Health publishing powerhouse I Quit Sugar (IQS) is partnering with influencer connections agency The Remarkables Group to increase the awareness of its brand, as it turns its back on display advertising.
Since its inception in 2013 by media personality Sarah Wilson, IQS has increased its readership to 800,000 unique monthly views and has a collective audience of 1.4 million across its social platforms.
IQS CEO Zoe Eaton tells AdNews the business is tapping into influencer marketing to spark interest from readers and commercial clients.
“We are always exploring ways to get our message out to a broader community and influencers play a role in that,” she says.
“We’ve been running brand partnerships for a while but by working with The Remarkables we can engage with brands that maybe we’ve been flying under the radar for.
"The Remarkables Group to bring our readers helpful content with relevant brands who share the IQS philosophy.”
Previously, IQS has worked with brands including OPSM and Cobram Estate Oil to produce branded content.
“We no longer carry display advertising. I don’t think it works,” Eaton says. “We try to create compelling content and sell a solution to dietary problems – that’s more powerful than a banner ad.”
For its partnership with OPSM, IQS’s goal was to educate people on how they can prevent eye problems by eating the right foods. The publisher held an event sponsored by the eyewear company and created a recipe book, which was rolled out in Europe after success in Australia.
Eaton says while client partnerships are important, advertising is not the sole revenue of its business.
IQS receives most of its revenue from its eight-week program, which teaches people how to live without sugar. It also sells e-books.
“Additional revenue is only at 12% - I think Lorraine Murphy [Remarkables MD] would like to grow that. But advertising will never be our core business,” Eaton says. “It’s an opportunity to get our health message out and help people.”
Along with IQS, The Remarkables also announced partnerships with media personality Deborah Hutton’s Balance online site.
Murphy says: “We have built our offer on the power of influencers, and welcoming two enormously influential online presences like IQS and Balance by Deborah Hutton extends that scope further for us. Both have built powerful digital footprints and engaged, motivated audiences who look to them for trusted recommendations."
The agency also announced four more signings – winners of its inaugural Rising Social Star Talent Search this year. They are Mr Weekender (Travel category winner), Nikkia Joy (Beauty), Alice in Healthyland (Health) and Sophie Luxe (Fashion). The winning influencers are now working with category partners Priceline, Qantas and Bonds.
“With these six new signings, we have added an audience of 2.5 million to our existing group. Our influencers have a direct line to this audience, the majority of whom are females aged 25-55. That’s a compelling offer to brands seeking to create authentic relationships with what is arguably the most powerful demographic when it comes to Australian consumers," Murphy says.
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