There’s something about Status Anxiety that undeniably holds appeal. Maybe it’s the fact that it began with the founder walking around to boutiques on foot trying to get his product noticed. Maybe it’s because the product is ethically sourced or that everything is designed in-house and steeped in a minimal aesthetic. Or maybe it’s got something to do with this company ethos:

“We’re about worrying less on measuring up to others’ perceptions, not taking ourselves too seriously, and reassessing real value in all areas of our lives. We’re for a life lived simply, with a greater appreciation for things that last rather than the latest fashion fad.”

Whatever it is, it’s got our tick of approval – and looking at the numbers, we are not alone. Since launching in 2004, Status Anxiety has gone on to gain a bit of a cult following, and 161K Instagram followers to boot. One scroll through their Gram, and you also might notice their influencer network game is strong. Damn strong.

With the influencer marketing landscape currently undergoing a massive shift, we decided to pay the brand a visit to tap into some of the knowledge they’ve gleaned from their own personal experiences. Here, they chat exclusively to Husskie about everything influencer networking from paid versus gifting, whether influencer campaigns really do work, and key takeaways for success.

Image credit: Stacey Allen

When you’re choosing an influencer to work with, what do you look for?
So many things. We really get excited to work with influencers who connect genuinely with their community. We love to see influencers who selectively support brands and concepts they actually enjoy wearing and using in their everyday life. Awesome content creation and an aesthetic that aligns with ours is a cool bonus too.

What are the characteristics of an influencer alignment that you’d deem a successful collaboration?
If an influencer fits in with our brand image and message, then its a yes! However, we do take risks and give influencers outside of this scope a chance to work with us as we love building brand awareness and partnerships with quality influences as you never know where it may lead to. We love when influencers give us feedback on the product: how it looks and feels, and then capture it as it journeys with them.

What have you found works best when it comes to influencer collaborations and what has fallen flat?
There is no substitute for honesty. It’s pretty obvious to followers when an influencer is doing a sponsored post for a product they don’t really use or feel passionate about. However, if an influencer really chooses a product they love and enjoy, sharing it with their community in their everyday travels is quite genuine and well received.

Image credit: Lian Galliard

What are your views on gifting versus paid influencer campaigns?
We work with a wide range of influencers from 5,000-500,000 followers. Due to the premium nature of our leather goods, often we work with influencers for gifting alone. We really want the influencer to work with product/s that they genuinely use and enjoy. However, we also appreciate that for larger influencers this is often their part time or full time work, content creation takes time, creativity and talent and so they should be rewarded for this. We’re always on the look-out for influencers we can partner with over the long term and do a series of regular collabs. We find this best inspires followers and promotes the brand.

Do influencer campaigns always work?
Not always, it’s a mixed bag – that’s why we love finding partners and building friendships with creatives who genuinely believe in the brand and what it stands for. Over the years we’ve had a chance to meet several of our long-term influencer partners in the flesh. What a refreshingly normal, talented bunch they are! People who, like us, value a life lived simply and don’t take themselves too seriously.

What is the biggest no no for you as a brand when it comes to working with an influencer?
Insincerity.

Image credit: Aimee Clarke

Is the majority of your marketing spend on influencer marketing or do you use spend on other platforms – eg radio, print, television?
Variety is the spice of life – so we definitely use other platforms.

What have been the most successful influencer campaigns the brand has worked on – and what were the key takeaways to it being a success?
It’s not all about us. We have really enjoyed collaborations that involve our community – gifts for our loyal subscribers, giveaways, competitions, and exclusives. We usually run these with brands or influencers we really love and believe in.

How often would you be involved in an influencer collaboration?
Everyday! We love finding like-minded artists, creatives, personalities, fashion bloggers and influencers to partner with – it really inspires us. They often give us great feedback. For instance, right now we’re working on a product design with an influencer we’ve worked with for years. She has a product she’s always really wanted and we’re working on creating it together. That’s kind of exciting!

Image credit: Johanna Holxmann

How many influencers would you look to work with each month?
On average, we work with 80-100 influencers a month.

Why do you think influencer marketing is important for a brand to grow in the current climate?
Influencer marketing has evolved dramatically over the past few years and it’s always changing. It provides credibility and trust for the brand, reaches a wider audience, gains exposure, and is a vital source of content for the brand.

What are your five top tips when it comes to successful influencer marketing?
Our five top tips for successful influencer marketing are:

1. Allocate a budget – It’s important to allocate a budget at the start of each quarter to determine how much you will put aside for paid influencers. This will ensure you don’t go overboard but also give your company the opportunity to invest in larger influencers.
2. Define your strategy – What is the purpose of bringing in influencers? Do you want to target a large number of micro influencers with a target audience of 18-24 year olds to reach a new market? Or do you want to reach out to 10 larger influencers who are already in your target market to introduce a new product line?
3. Identify the type of posts that receive high engagement and are on-brand – You are then able to pass this onto your influencers to ensure maximum success is achieved from both sides of the collaboration
4. Build a strong network of influencers – Followers aren’t the main thing. Look at how they respond to comments, product placement from previous collaborations, their tone of voice. You want to look for those long term partnerships that will be loyal to your brand
5. Relinquish (some) control – When the collaboration is being set up, suggest what the influencer should complete (e.g. tag brand in image and caption) to ensure everything is in writing and clear for both ends of the parties. That way it’s super clear and you can go on to multiple collaborations together and building that long-term relationship.

Image credit: Coconut and Bliss

Main image: Jess Alizzi | All pics feature influencers carrying Status Anxiety bags

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