THE SCOPE

First Energy Gum's debut influencer marketing campaign in the U.S., leveraging 15 college athletes across 15 colleges as the primary route to market through cost-effective and scalable athlete partnerships.

THE PROBLEM

Challenge: First Energy Gum needed to enter the competitive U.S. market from zero with limited budget:

• No existing presence: Entering the U.S. market as an unknown brand with no awareness, no distribution network, and no customer base

• Budget constraints: Needed rapid brand awareness and athlete-driven content without the high price tag of traditional influencer campaigns or celebrity endorsements

• Scale vs. quality dilemma: Goal was to activate as many athletes as possible under the branded initiative #WinnersChewFirst while maintaining content quality - typically these objectives conflict

• Credibility challenge: Energy products require performance validation - needed real athletes who could authentically vouch for the product's effectiveness

• Campus penetration: Had to reach college athletes and campuses across the nation simultaneously to create momentum and word-of-mouth

• Content library needs: Required substantial brand assets for future marketing use, not just one-off posts

THE SOLUTION

Press Upload designed a scalable, performance-driven college athlete activation that maximized reach while maintaining quality:

1. Strategic Multi-Campus Activation

• Activated 15 motivated college athletes across more than 15 schools nationwide

• Strategically selected athletes with engaged followings and strong campus influence

• Diverse sports representation to demonstrate product versatility across athletic disciplines

• Geographic spread ensured national visibility and market testing across regions

2. Performance-Based Incentive Structure To ensure maximum quality while staying within budget:

• Introduced competitive structure rewarding top-performing athletes with bonus prize money

• Created internal competition that motivated athletes to produce their best content

• Aligned athlete incentives with brand goals (views, engagement, authenticity)

• Transformed budget constraint into quality driver

3. #WinnersChewFirst Campaign Integration

• Unified all athlete content under single branded hashtag for cohesive campaign tracking

• Athletes authentically promoted product on social media and among teammates

• Created peer-to-peer influence - college athletes promoting to other college athletes

• Generated organic campus buzz beyond paid content

4. Fan Engagement Amplification

• Activated fan voting mechanism where 1,200+ fans voted for their favorite athlete's video

• Turned passive content consumption into active audience participation

• Strengthened athlete-fan relationships while spreading brand visibility

• Created competitive narrative that drove repeat engagement

THE OUTCOME

Campaign Performance:

• 15 college athletes across 15 schools nationwide

• 50 deliverables creating comprehensive content library

• 150,000 views establishing immediate market presence

• 1,200+ fan votes driving active engagement beyond passive viewing

• 60+ brand assets for ongoing marketing use

Market Entry Success:

For marketing purposes, First Energy Gum now has 60+ professional brand assets for use. More importantly, the brand is being authentically promoted by athletes both on social media and amongst teammates, creating a strong foundation for U.S. market growth.

Why it worked:

• Cost-effective scale - 15 athletes across 15+ schools delivered national reach at fraction of traditional influencer campaign costs

• Performance incentives - Competitive structure with bonus money ensured quality didn't suffer despite budget constraints

• Authentic athlete validation - College athletes genuinely using the product provided credible performance endorsement

• Peer-to-peer influence - Athletes promoting to teammates created organic campus penetration beyond paid content

• Fan engagement multiplier - 1,200+ votes turned viewers into participants, strengthening campaign impact

• Campus network effects - Athletes became brand ambassadors on their campuses, creating word-of-mouth momentum

• Content asset library - 60+ pieces of professional content provided long-term marketing value beyond initial campaign

The result: First Energy Gum successfully entered the competitive U.S. market with immediate visibility across college campuses nationwide. The campaign reached 150,000 people while building a foundation of authentic athlete advocates who continue promoting the brand organically. By combining strategic athlete selection, performance incentives, and fan engagement, Press Upload delivered enterprise-level results on a startup budget.