Influencer Marketing

Paid Media

Production

DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport)

A stigma-busting influencer campaign to normalize loneliness and drive Gen Z to Every Mind Matters via real stories and #LonelinessLooksLike.
Best Cause-Led Campaign | Influencer Marketing Awards
Award-winning campaign |
Best Cause-Led Campaign | Influencer Marketing Awards

Background

Objectives

Get

UK-based youth aged 13–24, particularly those feeling isolated but hiding it due to stigma. Targeting with content that feels real, inclusive, and culturally relevant.

to

Normalise loneliness through creator storytelling and drive young people to Every Mind Matters by showing that loneliness can affect anyone, visibly or not.

Goals

Show loneliness can affect anyone

Inspire UGC via “Add Yours”

Drive traffic to support tools

937.7k

@jedbarker

Gen Z male voice with strong UK presence and emotional health storytelling

Interests

🧬 Lifestyle

🧑‍🎤 Youth culture

🧠 Emotional health

4.3K link clicks (top performer)

93% UK audience share

Tackled male loneliness stigma

63.3k

@liambr3wn

Interests

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Friendship Content

🎥 Vlogging

🧠 Mental health

🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ advocacy

Passionate about mental health

Authentic content style

Strong audience connection

212k

@romitchell

Ro leads with raw honesty, inspiring her community through her recovery journey and deeply resonant, evergreen mental wellbeing content.

Interests

🧘‍♀️ Mindfulness habits

🚶‍♀️ Solo walking

📓 Journaling

📵 Digital detox

Strong voice in recovery space

Audience trusts her advice

Mental health-led storytelling

95.3K

@smashbengali

Smash blends humour and honesty, connecting with viewers through authentic, relatable content that encourages emotional openness and action.

Interests

📖 Spoken word

🎭 Honest storytelling

🎙 Mental health

📘 Poetry writing

Authentic and natural content

Engaging spoken-to-camera style

High story-driven clicks

132k

@mrsgracemcguire

Fosters emotional connection by sharing life’s highs and lows with sincerity, sparking real conversations around wellbeing.

Interests

📚 Book reviews

💬 Honest chat

🏋️‍♀️ Fitness

👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family life

Vulnerable, open content

Above average engagement rate

Strong emotional tone

Strategy

Pepper’s proprietary tool combines data and human insight to optimise influencer and social marketing.
influenceIQ logo

Meet our Influencers

production

5 creators shared personal loneliness stories via Reels and Stories. Link stickers, “Add Yours” templates, and subtle CTAs encouraged empathy and clicks. Boosting amplified reach.

content

5 creators shared 20 total assets. The campaign hit 901K+ impressions, 644K reach, and 77.7K engagements (8.62% ER). 6.8K+ clicks were driven, led by Jed Barker’s paid Reel.

Strategies

💬 Personal, emotive storytelling

📌 “Add Yours” stickers for UGC

🎯 CTR-optimised paid media mix

🌍 Diverse ambassador selection

🔗 Clear CTAs in bio + Stories

Research Insights

Scope & Methodology

Key Insights

Strategic Recommendations

Results

Campaign Results

Research statistics

Total Impressions

901K+

Delivered across Instagram Reels & Stories

Reach

644K

From both paid and organic campaign efforts

Engagements

77.7K

8.62% ER across 20 assets

Link Clicks

6.8K+

Jed Barker drove most with his paid Reel

Total Impressions

901K+

Delivered across Instagram Reels & Stories

community response

Reach

644K

From both paid and organic campaign efforts

Engagements

77.7K

8.62% ER across 20 assets

Total Impressions

901K+

Delivered across Instagram Reels & Stories

community response

Reach

644K

From both paid and organic campaign efforts

Engagements

77.7K

8.62% ER across 20 assets

Link Clicks

6.8K+

Jed Barker drove most with his paid Reel

Total Impressions

901K+

Delivered across Instagram Reels & Stories

Reach

644K

From both paid and organic campaign efforts

Total Impressions

901K+

Delivered across Instagram Reels & Stories

community response

Reach

644K

From both paid and organic campaign efforts

partner with pepper

Key Learnings

Emotive Stories Drive Action

Voiceover and vulnerability increased performance across formats.

Gender-Specific Resonance

Males reached deeper with male audiences; females drove more clicks.

Stakeholder Alignment Early

Approval cycles were slowed by due diligence—plan timelines accordingly.

UGC = Amplification Gold

“Add Yours” templates added 435K+ incremental reach via user stories.

Partner
with
Pepper

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