The NFT craze has taken over the world and brands are no exception. The partnership between NFT influencers and brands is an excellent option for both of them since brands recognize these personalities as experts on their subjects with a relevant voice in their community.
There are quite different kinds of NFT marketing campaigns where NFT influencers have become a major key figure for brands' constant pursuit of innovation and revenue. In fact, the NFT market has grown about ten times in the last two years.
Since crypto, NFT and the metaverse have become big trends, brands are trying to catch up and take advantage of it by expanding their audience, building communities and opening other sources of income.
Virtually any brand can get involved with NFTs, It doesn't matter if they belong to the food, sports, fashion, beauty, travel industry and regardless if they represent popular or luxury brands.
But having the possibility or the interest of including an NFT marketing strategy doesn't necessarily mean brands know how to do it properly. This is the reason why NFT influencers are getting the attention of brands that are looking to jump and dive in this virtual ocean of opportunities.
Before analyzing the relevance of NFT influencers, we will have a look at NFTs and their market. Also, at the end of the article you will find a few examples ofNFT marketing campaigns done by brands.
What is an NFT?
NFT stands for non-fungible token. They are unique and irreplaceable digital assets like art, video, images, websites and more. NFTs use the same authentication technology as crypto and they can be traded on the blockchain.
The difference between them is that you can exchange or trade cryptocurrencies as fungible tokens, while NFTs are non-fungible and you cannot exchange an NFT for another NFT and expect them to be the same.
If you trade a bitcoin for another bitcoin, you will still have the exact same thing.But an NFT can be a lot of things, so if you trade a certain image you can get a video, a Gif or even a different image.
NFT and crypto concepts are a bit of complex topics and this is one of the reasons whyNFT content creators have become more popular nowadays. A knowledgeable NFT influencer explains in detail and with simple words what NFT means and how to get involved with them.
The relevance of NFTs in a brand marketing strategy
It is not a secret for brands that being pioneers on something helps them to showcase and get noticed, and today's NFTs are the innovative strategy brands are looking for especially when they partner with NFT influencers.
But, what are brands doing with NFTs exactly? Some are launching limited editions of digital versions of products such as footwear, sneakers, beauty or makeup treatments, clothing, art etc. and people collect them. Many brands are offering these NFTs for sale in marketplaces.
By doing so, companies can generate revenue, build engagement, raise money for social causes and even reward the audience. These rewards can be merely digital NFTs or have an impact on physical life, such as discounts on purchases or tickets for upcoming events as example.
No matter the NFT marketing strategy brands are implementing, the benefits are mostly focused on creating brand awareness, expanding the audience, encouraging interaction and boosting revenue.
Companies can collaborate with NFT influencers and artists, building valuable partnerships and creating unique experiences for the audience and the NFT community.Not all competitors are using NFT -yet-, which gives more opportunities and visibility to the brands that joined earlier.
What is an NFT influencer?
An NFT influencer is a content creator with experience in NFT creation, promotion or trade. These influencers can be developers, crypto experts, digital artists or investors, among others.
In order to be considered as an NFT influencer, their primary subject must be non-fungible tokens, but they can also talk about crypto, blockchain or metaverse, since these are all related.
NFT creators are amazing communicators who break down these new topics that seem complex at the beginning. Usually, NFT creators already have a big audience on social media and provide them useful tips and the latest news of the Crypto/NFT world.
Twitter is currently the most important social platform for all things crypto and NFT. Many crypto and NFT influencers use this social media to catch up and grow their community.
No matter the platform you choose, there are NFT content creators of many kinds, but not all of the mare appropriate for the same brands and audiences. This means there is work to do when looking to partner with NFT content creators. Luckily, Stargazer can help you with all of this and more!
The benefits of partnering with an NFT influencer
The main purpose of making a partnership with an NFT influencer has to do with brands building engagement and awareness through a content creator who is educating the audience with NFT related topics.
In the branded content and storytelling era, people do not want traditional advertisement anymore.They rather follow the recommendations of their favorite content creators on social media, which in this case would be NFT influencers talking about your brand's latest NFT launching.
If you, as a brand, haven't made the move into the NFT craze and you want to surprise your audience, partnering with an NFT influencer is what you should consider in order to boost your marketing strategy and expect better results.
Even when there is a hype around NFT and it seems like everyone is talking about it, there is still so much confusion. The role of a NFT creator is to educate their audience and make them understand how important this moment is.
If your NFT marketing strategy has to do with NFT purchasing, having a trustable voice can help potential customers to make better decisions. NFT influencers already have their own community and this is an important element for any brand. It will also help brands to stand out their products as there are many NFTs in today's market.
In short, the content creator will help the brand’s audience to understand the NFT feature and they might have a significant number of followers who would understand this virtual trade business.
Examples of NFT marketing campaigns from brands
Companies from different sectors and of all sizes are starting to include NFTs in their marketing strategy and partnering with NFT influencers and creators. According to their goals, some of them are using NFTs to raise money for a good cause, while others are creating new experiences and generating new ways of income.
Here we list a couple of real examples:
Paramount X RECUR Star Trek NFT collection
ParamountGlobal and RECUR announced a partnership to bring Paramount’s brands and characters to the metaverse during the next few years. These companies launched a platform where fans can buy, collect and trade NFTs.
StarTrek was the first franchise to introduce an NFT collection. 5000 starships(NFTs) at the price of $250 each sold out in just five minutes. The hype was also shared by the famous NFT influencer OhhShiny, who bought a starship and commented on this launch through his Twitter.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s first NFT Collection
This cruise line launched an inaugural collection of NFTs, including 5 pieces designed byItalian artist Manuel Di Rita, commonly known as Peeta. The artist also designed the hull art in two of the company's cruises.
The NFT pieces were on sale in the new Norwegian Cruise Line’s NFT Marketplace and they sold out in just 20 minutes. All the proceeds will be donated to Teach For America.
This example shows how any brand can get involved with NFT art and it doesn’t even have to be a literal NFT -of a cruise-, as collaborations with artists can go beyond it.This time the money was also invested in a good cause.
The beer brand partnered with 22 emerging artists worldwide and created a collection ofNFTs called the Budweiser Royalty Collection. By purchasing them, fans were supporting artists and unlocking exclusive experiences with them.
One of these experiences, also available for holders of a Bud Light Next can, was theNFT Beerfest. The event included food, concerts, giveaways from tech companies, merch and of course beer, as it was celebrated at the Budweiser refinery in St.Louis.
In thiscase study we can see how a brand helped support emerging artists through NFTs for sale, while also offering exclusive rewards to the people who purchased their products. This is a great example of how brands can invest in a good cause, create engagement, build unique experiences while innovating on their marketing strategy.
Final thoughts
Brands partnering with NFT influencers is essential, especially when the companies are trying to implement crypto and NFTs into their marketing strategies. NFT content creators and artists break down all things NFT related in an easy and entertaining way, which helps them build and engage with their audience.
This brings great opportunities for brands in order to gain visibility, expand their audience and boost their marketing strategy. People and brands all over the world are looking to catch up on opportunities with NFTs and NFT influencers and you should as well!