4 lessons from @justaconstructionguy campaign’s viral success
In this era of decaying consumer trust, a Texas coffee company took a huge risk with a phony influencer campaign. Is it betrayal of the audience, or simply a clever marketing stunt?
A coffee company in Austin, Texas, got lucky when it created a fake influencer to comment on influencer culture.
The account was a response to how common influencer tropes weren’t a fit for Austin’s Cuvee Coffee and its blue-collar branding. Owner Mike McKim wanted to find a different kind of online presence, and the result struck a chord for many on the internet—with a little help from a mysterious user.
“The whole idea was what we always thought as an influencer, and what we used as an influencer in the past, they don’t always fit our brand,” he said. “We need a different type of influencer: a hard-worker, blue-collar guy.”
So, McKim worked with an advertising agency called Bandolier Media to create the “Omar” persona. He wouldn’t tell BuzzFeed News Omar’s last name but said he is an actual construction worker in the area.
The account really took off after a user named @barbzlovescarbs shared a fake story saying the account was her dad’s attempt to prove he could easily become an influencer.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BylOfaNBE16/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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Tags: influencer marketing
