Where they were
Kiwabi makes high-design, gentle haircare and hair colour from Japan, and they were launching into the US and Europe. Two goals: build awareness and sales in markets where nobody knew them yet, and generate a steady supply of quality content the brand could amplify.
What I decided
Nano and micro creators in haircare, hairstyles and beauty, chosen for engagement and community rather than follower counts. Gifted collaborations paired with affiliate commissions, so creators earned on what they sold and the brand paid for results. Creative briefs kept the voice consistent while creators wove the products into their everyday routines, in reels, TikToks, reviews and stories.
The hardest part was creator hesitancy: plenty were unsure about gifted work. What changed their minds was proof. We showed them the dashboards of affiliates already earning commissions, and the yes rate climbed.
What happened
The program reached millions of potential customers, generated over $300,000 in tracked affiliate and creator-driven sales, and returned roughly 10x its cost through affiliate sales alone. More than 700 pieces of content came out of it, 241 reels and 506 stories, with paid amplification handled by the brand's own team. It has run for over a year and is still running; the weekly sheet has not missed a week.
“I have been working with Usama and Sharksfluence for 2.5 years now and he and his team have been integral to our growth with some major home run hits that have resulted in sales spikes as well as delivering a consistent stream of great Influencer & content creator partnerships that support many of our other marketing channels. Usama is also proactive about introducing us to new trends and platforms that can further optimize the outreach effort and results. Their communication is always clear, collaborative, and highly organized and their detailed spreadsheets make it easy to monitor creator status, performance, budget, and overall impact. I highly recommend Sharksfluence to any e-commerce brand looking to build or scale a thoughtful, results-driven influencer and creator strategy.”
