Swipe left for visuals
IMMI / SELECTED WORKTHE COLLABORATORS 01 02 03 04
Brand Collabs
Co-created content with 16 brand partners, generating 600K+ organic views at $3.23 per 1,000 views—approximately 80% below our $16.55 baseline.
Brand partners16
Organic views600K+
Cost / 1K views$3.23
My role
I led partner selection, developed the creative concepts and collaboration structure, and managed outreach and partner coordination. Freelance creators produced the content, with costs shared among participating brands and approval from each partner.
The challenge
Recipe Reels averaged 8K views, follower growth was limited, and familiar accounts dominated the comments. We needed a way to introduce immi to relevant new audiences and expand the engaged audience our growth team could potentially retarget.
Read more about the challenge
immi’s Instagram reach had plateaued. Our recipe Reels averaged 8K views, follower growth was limited, and many comments came from the same familiar accounts. These signals suggested we needed new ways to introduce the brand to relevant audiences.
The goal was to expand brand discovery and grow the pool of engaged people our growth team could potentially retarget through meta ads.
My approach
Use shared distribution
Collaborative Reels let a single piece of content appear across participating brands’ accounts, creating an opening to reach each other’s audiences.
Choose partners deliberately
I evaluated audience access, natural creative fit, and an engaged, growing community. Input from our Director of Retail surfaced products customers bought alongside immi.
Bring a concrete proposal
I prioritized five brands and developed one or two concepts for each, with proposed costs and a clear structure. I managed outreach and coordination; freelance creators produced the content, with shared costs and partner approval.
Read more: partner framework & production
Key insight
Instagram’s collaborative Reels format let us publish a shared piece of content across participating brands’ accounts, creating an opportunity to introduce each brand to the other’s audience.
Partner selection
I evaluated potential partners against three criteria:
- Audience: Could we introduce each other to relevant audiences we weren’t already reaching?
- Creative fit: Could our products come together organically, not forced, in engaging content?
- Community: Did the brand have an engaged, growing Instagram community?
I also worked with our Director of Retail to identify products customers often bought alongside immi, uncovering potential partners beyond the obvious recipe pairings.
Outreach and coordination
I initially prioritized five brands and developed one or two concepts for each, including proposed costs and a clear collaboration structure. Bringing a concrete idea made the opportunity easier to evaluate and say yes to.
I contacted prospective partners through Instagram and aligned on the concept, product contributions, cost sharing, and posting schedule before production. Freelance creators produced the content, which went through partner approval before publication.
We scheduled posts around periods when our Instagram account received the most traffic.
Outcome
- 18 co-branded pieces of content across 16 brand partners
- 600K+ organic views
- $3.23 CPM (80% less than our baseline of $16.55), based on creator and product-shipping costs
- As the program developed, collaborations expanded beyond recipes into giveaways, retail availability messaging, and a Gopuff collaboration.
What I learned
Shared challenges made buy-in easier. Brands facing similar reach challenges were receptive to a concrete way to reach relevant new audiences.
Audience connection mattered more than an obvious pairing. Retail messaging and giveaways expanded the program beyond recipes. Future partners would need a natural creative connection and a clear benefit for both audiences.
Read more about the lessons
A shared challenge made buy-in easier.
Other brands were experiencing similar reach challenges, so a concrete opportunity to reach relevant new audiences attracted more interest than I expected.
Collaboration didn’t have to mean a recipe.
Sharing which retailers and shelves both brands were stocked in and doing joint giveaways created additional reasons to work together, expanding the range of partners and concepts we could pursue.
A credible audience connection matters more than an obvious product pairing.
If I continued the program, I would test partners in fitness apparel, skincare, and cookware against the same selection framework. Each collaboration would need a natural creative connection and a clear benefit for both audiences.
END OF LINER NOTES ↟
THE COLLABORATIONS01 / 06
Scroll for more!Swipe for more!
