If I had a $30,000 budget before launch, I would split it roughly 60 percent toward brand building and 40 percent toward performance. For brand building, I’d focus on mid-tier TikTok and Instagram creators in wellness, fitness, and lifestyle. People whose audiences already trust them and are likely to take action. I would seed Vista with 20 to 30 creators who naturally fit the brand, integrating it into content that performs well, like morning routines, workout prep, productivity vlogs, or “day in my life” videos. I would also leverage TikTok Shop and Amazon storefront influencers to make discovery and purchase seamless and boost top-performing creator content as Spark Ads to expand reach without losing authenticity. For performance marketing, I’d focus on driving email and SMS signups pre-launch and retargeting those early audiences during launch week. I’d distribute most of the budget over six to eight weeks to build awareness and momentum, then increase spending around launch so the brand feels like a genuine cultural moment.

If I were growing a brand from 0 to 10k, I’d treat the first 10k like casting the main characters of a story, not collecting random followers. I wouldn’t start by asking, “How do we go viral?” I’d ask, “Who is this brand in culture?” Is she the 7am Pilates girl? The late-night creative? The competitive runner? The Miami wellness girl with an edge? Once that identity is clear, every post becomes world-building. The feed shouldn’t feel like content. 

At the beginning, I’d make the page feel like it already has momentum, even if it doesn’t. Strong art direction, consistent color grading, intentional captions. I’d rather post three strong pieces a week than seven forgettable ones. I’d focus on Reels that feel cinematic or mood-driven, with quick cuts, energy, and real people actually using the product in their lives. Not just staged ads.

I’d also seed the brand intentionally. Not just influencers, but people who genuinely reflect the culture the brand wants to be part of and already embody that lifestyle. The goal would be to make the brand feel like it’s naturally appearing in the right spaces before it’s big.

Once momentum builds, I’d focus on depth over scale. Reply to everything. DM people who engage. Repost stories. Make early followers feel like insiders. Maybe even give them a subtle name, something that signals community without forcing it. When people feel early, they stay loyal.

Around the 5k to 10k mark, I’d start creating moments. Small events, creator collaborations, limited drops, and experiences that exist in real life but translate digitally. 

Bloom has executed influencer marketing extremely well. At its peak, the product was constantly showing up on TikTok, either through direct sponsorships or subtly in the background of lifestyle content. It felt aspirational and aesthetic, especially for young women focused on wellness. Their targeting was very clear, and launching Bloom Pop was a smart extension that aligns with the healthy soda trend. If I were leading their strategy, I’d keep the strong influencer presence but add more educational content around ingredients to strengthen credibility because I know that people are suspicious of the effectiveness of this product. 

Unwell’s strategy is heavily driven by Alex Cooper’s personal brand and her Call Her Daddy audience, which gives it a strong female consumer base. I think positioning an energy drink specifically for women is effective and differentiating. However, I would work on building a brand identity that extends beyond Alex long-term and address any ingredient concerns more transparently to build trust, as there was a controversy regarding how “natural” the ingredients were. I particularly enjoy how her brand targets women instead of men, as they already have a variety of energy drinks dedicated to them. 

Gorgie also uses influencer marketing, but much of the content feels repetitive, mainly unboxings or basic product mentions. It doesn’t stand out as much. If I were leading the strategy, I’d focus on more engaging, personality-driven storytelling and better use of their social media platform to create stronger brand differentiation. It may not be in their budget to do a partnership with bigger influencers, but I would attempt to give free products for a shoutout.