Brand Get Involved With An Influencer?

Are you interested in learning more on how your brand can work with social media influencers? Download our infographic that provides case studies, rates and strategies for success when creating a social media influencer program.