HOW WONDRIUM GOT 705.1 MILLION VIEWS ON ITS INFLUENCER CONTENT AND ACQUIRED NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS
Updated: Dec 19, 2022
CHALLENGES
Reaching an audience of young active learners after rebranding
Allison Lesser, the Senior Director of Marketing Acquisition at Wondrium had an exciting challenge: she wanted to spread the word about Wondrium’s rebrand and reshape consumer perceptions about the education company.
Formerly known as The Great Courses Plus, Wondrium’s rebrand was more than just a name and logo change; it was an expansion of the company’s content library to attract a wider demographic of life-long learners.
“We wanted to attract a younger audience of active learners with Wondrium’s subscription product,” Allison explains.
Along with spreading the word about Wondrium’s rebrand, Allison’s mission was to drive as many subscriptions as possible.
To accomplish this mission, the Wondrium team needed a marketing channel with laser-focused targeting that would enable them to find their niche audience at an efficient cost and also build the strength of the brand. Fortunately, Wondrium was already running influencer campaigns with The Outloud Group
Allison explains, “We had several channels in our marketing portfolio, but we thought that influencer marketing on YouTube could be a new way of driving subscriptions for Wondrium.”
For Allison, influencer marketing campaigns would be successful if they met the
following criteria:
Low Cost per Acquisition(CPA) and Cost per Mille (CPM) to maximize Return on Investment (ROI).
High retention rates, with most users purchasing a membership after the trial period.
Ability to scale influencer campaigns through constant testing of different audiences.
On-brand influencer content.
“Wondrium chose to work with The Outloud Group because they have a great background in influencer marketing,” she says.
SOLUTION
Authentic YouTube influencers that reach niche audiences
The Outloud Group used YouTube integrations and paid partnerships with influencers to promote Wondrium’s rebrand and connect them with their target audience.
Successful rebranding
While rebranding is not easy, influencer marketing simplified the process because
influencers could explain the rebrand. the team ensured that creators spoke about
how The Great Courses Plus and Wondrium had come together.
“If our audience comes into Wondrium cold, no one knows what that is. but if a creator talks about our previous brand, then there is an easier connection,” Allison explains.
Recruiting creators to promote Wondrium’s new shows
The Outloud team adjusted its media planning to attract a new audience of young
active learners. They sourced for and vetted new creators whose channels focused
on a wide breadth of topics.
“The Outloud Group identified new influencers who were in the niche markets that Wondrium was targeting. this allowed us to reach the specific audiences that we know will like our product,” Allison says.
Testing new creators and new audiences
Next, they ensured that Wondrium was getting the maximum ROI from its creators by running multi-show tests. they gave each creator 2-3 shows to promote to ensure that they could drive subscriptions.
“We’ve tested creators in the cooking, mental health, photography, and outdoors niches. This is not something that we had tried before,” Allison says.
Solidifying relationships with high-performing creators
When Wondrium works with creators who can drive subscriptions and high retention rates, the team helps turn them into long-term partners.
“When there’s a strong cost per acquisition, we’ll take that influencer and sign them on for a longer-term agreement,” says Allison.
Authentic influencers
Allison is thrilled by the authenticity of the creators that The Outloud Group
sources. The influencers actually watch the shows and apply the content before
presenting it to their audience.
“Our creators create real and relevant content because they have used the product over and over. They can stand behind what they are promising the customer,” she says.
On-brand influencer content
With The Outloud Group acting as a liaison, creators are able to take Wondrium’s
brand guidelines and adapt them to their scripts. They can create on-brand
content without reading scripts and sounding forced.
“When we work with Outloud, influencers take our brand guidelines and use them to create their talking points. This leads to authentic conversations that come across as the creators’ own story,” Allison explains.
Stay on top of trends
Allison is grateful that the Outloud team has helped Wondrium k eep up with the
numerous changes in the influencer industry and maintain great r elationships
with creators.
“They do a fantastic job at telling us what’s happening in the industry so we can understand what our competitors are doing and how we can react to that,” says Allison.
Scaling influencer marketing
Partnering with the Outloud team has helped Wondrium expand its reach and manage a large and complex influencer marketing program.
“We started with a fraction of the spend that we are doing right now. The Outloud team is really good at helping us navigate industry changes and plan ahead,” Allison says.
After working with The Outloud Group for six years, Allison couldn’t be
happier. they consistently go above and beyond to ensure that W ondrium’s
campaigns are successful.
“The Outloud team is great, they’ve helped our business grow in the YouTube influencer space. We have tested other agencies and we have never met another team that compares with them,” she says.
RESULTS
705.1 Million views, $6.63 CPM, and low CPA
With 705.1 Million views of Wondrium’s influencer campaigns, The Outloud Group
has helped them spread the word about their rebrand and attract new audiences
of active learners.
Thanks to The Outloud Group, Allison has achieved her goal of driving
subscriptions profitably. influencer marketing on YouTube has a $6.63 CPM and
low CPA.
“Influencer marketing is one of the top CPA channels that is driving the most subscriptions in our marketing portfolio,” she states.
Allison attributes this success to The Outloud Group’s ability to match Wondrium
with perfect-fit creators in niche audiences at the right price.
“We went to them with a unique product and we were able to pull successful influencer campaigns together,” she says.
Today, Wondrium has a thriving influencer marketing channel that has grown
steadily over the last six years.
“The Outloud team has done a great job at scaling our influencer marketing by continuously testing new audiences and new creators,” says Allison.
Working with the Outloud team has saved Allison and her team the hassle of
sourcing, vetting, onboarding, and managing creators.
“The work that Outloud does for us is equal to 1-2 full-time jobs. Managing an expansive network of influencers is not something that my team can pick up immediately,” she says.
Allison recommends The Outloud Group to acquisition managers who want to grow their brands using influencer marketing
“The Outloud team is fantastic at identifying your audience and matching you with creators who are going to speak authentically to them,” she concludes.