INTERNATIONAL. Participants in the Virtual Travel Retail Expo’s KOL Ambassador Panel have revealed their top picks among exhibitor products during the pioneering digital event last month, with Rituals, Camus, Butlers and Furla ranking highly for their design, packaging and gifting appeal.
The stellar KOL line-up comprised Chinese actress and influencer Karen Lee; Josue Romero ‘The Garnish Guy’; Paul Kristoff ‘The City Lane’; Singapore-based beauty KOL Yurina; and DesignByGemini and MakeSure Founders Elena and Giulia Sella.
As reported, the leading social media influencers led a Knowledge Hub session which outlined the most important insights and trends in the burgeoning KOL sector and discussed how brands can embrace the influencer opportunity.
The workshop was co-hosted by FILTR Communications Director James Brown, QINRIVE CEO Kelly Gao and The Moodie Davitt Report Fashion, Beauty & Social Media Editor Hannah Tan-Gillies. The webinar is still available to watch on-demand (below), at the Symposium Theatre during the post-show encore period.
The ambassadors were asked to explore and experience the Virtual Travel Retail Expo exhibitors’ multi-category offering throughout the Expo’s 30-day follow-up showcase.
They participated in the Expo’s Engagement Lounge masterclasses, product samplings and one-on-one video calls to get an in-depth understanding of each exhibitor’s product offering. The KOLs then voted for the products they believed would resonate the most with their audiences once they return to travelling post-COVID-19.
KOL Ambassadors Top Product Picks
The Ritual of Jing Sleep & Pillow Body Mist
The KOLs selected the Ritual of Jing Sleep Pillow & Body Mist which has been enhanced with Sacred Wood and Lavender to promote better sleep quality, especially when travelling.
Camus Cognac: XO Borderies
The influencers gave excellent marks to Camus XO Borderies for its intense aromatic flavour and rich floral drinking experience.
Made from a single-estate in the Camus family vineyards, XO Borderies is one of the most-awarded XO’s in the category.
Butlers Chocolates: Café Chocolate Collection
Family-owned Irish chocolate company Butlers Chocolates ranked highly for its special gifting appeal and premium packaging.
The KOLs particularly enjoyed the brand’s Café Collection which is made up of the Milk Chocolate, Caramel & Nut and Salted Caramel lines.
Furla Fall Winter 2020 Collection
Furla’s Fall Winter 2020 Collection scored highly with the fashion/lifestyle KOLs because of its characterful design details. The collection takes inspiration from Palazzo Furla’s entrance and also features a hummingbird motif in a stylish pastel colour palette.
During the KOL Workshop, Expo delegates were polled on their current KOL marketing activities and the key platforms that are most relevant to their businesses.
According to the results, 81% of travel retail stakeholders said they have had previous experience running KOL marketing campaigns. In addition, 86% of attendees said that the workshop boosted their confidence to run a KOL campaign in the future. The polls also revealed that Instagram still remains the most relevant social media channel for travel retail businesses.
“Alongside the Moodie Davitt Report and Qinrive Asia, I would like to thank our KOL Ambassadors again for their participation in the Virtual Travel Retail Expo and for sharing their insights with us during the KOL workshop,” commented FILTR Communication Director James Brown. “It is extremely encouraging to see consistent themes across the KOLs’ top picks and rules of engagement with their followers – authenticity, aspiration and creating a personal connection.”
He added, “With any crisis comes the opportunity to reflect on our current marketing activities and to reconsider how to better reach our target consumers, and it is promising to report such a marked jump in confidence among Expo delegates with regard to running a KOL marketing campaign in the future. Coupled with the increased digital acceleration we are seeing across all forms of business; this shift presents a huge opportunity for the rise and rise of KOL marketing in the travel retail space as we work together as an industry towards recovery.”
