How did a campaign that was originally intended to be carried out using outdoor advertising turn into a collaboration with influencers? Here is a practical example showing that the challenges posed by the pandemic can be turned to our advantage through the right decisions.

The outdoor campaign for Sovetskoe Bubbles had to be revamped due to the difficulty of reaching the target audience who were staying at home. The switch to Instagram enabled more precise targeting and measurable results – unlike outdoor advertising.

Aims of the campaign:

• Increasing brand awareness
• Reaching the 18–40 age group

The campaign, which ran throughout December, involved 40 micro-influencers and 30 macro-influencers, who together They reached 2.5 million users. It is safe to say that the campaign reached more than 1 million potential customers.

The figures: The cost per person was less than 1 forint – an exceptional level of cost-effectiveness.

According to 2020 figures, 4.574 billion people – 58.7% of the world’s population – are online. The key lies in connecting people and breaking down barriers. In this article, we examine the social media boom and its impact on the advertising market.

The internet originally connected universities and research centres, and then, thanks to Yahoo and Microsoft, began to serve consumer markets as well. The integration of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer into Windows significantly accelerated the spread of the internet. The emergence of Google and the proliferation of broadband internet enabled the rise of social platforms, radically transforming both the consumer and business sectors.

The role of online communities

Online social spaces have become complex social and cultural tools, exerting a huge influence on economic sectors – and creating new advertising models. As Jeff Bezos put it: „People have no idea what impact the internet will have in the future, and that this is just the very first day of a very long journey.”

The history of social media

The founding of Facebook in 2004 was a key turning point. MySpace had got there first with music-based communities, but Facebook offered better marketing opportunities. YouTube was launched in 2005, Twitter in 2006, Snapchat in 2011, and TikTok has recently entered the market with significant advertising potential.

The power of social media

The power of social media stems from community building and the breaking down of space-time barriers. Users freely create content, generating two-way communication. An endless amount of information is available 24/7, from anywhere in the world.

Consumers decide for themselves when and what they consume – personalising the experience. Geographical boundaries are disappearing: anyone can connect globally, share information and form communities based on shared preferences.

Marketing implications

• Independence of place and time
• Precise targeting based on demographic data and location
• Personalisation using cookie data
• Cost-effectiveness – low advertising costs
• Measurable results through feedback and reporting systems

Social platforms create perfect media convergence: previously separate media (TV, radio, print) merge functionally. Audio, visual, text and video content all appear side by side, alongside interactive adverts, offering great flexibility.

Market data

Last year, the internet accounted for more than 40% of the Hungarian advertising budget, representing an annual growth of 16,12%. The digital market has been leading the way over television spending since 2015. Global social media advertising spend grew by 20% internationally, accounting for 13% of global advertising budgets.

Platforms in Hungary

In Hungary, Facebook is the market leader, followed by Instagram. TikTok is growing rapidly among young people, whilst YouTube remains stable. Twitter hasn’t really taken off here, but LinkedIn’s B2B potential is going from strength to strength.

Influencer marketing generates significant media coverage, but its true value lies in conveying the brand’s message. Strategic marketing communication ensures authentic and persuasive brand representation. The Gancia Sparkling Wine Range campaign is a good example of effective influencer marketing in practice.

• Brand: The Gancia Champagne Family
• Platform: Instagram
• Campaign period: September 2021 – January 2022
• Target group: 18–35 age group

The aim of the campaign was to raise brand awareness and boost sales during the crucial festive period. Gancia’s history dates back to 1850, when Carlo Gancia founded Italy’s first sparkling wine house in Piedmont – now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The brand represents the Italian way of life and celebration worldwide.

Implementation of the campaign

We selected 33 lifestyle micro-influencers following a thorough profile analysis to ensure authentic brand representation. Each influencer posted an Instagram feed post and story content featuring Gancia products in a festive setting. The posts centred on intimate festive moments, Christmas and toasting to a better year. The content was #gancia #The First Italian Sparkling Wine Family #drinkbeauty They used hashtags.

Results

The influencers’ combined follower base reached ~900,000. The content was viewed 268,565 times by 256,000 users. The posts generated nearly 30,000 likes and 790 comments. The number of story views was 69,000 – a remarkable result in an era of dwindling attention spans.

The campaign’s visuals achieved magazine-quality standards, effectively conveying the sophisticated atmosphere befitting Gancia’s premium positioning.