The Influencer Marketing Secrets Behind Abercrombie's Comeback

Remember when Abercrombie & Fitch was called "America's most hated brand"? But in the past few years, it has completely overhauled its image. The brand has embraced inclusivity, expanded its sizing, and is now trying new marketing strategies. Abercrombie's stock price grew by 285% in just one year in 2023. Their latest sales figures are the best they've seen in a decade.

How did all of that happen?

A big part of this success is influencer marketing. And it's working well.

Abercrombie's playbook offers some surprising insights for DTC brand owners and marketers looking to refresh their influencer approach.

They've moved beyond the typical "post and pray" method, instead focusing on building a community of engaged creators. Let's look at the 3 key insights from its influencer marketing strategy and what you can learn from it.

Dedicated influencer program

Abercrombie & Fitch launched a 'Creator Suite' program to work with influencers. By naming it "The Creator Suite by Abercrombie," the program feels like an exclusive, branded experience for influencers, increasing their sense of connection to the brand.

The goal of such programs is to generate inbound interest from the ideal influencers of the brand rather than having to actively seek out and convince each influencer. Many other successful DTC brands have such programs, too; for example, Sephora has Sephroa Squad, and Topicals has Spottie Sphere. Once you set up your program, working with influencers is easier.

You would have clarity on who your ideal influencer is, your offer to them, and what terms & conditions you will put in place.

Using SARAL, you can create a dedicated page for your influencer marketing program in 2 minutes. You don't need to write any code; it will be automatically optimized for mobile and desktop. Try it for free.

Promoting the program

Did you think just having a landing page for your program is enough? Hah, no. How will people know you have it? You need to tell influencers about it.

Take a page from A&F's book. They promoted their program on TikTok and Instagram, tapping into a larger and more diverse pool of creators. This strategy reached those who might not have been aware of Abercrombie's program.

Here's a TikTok post sharing about the influencer program:

As we can see from the Instagram post comments (below), the plan to talk about their Creator Suite on social media worked well. Just look at the comments; people are excited! Many are asking how to join right away. Some say they already wear a lot of Abercrombie clothes, which makes them a perfect fit for the program.

With over 8,000 likes, it's clear this post caught people's attention. By sharing about the Creator Suite on various platforms, Abercrombie is finding influencers who already love their brand, which is exactly what they want.

A lesson on launching and learning

We couldn't find the exact landing page for Abercrombie's influencer program. They might have paused it after getting too many responses, or they could be working on a better version. This shows that even big brands with lots of people don't always get things right the first time.

This tells us something important about marketing. It's better to start something quickly and improve it as you go instead of trying to perfect it before you begin. You learn much more from real people using your program than guessing what might work. You might miss your chance if you wait too long to launch something. It's better to start, see how people react, and then make changes based on what you learn.By putting their program out there and possibly changing it, Abercrombie shows they're willing to learn from their audience. They're not just guessing what influencers want – they're finding out directly from them.Launch your influencer program, get honest feedback from actual people, and make your program better over time.

The tiered structure of the influencer program

The Creator Suite program is structured around "Challenges." In their account, influencers are shown various tasks they can complete. These include posting a photo wearing Abercrombie clothes on Instagram, creating a TikTok video showcasing a new product, or even filling out a survey about their fashion preferences.

As influencers complete these challenges, they earn points and progress through different levels in the program.

Each level unlocks more rewards, typically in the form of store credit. One creator mentioned getting $100 to spend when they reached level 4.

It's a smart approach because Abercrombie isn't just sending out free products hoping creators will post about them. Instead, they're getting creators to engage first, then rewarding them with credit they can use to buy what they want from the store.

This model also scales well. It can work for micro-influencers all the way up to bigger names, and it's largely self-managing.

Creators become eligible for commissions only after reaching a certain tier. This helps Abercrombie filter out less serious participants and focus on creators who are genuinely engaged with the brand. It also shows that the program is designed for long-term relationships rather than one-off collaborations.

Here's a detailed video showing you exactly how to structure your commissions and rewards for different tiers:

Inviting influencers to launch events

In March 2024, Abercrombie & Fitch launched "The A&F Wedding Shop," a collection featuring over 100 items designed for brides, bridesmaids, and wedding guests. To celebrate the launch the brand hosted an event in LA where creators were also invited.

This helped the brand in three ways:

Buzz about the new collection

It generated immediate buzz around the shop's launch as creators attending the event naturally shared their experiences with their audience.

Here are a few examples:

Influencer-generated content

The brand got influencer-generated content around the wedding collection which they could post on their social media over time. This was an authentic way to promote the new line, as potential customers could see real people wearing and enjoying the products.

Here's an example showing creators get ready for the launch event with dresses from the wedding collection, and Abercrombie re-sharing that content on its TikTok account:

The event provided Abercrombie & Fitch with content that could be used for multiple posts, for weeks after the launch. By having various creators at the event, the brand was able to capture different perspectives, styles, and moments, all centered around the wedding collection theme. This wealth of diverse content allowed the brand to maintain a steady stream of engaging posts related to the new line.

Bonding experience with the creators

The experience of being part of a major launch event can create a stronger emotional connection to the brand, encouraging creators to become more enthusiastic and authentic brand advocates. The event likely allowed creators to meet the Abercrombie team face-to-face. These personal interactions help build stronger, more meaningful relationships beyond online communication.

What can you learn from A&F's influencer marketing strategy?

Now that you've seen Abercrombie & Fitch's influencer marketing approach breakdown, let's distil the key lessons. Share these with your team or add them to your strategy document for quick reference:

1. Create an exclusive influencer program: Set up a dedicated program for influencers and brand it — give it a name, hype it up, and set up a page for it. This makes influencers feel special and part of your brand's community. It also helps you manage partnerships more easily.
2. Promote your influencer program: Don't just create a program and hope influencers will find it. Actively promote it on social media platforms where your target influencers hang out. This helps you attract influencers who already love your brand.
3. Use a tiered structure: Set up your program with different levels or tiers. As influencers complete more tasks, they earn more rewards. This keeps them engaged and motivated to create content for your brand over time. And as a result, you get to recognize creators who get you the most results.
4. Start small and improve: Don't wait for everything to be perfect before launching your influencer program. Start with a basic version, get feedback, and improve. It's okay to pause and refine things if needed.
5. Invite influencers to events: When launching new products or collections, invite influencers to special events. This creates immediate buzz and gives you lots of authentic content to share later.
6. Repurpose influencer content: Share influencer-created content on your own social media channels. This gives you a steady stream of authentic, diverse content and strengthens your relationship with influencers.
7. Build personal connections: Use events as opportunities for influencers to meet your team in person. These face-to-face interactions can turn influencers into genuine brand advocates.

Put these lessons into action

You've seen how Abercrombie & Fitch transformed their brand through smart influencer marketing. But knowing the strategy is just the first step. The real challenge lies in execution - finding the right influencers, managing relationships, and measuring impact. It's a time-consuming process that can overwhelm even the most seasoned marketers.

That's why we created SARAL.

SARAL is not just another influencer marketing tool. It's an all-in-one solution designed specifically for DTC brands. With SARAL, you can build and grow your influencer community sustainably, without relying on exorbitant payments to famous influencers.

Our platform streamlines every aspect of influencer marketing, allowing you to implement any strategy — gifting, affiliates,  pay-per-post, etc. — with ease. Don't let the complexities of influencer marketing hold you back from achieving your revenue targets. Try SARAL today, for free.