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Ardene: Influencer Program Performance Results

Client
ARDENE
Services

TL;DR

3.82M+ views • 4.26M+ potential reach • 358 content pieces • 9.61% engagement rate In 2024, Ardene partnered with Sundae Creative to scale its national ambassador program and elevate brand relevance among Gen Z and Millennial consumers. Through a fully integrated approach combining influencer marketing, content strategy, and ongoing program optimization, Sundae Creative activated 191 creators across Canada and the US.

Ardene: Influencer Program Performance Results

Client

ARDENE

Services

TL;DR

3.82M+ views • 4.26M+ potential reach • 358 content pieces • 9.61% engagement rate In 2024, Ardene partnered with Sundae Creative to scale its national ambassador program and elevate brand relevance among Gen Z and Millennial consumers. Through a fully integrated approach combining influencer marketing, content strategy, and ongoing program optimization, Sundae Creative activated 191 creators across Canada and the US.

Overview

Ardene sought to deepen its connection with younger consumers through an always-on influencer program that delivered both awareness and high-volume content. With a diverse audience across Canada and US, Ardene required a partner capable of understanding the North American influencer landscape seamlessly to drive the most impact within the industry. Sundae Creative oversaw a strategy designed to scale creator partnerships, maintain consistent brand storytelling, and support Ardene’s seasonal priorities. The agency managed every layer of execution, from casting and negotiations to content approvals, creative direction, and reporting. The goal was clear: produce an efficient, high-performing, cost-effective influencer program that enabled Ardene to remain competitive in North America’s fast-paced fashion landscape.

Challenge

Ardene operates in one of North America’s most competitive categories, affordable fashion with a Gen Z and Millennial focus. With rising costs across digital channels and increasing competition for creator attention, the brand needed a program that could achieve scale, consistency, and authenticity at once.

Key challenges included:

  • Managing a high-volume, year-round program across multiple provinces
  • Sourcing creators who resonated authentically with fashion-driven youth demographics
  • Moving away from one-off posts and into relationship-building
  • Maintaining quality across 358+ pieces of content
  • Keeping costs efficient while supporting a broad range of monthly initiatives
  • Adapting to rapidly evolving trends in TikTok and Instagram content formats
  • Running a program robust enough for repurposing across owned channels

Sundae Creative’s challenge was to build a streamlined, data-driven system that could accommodate this scale while still letting creators produce authentic, relatable content.

Solution

Sundae Creative developed a full-funnel influencer strategy, grounded in research, platform insights, and Ardene’s core consumer behaviour. This included:

1. Community-Driven Influencer Mix

We prioritized micro and nano influencers, aligning with industry trends. This approach maximized engagement (program average: 9.61% engagement rate) and kept costs efficient. Mega influencers were added selectively for seasonal storytelling.

2. Program Infrastructure for Scale

Sundae Creative built a streamlined workflow that included:

  • Monthly casting for up to 70 creators
  • Negotiation, briefing, approvals, and product coordination
  • Real-time tracking, content management, and reporting
  • Performance evaluations to optimize roster selection

3. Creative Direction & Content Frameworks

Providing creators with hooks, angles, and storylines improved content quality and reduced repetition. This resulted in 358 high-performing assets, including multiple posts surpassing 1.5M+ views.

4. Data-Driven Optimization

Sundae leveraged platform insights (TikTok, IG Reels, YouTube Shorts, Pinterest) to evolve formats and experimentation. Performance trends informed content adjustments, roster changes, and seasonal storytelling.

Implementation

Influencer Program Execution

  • 191 creators activated across Canada and the US
  • Monthly cycles of casting, outreach, negotiation, concept and content review
  • Simplified briefs for smoother production
  • 4–6 week lead times built into the workflow for improved shipping, delivery, and approvals

Content Production

Creators generated 358 content pieces across TikTok, Instagram Reels, IG Stories, and cross-platform adaptations. Top-performing content reached:

  • 1.55M views (best-performing reel)
  •  Multiple posts exceeded a 10–12% engagement rate, highlighting creator-audience resonance.

Performance Measurement

Sundae monitored performance using KPIs such as impressions, reach, engagement rate, cost per impression, cost per engagement, and CPM. Consistent roster reviews ensured creators with sustained strong performance remained active, while underperforming partners rotated out.

Program Optimization

  • Reduced 12-month contracts to 3-6 months for agility
  • Introduced long-term ambassadorship for top performers
  • Expanded cross-platform experimentation (TikTok, YT Shorts)
  • Built systems for organic usage of influencer assets for the brand’s social media channels

Infrastructure & Tools

  • Monthly reports including raw data, insights, and recommendations

This operational foundation enabled Ardene to maintain an always-on, cost-efficient influencer engine scalable to peak seasons and major campaigns.

Results

Annual Performance KPIs

  • 3,824,348 impressions/views
  • 4,261,861 potential reach
  • 2,760,296 actual reach
  • 65,260 engagements
  • 9.61% engagement rate
  • 358 pieces of content
  • 191 creators
  • $0.01 cost per impression (Benchmark: $0.03-$0.05)
  • $0.20 cost per engagement (Benchmark: $1.00-$2.00)
  • $14.02 CPM (Benchmark: Under $50.00)
  • $53,616 total influencer budget

Year-Over-Year Improvements

  • Engagement rate increased from 7% to 9.61%
  • CPM dropped significantly from $60 to $14, while the industry benchmark stands below $50.00
  • More efficient talent mix: 288 creators (2023) → 191 creators (2024) while maintaining impact

These results confirm that a strategic shift toward micro/nano creators, long-term relationship building, and diversified storytelling generated stronger audience resonance and improved cost efficiency.