I want to tell you about my experience with Clinique. 

No, this isn’t sponsored. No #ad. 

I think I got a free sample of Clinique – probably some makeup remover. It was unceremoniously tossed into a box of ridiculous liquid eyeliner I bought from Sephora. 

And there, in the bottom of the haphazard box, among weird, zig-zag cardboard filling, was this seemingly oversized sample. 

My wife and I tried it out – why not? It’s free. And you can never have enough makeup remover. 

It was the best makeup remover we’d ever tried. Winged-liquid liner gone in one swipe. Hydrated skin around the eyes. Magic. (Take the day off if you’re interested. Still not sponsored.)

Naturally, we went to Clinique’s site, and we bought a full-size bottle. 

Then, the package arrived, and inside were two more full-size samples of completely different products. 

And of course, we tried them out. We’d had so much success with the last product, why wouldn’t we?

And back to the site we went, ready to purchase again. 

Which brings us to our actual cosmetics lineup today. If you wanna count the Cliniques, go ahead.

“Whitney, why are you trying to sell me on Clinique?”

Genuinely, I’m not. I want to talk about something else. But there are some lessons to be learned here – and I think they apply pretty well to influencer marketing in particular. 

I’ve been speaking to a lot of creators lately – and one of the things they keep bringing up is that brands follow up with them and ask for content before they’ve had a real chance to try the product.

I know we all have deadlines to hit – but also, give your creator a bit of time to get inspired by your product. Let them get results and figure out where your product fits into their daily lives. 

Clinique understands this – and instead of the tiny mini-packets of B&B cream that you’d typically get as a sample, they offer you enough for it to actually make a difference. 

I came across this sponsored post on Instagram with the vacuum brand Bissell. What struck me about it is when she mentions, “It’s light enough for me to use with one hand while I’m carrying a baby in the other.” 

That’s a natural promotion – and something every parent is going to immediately pick up on. But that huge selling point doesn’t see the light of day if she’s expected to create content before even opening the box. 

Giving away product isn’t cheap. Yet Clinique, as expensive as it is, took the risk and gave me two full-size samples because it achieves two things:

When you’re onboarding a new creator, affiliate, or running a gifting campaign, delighting them is the way you stand out from the other brands they work with. (And no, you don’t need to send them a fully-stocked vending machine ala poppi)

I recently spoke on LinkedIn about regifting affiliates, where I recommended making a regifting pack:

Building a brand is about building memories in a consumer’s brain so you’re always top of mind. That’s why we create memorable experiences. If you want your brand memory to be strong, you’ll maintain that brand experience from the customer to the creators you partner with. 

After all, anyone can sell skincare. We all have skin. I hope. 

But only an excellent product, backed by an excellent brand experience, gets a weird marketing nerd talking about you in an ROI issue. 

One of the fastest ways to level up your creator program? Study someone else's. You learn a lot more from hearing someone walk through why they made the choices they did. At our next Modash Live (May 26), we’re bringing in two marketers to share how they run their affiliate programs.

Two different brands, two different approaches, a lot to learn.

Save your spot

I’m obsessed with Safiya Nygaard. 

Who she is: She’s a former Buzzfeed creator turned YouTuber who makes videos ranging from melting every Sephora lipstick into a Frankenlipstick, to staying in an Ice hotel in Sweden, to buying sketchy formal dresses online to see what they look like in real life. 

Why she’s worth a follow: It’s pure entertainment. Safiya pretty much just lets her intrusive thoughts win over and over again. There’s no actual rhyme or reason to her content – but don’t let that fool you. Her videos are ultra-high-quality, with a ton of thought put into them. 

And honestly, who doesn’t deeply want to know what wedding dresses from Wish look like in person? Or what an underwater hotel is like? Or what would happen if you mixed every eyeshadow you have? 

Dream collab: She’s released merch before – but I’d love to see her collab with one of those cheeky t-shirt companies like Boredwalk. They both have similar vibes, and I could see a collab on custom merch being a must-have. 

So tell me – what have you done lately to create a memorable experience for your creators? Hit reply and let me know. 

Whitney (Now 50% more Whitastic in every bite!)
Content R&D at Modash. Send hate mail to LinkedIn

Do you have friends and coworkers who might enjoy this newsletter? Spread the joy by sharing this email.