Stop being a brand, start being a human
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
A few days ago, I was talking with a Director of Media Innovation and Partnerships about how a paid media campaign can be empowered by an organic strategy. I remembered when Sony Electronics asked us to promote their LinkBuds, targeting Gen Z. We knew we couldn’t play by the old rules, so we decided to focus 100% on the people, not the product, just like we strategically advise at CROING l Creative Agency.
Since 2020, TikTok has been Gen Z’s playground. Mostly because it was brand-free. But the second brands started showing up with "traditional" ads, the hate followed. Why? Because there was a massive gap between what people were watching and what brands were pushing. So, how we proceed?
- 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: Headphones are organically part of Gen Z’s body. They aren’t just a gadget; they are an extension of self.
- 𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁" 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆: We created “auserthatdoesntexist”. A non-branded account featuring a sarcastic US Hispanic Gen Z sharing his daily life. The LinkBuds were always there, but they were almost invisible, just a natural part of his identity.
- 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 (𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹" 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗱):
- 11,000 followers in less than a month.
- An average of 2 million views per video.
- 1.2 million likes. ALL ORGANIC.
Even though it was an awareness campaign, people started asking about the headphones in the comments. We didn’t have to sell; the storytelling did the work for us.
I’m Alejandra Salazar, Speaker, Founder & CEO of CROING l Creative Agency where we work with brands that want to get closer to their audience. Here, I share audience insights, creative industry events, culturally relevant campaigns, and spotlight women in the industry. Follow me and join the conversation.
