We’re back with another installment of the Post Performance Report (PPR)—a series where we compile and analyze social media posts and campaigns inspiring us, and break down what makes them so genius. We don’t just examine the flawless creative execution of every post or campaign, but the business impact, too.
This month, we’re spotlighting brands who use influencer marketing to inform their strategy beyond social content, and how that leads to sustainable business growth. While it’s well-established that influencers increase awareness, a Q1 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey also found that social teams say influencer marketing drives revenue. To capitalize on the influencer opportunity, over half of marketing teams plan to build out their roster of influencers and expand partnerships this year.
As they do, teams should consider the role influencers play in their big picture marketing strategy. According to The 2024 Influencer Marketing Report, 80% of consumers agree that they would be more willing to buy from brands that partner with influencers on in-person events, brand trips or multichannel ad campaigns.
These brands illustrate what it takes to craft memorable, full-funnel influencer strategies, and can help inspire your own partnerships.
Dick’s Sporting Goods: Dick’s Varsity Team rallies around in-store promotions
Dick’s Sporting Goods equips athletes of all kinds to achieve their dreams. The American sporting gear retailer offers everything from golf clubs to running shoes to kayaks, and prides itself on delivering customized, white glove customer service in stores.
The brand is always finding new ways to enrich the in-store experience, like when they expanded Dick’s Varsity Team. The team is composed of young influencers who craft social content that the brand shares on its channels. But the partnerships go further than standard content, as Dick’s also features Varsity Team members in brand photoshoots, videos and in-store signage.
Through the Varsity Team, Dick’s weaves the appeal of influencers and online culture into the IRL brand experience. The continuity between their digital content and in-store visuals strengthens their brand identity, and drives people to their shops.
These partnerships are part of a larger strategy to experiment in brick-and-mortar locations. At a time when many retailers are shuttering their doors, Dick’s is expanding and introducing new store features like rock walls and turf fields. In fact, Dick’s executives cited the brand’s omnichannel shopping experience and investment in store features as contributing factors to their higher than expected financial performance in 2024.
The play: Partnering with influencers and creators on in-store promotions and signage is one way to help turn your physical locations into destinations, and cultivate a stronger brand identity across channels. Take a cue from Dick’s and extend influencer partnerships beyond digital content.
Blueland: The Black Forager leads product development
Blueland creates eco-friendly cleaning products. Instead of single-use plastic and unfamiliar ingredients, the brand sells reusable glass bottles, tablets and powders that get the job done—without harming the planet or your health.
For their recent hand soap drop, they collaborated with Alexis Nikole—better known by her username Black Forager on social media. Alexis shares content about foraging, vegan recipes, and environmental science and justice to her nearly 8 million followers across platforms.
For the new hand soap collection, the brand closely partnered with Alexis to develop authentic nature-inspired scents, as she explained in her Reel about the collab. The sentiment in the comments section was overwhelmingly positive, and the post received nearly 30k likes. Alexis’ first partnership with Blueland in 2024 sold out very quickly, so this new line was long-awaited.
The play: This collaboration is part of a long-standing strategy where Blueland works with influencers and creators to amplify their mission. The key to their successful partnerships has been finding influencers who are values-aligned, resulting in content and product collaborations that feel genuine. When looking for influencers to co-create products with, follow Blueland’s example.
Deliveroo: Tom Gilbey provides Valentine’s sommelier service
Deliveroo is a leading British online food delivery company with a tried-and-true formula. Customers place orders through the website or app, and a courier delivers it. But they also like to surprise and delight their customers with fun contests and giveaways, like their latest influencer partnership.
For Valentine’s Day this year, Deliveroo teamed up with the internet’s favorite sommelier, Tom Gilbey. Gilbey has been a sommelier for over 32 years, and brings his expertise to his hundreds of thousands of followers on social—without any pretentiousness. Deliveroo tasked Gilbey with providing a private sommelier service to three lucky winners, which he was well-suited to do given his past pairings with everything from Taco Bell to Toby Carvery.
Customers signed up for the contest online, and then Deliveroo pre-paid for their meal and sent Gilbey to their home. When he (and the food) arrived, he offered each winner three different wine pairings and they were able to keep their favorite bottle and enjoy it with their meal.
This promotion was a well-timed effort given their strategic reinvestment in the UK market, helping them grow customer loyalty and expand to new audiences.
The play: Influencer marketing and customer engagement efforts are too often framed as opposing ideas (i.e., if you host an influencer brand trip, you risk alienating your everyday customers). Deliveroo found a clever way to marry the two instead. When planning your next influencer campaign, think outside the bounds of typical activations and find ways to engage both influencers and customers.
PGA Tour: The Creator Classic returns
The PGA is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. On the eve of their famed tour, The Players Championship, the PGA brought back a fan favorite—the Creator Classic.
The day before golf legends like Rory McIlroy stepped on the fairway, content creators like Nick “Fat Perez” Stubbe, Gabby “Golf Girl” DeGasperis and Tisha Alyn had a chance to try out the course. The eight-hole event was broadcasted on YouTube, ESPN+, Peacock and the PGA Tour FAST channels. The creators also crafted content from their perspectives leading up to, during and after the event.
When PGA introduced the first Creator Classic last August, fans of both the creators and professional golf were thrilled. The tournament illustrates a new era of golf—one where social media influencers are required to reach new viewers, and their endorsement can turn followers into lifelong fans.
The success of the first Creator Classic prompted PGA to introduce an entire season-long creator series. As the brand’s Senior Vice President of Media Chris Wendell put it, “The PGA Tour is intently focused on delivering unique, premium content and experiences like this to our diverse and growing fanbase, all while amplifying the voices of our participating creators.”
The play: Brands are no stranger to turning IRL events into online engagement. But what about trying it the other way, too? Take PGA’s lead by hosting events led by online creators and broadcasting them on traditional and social platforms. This approach fosters synergy between digital and real life spaces.
Estée Lauder: Introducing the Global Sleep Advisor
Luxury skincare brand Estée Lauder has a medicine cabinet full of products with a cult following. Their classic offerings are staples in skincare routines of creators, influencers and even casual social media posters. Recently, the company has made a concerted effort to reach younger and more diverse audiences, like female NFL fans.
To support audience expansion, Estée Lauder has leaned on influencer and creator partnerships. Recently, the brand appointed the title of “Global Sleep Advisor” to Dr. Matthew Walker, renowned author, professor and creator. Walker boasts hundreds of thousands of loyal followers, is a frequent guest on sleep health podcasts, and has a wealth of experience in sleep research and innovation—making him the perfect face for their Advanced Night Repair campaign.
The campaign serves up “medutainment” content, or medical education that’s also entertaining. In the campaign posts, Walker focuses on tips followers at home can implement to improve their sleep quality and overall health. With his background and media experience, the content pipeline fuels itself. In addition to the excitement on social, the campaign spilled over into traditional media.
The play: Estée Lauder’s campaign illustrates how thinking outside the box can help your influencer campaign get the right kind of attention. A beauty brand is expected to partner with beauty, fashion or lifestyle creators. But by teaming up with an expected partner, Estée Lauder was able to break through. This approach is something a lot of brands—especially those in regulated industries—can tap into.
Awards show spotlight: Amelia Dimoldenburg was the official Oscars red carpet correspondent
Amelia Dimoldenburg, creator and host of the YouTube series Chicken Shop Date, was named the official red carpet correspondent for this year’s 97th Oscars awards ceremony. The awards, which celebrate the best film achievements every year, is known as the ultimate event of the season.
This wasn’t Dimoldenburg’s first red carpet hosting gig, as she also stepped in to fill the role during the 96th awards season. Nor was she the first internet creator to serve as a red carpet correspondent—Emma Chamberlain famously appeared as a special correspondent at the Met Gala on behalf of Vogue Magazine in 2021 (and has since returned).
What sets this year and this red carpet apart was how well-established Dimoldenburg’s relationships were with Hollywood A-listers. The witty host’s rapport with some of the most well known celebrities proves how much media has shifted. Many of those in attendance have even appeared on Dimoldenburg’s own show (or will soon, no doubt).
Only a few years ago, influencers weren’t even invited to A-list events. Now, they regularly appear on red carpets and press tours, attend the most prestigious events and are given journalistic access at the White House.
The play: Influencers are legitimate media figures. Full stop. They play a critical role in our modern media ecosystem, and help democratize access to major events. Use that to your advantage by sending a social media correspondent of your own to cover an upcoming cultural event, weaving your brand into the conversation.
Influencer marketing’s potential extends past the online world
That wraps up this month’s installment of PPR. Stay tuned for next month, where we’ll be focusing on leading healthcare brands paving the way for highly regulated industries on social. In the meantime, remember these key takeaways:
Post Performance Report Takeaways
- Influencers help create seamless online-to-offline integration. Brands who lean into this synergy strengthen engagement and their brand identity.
- Brands and influencers need to share values for their partnerships to seem authentic. Consumers need to believe that influencers actually use your product and support your mission.
- Influencers play a pinnacle role in PR and traditional media efforts—not just in the social media sphere. Social-born personalities are now essential to major events.
And if you see a social post or campaign that deserves to be highlighted, tag us @sproutsocial and use #PostPerformanceReport to have your idea included in a future article.
The post Post Performance Report: Influencer partnerships that go beyond social media appeared first on Sprout Social.
