Four dogs wearing colorful sunglasses pose in front of a red shipping-container bar with a sign reading "THE CIDERY"
Submitted by TRIBEAgency IPI Score 32/100

Zenni Optical Always-On Instagram Creator Strategy

Influencer Marketing

TRIBE ran an always-on creator strategy for Zenni Optical, in which one Instagram carousel by the dog creator @aussie.sedona generated $1.5M in Earned-Media Value.

$1.5MEarned-Media Value
4MImpressions
600KEngagements
14.65%Engagement Rate

Case in 60 seconds

Zenni Optical wanted ongoing brand relevance, engagement and sales on social, which required a steady supply of fresh, fashion-forward content rather than an occasional burst tied to a single product moment.

The page treats brand fans as more useful than a database of creators, because creators who know the brand voice and their own audience earn attention without consumers feeling that they are being advertised to.

Zenni ran an always-on creator strategy through TRIBE's Brand-Fans feature, mixing seasonal and product-specific campaigns throughout the year and handing creative control to a community of long-term creator partners.

Creators from Zenni's community posted across TikTok and Instagram, with dozens of posts amplified via Creator Ad boosting or licensing, while @aussie.sedona, an Aussie Shepherd, published an Instagram carousel of dog selfies wearing Zenni sunglasses.

TRIBE reports that the @aussie.sedona carousel drew over 4 million impressions, nearly 600,000 engagements, $1.5 million in Earned-Media Value and a 14.65% engagement rate, while Zenni's collective campaigns reached over 15 million people organically.

Strategy Breakdown

Zenni's target audience on social, reached through fashion-forward content made by a community of creators aligned to the Zenni brand.
An online seller of affordable glasses has to stay present on social between product moments, so Zenni chose a year-round mix of seasonal and product-specific campaigns rather than isolated launches.
The page positions Zenni as a brand that trusts its creator community to interpret briefs in its voice, which casts the brand as a collaborator rather than the author of every post.
TRIBE says audiences give real attention to creator content that does not feel like advertising, which is why an unexpected format such as a dog's selfie carousel cut through for an eyewear brand.

Creative & Execution System

Assets & channels

  • Instagram
  • TikTok

Partners

  • TRIBE

Creator role

  • Sedona — creator

Results & Evidence

MetricValue
Earned-Media Value$1.5M
Impressionsover 4M impressions
Engagementsnearly 600K engagements
Engagement Rate14.65% engagement rate

Why TRIBE's strategy worked

  1. 1

    Creative control handed to a creator produced the standout post here, because a creator who knows what cuts through with an audience builds trust for the brand rather than borrowing attention from an advert.

  2. 2

    Long-term partnerships shorten the briefing cycle, since creators who already understand the brand deliver faster and with better insight, which is the condition a year-round creator programme depends on.

  3. 3

    A steady run of seasonal and product-led briefs raises the odds of an unplanned hit, so a volume of creator output works as a search for outliers rather than a series of isolated bets.

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