When Logan Paul and KSI launched Prime Energy, they weren’t entering a quiet market. The energy drink space was already crowded with giants like Red Bull, Monster, and Bang dominating retail shelves and sponsorship deals. Yet, in a unbelievably short time, Prime went from a new entrant to a billion-dollar brand, selling out in minutes and causing social media frenzy wherever it was stocked.
Their success was a lot more than luck, it was a textbook influencer-led marketing strategy executed pretty flawlessly. The good news for the rest of us is that Prime created a blueprint for growth that leveraged existing audiences, social credibility, and digital-first hype to turn an ordinary product into a phenomenon.
This meteoric rise isn’t just useful information for billion-dollar companies and their marketing teams. The core strategy behind its growth- leveraging influence, community, and exclusivity- is something business owners of any size can replicate, whatever their scale. Here’s how your business can benefit from an influencer-led marketing strategy.
built-in trust and instant credibility
If you’re blissfully unaware, Logan Paul and KSI are not beverage industry veterans, they’re content creators with massive YouTube channels (a combined YouTube subscriber count of around 65 million) producing vlog, podcast and gaming content, but they each have millions of loyal followers who already trust their recommendations and buy their merch.
When they launched Prime, their audience saw it as their drink. If they weren’t buying energy drinks before, they are now. And if they were already buying, they switched brands to support their favourite youtubers. Traditional brands spend years (and millions) building that level of brand loyalty. Prime skipped that step by launching with an audience already primed (pun intended) to buy.
social media hype and virality
Instead of relying on traditional advertising, Prime went viral fairly organically. Every time a new flavor dropped, influencers and fans scrambled to get their hands on it, often filming their reactions and fueling FOMO (fear of missing out).
Strategic partnerships with many TikTok creators, YouTubers, and sports personalities and even Arsenal Football club, ensured the drink stayed top-of-mind on social feeds. Further, the scarcity effect “Sold out everywhere!” added to the hype, making the drink seem more desirable.
smart partnerships
Prime strategically launched in the biggest supermarket chains across the world. Walmart, Target and others, ensuring that once demand was built, supply was accessible. They also created regional exclusivity, certain flavors were only available in certain locations across the world, making fans actively hunt for Prime, creating more content to be shared and reposted online. Did it work? Prime earned over $250 million dollars revenue in their first year- a launch most businesses could only dream of.
What Your Business Can Learn from Prime’s Growth Strategy
Here’s how we believe smaller businesses can use influencer marketing to drive demand and growth (spoiler: you don’t need millions of followers or global retail deals to apply Prime’s strategy effectively)
1. Leverage Micro-Influencers
Let’s face it, you probably can’t afford audiences as large as Logan Paul or KSI’s, and as great as that would be, you don’t need mega-celebrities. Micro-influencers are social media personalities with accounts (usually less than 50k followers) that have highly engaged audiences and can promote brands at a fraction of the cost.
- Find local influencers in your business’ niche whether it’s fitness, fashion, wellness, food, etc.
- Offer them free products in exchange for authentic reviews or shoutouts.
- Encourage them to create content showcasing your product in real-life use cases.
If Micro influencers don’t seem like a great fit for you, perhaps try and become your own social media influencer. Start creating engaging content and positioning yourself as a voice in your industry. It is easier than ever to pick up a phone and share your expertise with the world.
2. Create Hype & Scarcity
One of Prime’s smartest moves was making their product feel rare and exclusive, even though energy drinks are mass-market high volume products. For small businesses, this could mean limited product drops, exclusive early access for social media followers (your most engaged fans as they have a higher likelihood of advocating for your product online), or seasonal releases.
If you’re launching a new product, build anticipation with teasers, countdowns, and VIP access. Leverage the power of FOMO, use social proof (testimonials, influencer reviews, sold-out moments) to create urgency around what you’re offering. In the attention economy, people desperately want to stand out from the sea of sameness, and your product could be yet another way they can do just that.
3. Focus on Community, not just Customers
Prime’s success is largely due to community. Logan Paul and KSI engaged with their current fans, responded to posts, and made their audience feel involved throughout the entire process. This in turn caused more fans to want to upload their own content (free advertising) to get the attention of their favorite influencer. A feedback loop that proved to work wonders for Prime.
For small businesses, this means engaging with your audience constantly: respond to comments, share their user-generated content and start conversations with enthusiasts in your field. Create a brand story that people want to be part of. Why does your business exist? What problem are you solving? How can customers connect with your mission? These are questions that your business should be answering in order to turn customers into a community.
4. Make Social Media your Primary Marketing Channel
Prime never relied on traditional advertising methods such as Billboards and TV spots. Instead, it dominated Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for months on end. It partnered with content creators to keep generating buzz. Our key takeaway? If your business isn’t prioritizing social media, you’re missing out.
Identify the platforms where your target audience spends most of the time and focus on creating engaging content there. Leverage video content: short-form videos (Reels, TikToks) are the fastest way to build brand awareness, engagement can come later. Encourage your customers to share their experiences and tag you. This method of organic content creation builds credibility and attracts enthusiastic customers to your product, and the best part? It’s all free!
5. Use Strategic Partnerships to Scale Faster
Prime didn’t build its own distribution system. it partnered with established retailers that were trusted in the space. Creating their own distribution network would have been a huge financial undertaking and cost them time. We’ve written before about how H&M employed a similar strategic approach when launching online in South Africa, but the tldr is that sometimes it’s the better option, no matter the size of your business.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, take advantage of existing service providers around you, collaborate with local businesses, influencers, or online marketplaces to gain visibility. Instead of selling solo, you could consider partnering with other brands that complement your product. Use platforms like Shopify or Etsy to tap into existing customer bases and increase the number platforms you are selling on.
the key takeaway
Prime Energy’s blistering rise was about hacking attention through leveraging their influencer business partners, and making customers feel part of something bigger than a drink.
Marketing campaigns are shifting to become as much of a consumer product themselves, with consumers increasingly enjoying engaging in the hype surrounding the launch of a new gadget, movie and even a drink. For businesses of any size, the lesson is clear: You don’t need a huge budget to drive demand to your product, you just need a smart and consistent strategy
Want help crafting a brand & marketing strategy that makes your business stand out in a sea of same? JCKFRUT helps businesses in all industries build their online presence, from web design and branding to content strategy and digital growth tactics.
Let’s talk about how you can scale your business. Get in touch today.