How Celestyal used influencers to increase bookings and brand visibility

Brand Snapshot

Celestyal Cruises is known for something a lot of cruise lines don’t always get right: a genuinely authentic, destination-focused experience.

Their trips revolve around culture, people, food, and the feeling of actually being in the places you visit, not just passing through them.

The company operates with smaller ships, as they don't really talk about the number of people working for them much but more pride upon their smaller more intimate ships.

Celestyal sits firmly in the cruise travel space, attracting curious travellers aged 30 and over who want something more personal than the typical mega-ship experience.

These are people who love exploring local traditions, trying new cuisines, and taking home something more meaningful than a postcard.

And while Celestyal has long had a strong reputation offline, the digital travel world has changed fast.

Travellers now book after seeing videos, hearing recommendations, or spotting a creator’s experience online. That shift opened up a huge opportunity for Celestyal.

Leading the charge is Sebastien Pelisse, Manager of Trade & Influencer Marketing.

He was tasked with expanding the brand’s online presence, building visibility, and finding a more modern way to inspire bookings.

On influencer marketing, Seb said:

“It sits in our direct marketing strategy. What we try to do more with influencers is the conversion bits. So we want to see bookings and we want to see people visiting our website.”


The Challenge

Before shifting to a new approach, Celestyal faced a few key hurdles.

They needed more bookings, so their biggest priority was driving more conversions.

Traditional marketing was solid, but not enough on its own, not in a world where most travellers now discover trips through creators or social media.

They needed a bigger, better library of high-quality, authentic content. Not glossy, scripted ads, but real people capturing moments travellers could relate to.

Working with individual influencers was expensive. One-off partnerships, high fees and long negotiations all added up quickly.

Most of their previous influencer work came through PR outreach or cold DMs. It took ages to coordinate, and Seb was building the influencer side of the business alone. The method wasn’t scalable.

They needed a wider pool of creators and a smoother way to run campaigns without stretching budgets further.

“We had to find something flexible and affordable, and The Influence Room gave us the flexibility, with managing campaigns and looking for influencers.”

 

The Turning Point

Before choosing The Influence Room, Celestyal also considered other agencies. However, nothing offered the combination of cost efficiency, scale, variety, and genuine creator interest.

The decision came down to authenticity and value.

Creators applying organically meant the content would feel real and not forced.

The platform opened the door to a much larger pool of creators, which meant more styles, more audiences, and more chances to inspire the right travellers.

“It could have been something organic. And this is what we wanted and this is what I wanted because the result behind was so much better. It was exponential to what we were expecting, because it doesn’t feel like an ad.”

 

Strategic Content

For Seb and the team, influencer marketing wasn’t just another channel, it was a way to show the reality of the Celestyal experience.

Real cabins, real food, real destinations, real passengers.

The main goal was clear:

Travel is emotional, and social content is one of the most powerful tools for pulling people in.

A single creator video showing a sunset on deck or a small taverna in Mykonos does more than a polished brochure ever could.

Before working with The Influence Room, Celestyal were already thinking about how they could step into this space more confidently.

Especially as they saw other travel brands using creators to inspire large numbers of new guests.

The Experience

Once Celestyal joined The Influence Room, the difference was immediate.

Seb described the setup as straightforward and stress-free.

Instead of juggling spreadsheets, email chains, and slow approvals, everything moved into one place.

Campaign briefs went out quickly. Pitches came in fast. And reviewing creators took mere minutes.

One of the biggest wins was the sheer variety of creators.

From couples documenting their travels to solo adventurers showing day-in-the-life clips onboard.

The mix gave Celestyal exactly what they’d been missing: honest, diverse content that travellers trust.

The assets they received weren’t just pretty, they were useful. Quality content became a library the team could tap into and re-use again and again on multiple platforms.

For a travel brand, this kind of evergreen content is priceless.

A big surprise was how deeply the creators captured the essence of Celestyal with local flavours, warm service, and the unique feeling of exploring smaller, culture-rich ports.

The team saw audiences responding not just to the visuals, but the storytelling.

Stakeholders quickly recognised the value. The volume of content. The quality. The increase in visibility.

Seb, who was managing influencer marketing alone, was suddenly able to run large campaigns without the usual overwhelm.

Seb also highlighted how easy it was to work with the TIR team on the platform. In his words:

“It was made really easy, you get like a whole platform that's simple and easy to use, and you’ve got a massive base of creators. It's just perfect. And behind this, they handle measuring results, doing the reports, all the analysis we need”

The campaigns felt organised, collaborative, and energising, far from the manual work of their old process.

Since working with The Influence Room, Celestyal has seen numerous successes.

The two brands were nominated together for the Travel Creator Marketing Campaign of the Year at the 2025 bCreator awards, essentially the Oscars for creators.

That campaign in question was none other than the cruise across the Arabian Gulf, filled with desert adventures, traditional souks, dolphin watching and the typical glitz and glamour.

The campaign was a phenomenal success with 7.7M reach and 9.3M impressions from only 12 influencers.

The Results

Across four campaigns, Celestyal achieved results that genuinely shifted their digital presence:

For a brand stepping into influencer marketing at scale, these numbers were a major leap forward.

The Heavenly 7 Night Med Cruise delivered extraordinary results:

What made this campaign special wasn’t just the numbers.

The creators captured the emotion of travel, the warmth of Greek hospitality, and the magic of Mediterranean destinations.

With more bookings coming in, a richer visual library, and an engaged digital audience, there was full confidence internally to continue investing in influencer marketing.

“The results we thought did really well, and were amazing! We had a boost in bookings off the back of our first campaign, which was really well perceived.”

 

Standout Creator Moment

One creator who had a huge impact was Saffron Rose.

Her content felt effortlessly humorous and  that showed what travelling with Celestyal actually feels like with a light-hearted twist.

Her results speak for themselves:

Her videos didn’t try to be picture perfect. They were honest, inviting and offered something different. And that authenticity resonated.

 

Conclusion

Celestyal’s move into influencer marketing shows the power of real storytelling in travel.

By embracing creators who love exploring the world, they didn’t just increase visibility.

They built trust, inspired new travellers, and created a content library that keeps performing campaign after campaign.

Celestyal has firmly established itself as a brand that understands modern travel behaviour.

To conclude Seb said:

“I feel like any brand who wants to work on a gifted basis should reach out to The Influence Room. They can help them get people interested, and give them standout content.”

For travel brands looking to build brand awareness the way Celestyal did, you can explore how to elevate your brand or learn how to find the right influencers to connect with your audience.

Book a demo with The Influence Room and discover how creator partnerships can reshape your marketing.

How Canterbury generated 1.8m reach for the British & Irish Lions

Brand Snapshot

Canterbury has been part of rugby for so long, the brand is one of those names you grow up with.

Maybe it was the first kit you wore at school, maybe it was the jersey your parents bought before a big match, or maybe it’s still the stuff you throw on for training.

They’ve been involved at every level of the game, from muddy community pitches right up to the huge international fixtures.

The company itself is only between 201-500  people, but they’ve managed to stay firmly rooted in the rugby world.

Their audience is anyone who loves the sport: kids just starting out, weekend warriors, die-hard fans who’ve followed the same team their whole life.

What ties all these people together is the same set of values rugby is built on: tradition, honesty, community, and a sense of belonging.

That’s why Canterbury stands out. Their kit isn’t just another bit of sportswear, it feels like part of the sport’s history and tradition.

They’ve earned trust across professional teams and grassroots sides, and they’ve been a big part of bridging the gap as women’s rugby continues to grow at speed.

For fans, the shirt isn’t just something you buy, it’s something you feel part of.

The British & Irish Lions squad announcement is always a major moment in the rugby calendar, and Canterbury wanted to make sure people didn’t just watch it, they wanted them to feel it.

They wanted fans, especially younger audiences, to share that pride, put on the jersey, and be part of something bigger.

That’s where influencer marketing came in.


The Challenge

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Before they made the shift, Canterbury found themselves at a crossroads.

They had heritage, credibility, and a huge legacy behind them.

But visibility among younger audiences and even among casual rugby fans needed a boost.

With the world of sport ever-evolving, Canterbury wanted to make sure they stayed on people’s minds, particularly during major moments like the Lions announcement.

The main challenges were:

1. Growing their online presence

The brand wanted to reach beyond the traditional rugby crowd and get more people excited about the shirt, the squad, and what it represents. They needed fresh visibility in a crowded space.

2. Creating inspiring, fan-led content

Supporters aren’t just looking for official imagery anymore, they want real people showing real reactions. Canterbury wanted content that felt genuine, not overly branded.

3. Reconnecting with younger fans

Rugby is evolving, and the next generation consumes the sport differently. Canterbury knew this was the moment to make younger audiences feel part of the Lions story.

4. Building a bigger library of authentic assets

They needed more depth, more variety, and content that didn’t expire after a single campaign.

The “before” feeling was that they were doing good work, but not reaching as far or as deeply as they could.

They wanted every fan across the four nations to feel directly connected to the squad announcement,  that sense of belonging the Lions are known for.

Something had to shift.

 

The Turning Point

The real switch came when the team realised that traditional content alone wasn’t enough. They needed something more dynamic and more fan-led.

They wanted supporters to feel proud when they wore the jersey and to see people they relate to wearing it too.

That sense of shared pride is powerful, and it spreads much faster when creators are part of the narrative.

The trigger moment was recognising that influencer-generated content could deliver what they were missing: wider awareness, emotional storytelling, and a route to audiences who live on social platforms.

With The Influence Room, the value was immediately clear, they could get far more variety, far more reach, and far more authentic storytelling for the same investment.

What convinced the team was the simple fact that social media is a huge part of fandom now.

Fans want to feel close to the squad, and creators help build that bridge in a way brands simply can’t do alone.

The Influence Room offered the right mix of volume, relevance, and connection.

 

Strategic Content

The squad announcement for the British & Irish Lions is a cultural event as much as a sporting one.

Canterbury wanted to make it louder, wider, and more emotionally charged by tapping into social media, where the rugby conversation is happening every day, especially with younger supporters.

Their goal was simple but powerful:
Build brand awareness around the announcement and give the new jersey the attention it deserved.

The brand realised pretty quickly that social media isn’t just a place to push out updates anymore.

It’s where fans actually find things, talk about them, argue about them, and show support for the teams they’re obsessed with.

And with the Lions bringing together four nations under one badge, there was a real chance to build something that felt genuinely shared and that came from the fans as much as it was made for them.

Influencer marketing offered reach, personality, and authenticity.

It let everyday fans and rugby advocates tell the story from their own point of view, instead of relying solely on big campaigns or polished studio content.

For Canterbury, this wasn’t about chasing trends. It was about giving supporters more ways to feel involved.

The Experience

ashlifecoach

Once Canterbury launched the campaign through The Influence Room, things moved quickly and naturally.

The platform made it straightforward to get the campaign moving.

Briefs, creator selection, approvals, it all slotted smoothly into their marketing process. No heavy admin. No long delays. Just a clean setup that saved the team time and opened up a new way of working.

The creators weren’t random influencers, they were rugby fans, lifestyle creators, fitness advocates, and people who understood what the Lions represent.

Their passion translated directly into the content. Supporters could see it wasn’t just a paid post. It was genuine excitement and social proof.

The mix of creators meant the campaign reached audiences across different corners of social media, such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, reels, reaction videos, quick unboxings, styling content, and even family-focused posts.

An unexpected win was seeing how many fans engaged not just with the creators, but with Canterbury itself.

People were talking about the shirt, tagging friends, sharing anticipation for the squad, and showing their own connection to the team.

The response inside the business was overwhelmingly positive. The team could feel how the campaign changed the energy around the launch.

Supporters felt included. Younger fans felt spoken to. And Canterbury gained a new layer of relevance online.

The Influence Room team behind the platform helped streamline the process making it far easier for Canterbury to focus on storytelling rather than logistics.

With everything coming together it felt like the right partnership at the right time.

The Results

The "British & Irish Lions Rugby Shirt" campaign exceeded expectations across the board with:

For a campaign tied to a single moment like the squad announcement, the scale and depth of the content made a real impact.

The assets weren’t just high-performing, they felt personal. Real fans wearing the shirt. Real reactions. Real excitement.

Internal confidence surged as well. Stakeholders could clearly see how influencer marketing contributed to the growing excitement and recognition around the launch.

 

Standout Creator Moment

One creator who made a huge mark on the campaign was Oliver Phelps.

His posts generated an incredible response:

His content found the  perfect balance between his personality and rugby pride.

Fans loved seeing a recognisable figure sharing the moment of the squad announcement and kit launch in such an authentic, relatable way.

“I really enjoyed working with Canterbury on this campaign, they were very easy to work with and provided the rugby shirt very promptly.” - Oliver

Conclusion

Canterbury’s work with the British & Irish Lions is a good example of what happens when a long-standing rugby brand opens itself up to how fans actually talk online and share moments today.

They brought creators into the mix, the people who already live and breathe the sport. That didn’t just get more eyes on the launch; it made supporters feel closer to the players and created a real buzz around the new jersey.

The results speak for themselves: over 1.8M people reached and 2.4M impressions. More importantly, it delivered the kind of scale, energy, and honesty the launch needed.

For Canterbury, it signalled a shift,  moving towards a style of communication that feels more connected to the fans and the wider rugby community.

Does your brand want to build deeper visibility and reach new audiences through creators?

Explore how to elevate your brand, learn how to find the right influencers, and discover how brand ambassadors can transform long-term awareness.

Ready to build your next standout campaign?

Book a demo with The Influence Room and see how creator partnerships can move your brand forward.

How Coopers increased brand exposure with 279K impressions

Brand Snapshot

Coopers of Stortford has been a familiar name in British homes for decades.

Known for its mix of traditional home essentials and innovative products, the brand has carved out a loyal customer base who value the way they make daily life easier.

Coopers has a team of 51-200 employees and sits in the home and garden retail sector with an audience of predominantly adults aged 30–40.

Mums and homeowners looking for everyday household items are their bread and butter; These customers want products that work, last, and feel thoughtfully designed.

But while their catalogue has always performed well offline, the digital space represented a huge opportunity, one the team knew they needed to step into more confidently.

Leading that effort was Kay Hutcheson, Head of Product Marketing, whose focus has been strengthening brand visibility, expanding online reach, and growing an engaged social community.

As Kay put it:

“We’ve always had such a large range of products that we need to get out there and be seen.”

For Kay and the marketing team, Coopers’ products have always spoken for themselves.

The challenge was making sure more people heard them, and more eyes were on what they were producing.


The Challenge

 

Like many home and garden retailers navigating the digital shift, Coopers faced a few hurdles.

They had a strong offline presence, but struggled to translate that into digital recognition. 

In a competitive retail market filled with large household names, it was easy for their products to get overshadowed.

Traditional channels weren’t just expensive, they didn’t offer the variety of content the team needed. The costs were not matching the output.

Coopers needed assets that could live beyond a single campaign for social posts, ads, and seasonal promotions. They wanted content libraries they could build over time.

Their customer base meant they needed creators who naturally aligned with their demographic, not just anyone with a large following.

Overall, Coopers were struggling to grow their online name recognition. 

They were a small company in comparison to bigger competitors, and with a selective audience, they needed an approach that stretched their budget further while amplifying brand awareness.

They weren’t just searching for exposure. They were searching for the right exposure.

As Kay summed it up:

“With you guys it's a lot more authentic and we get that exposure, on Instagram, on Facebook, and on Tik Tok which we wouldn't get from the other influencers.”

 

The Turning Point

The turning point came when the team realised their existing approach just wasn’t moving the needle online.

They needed more eyes on the brand, more regular content, and an easier way to share their story without stretching the team too thin.

That’s when Kay spotted the gap.

Influencer-generated content could give them something freelancers couldn’t: more volume, more variety, and the bonus of creators sharing the content with their own audiences.

They’d used freelancers before, but the costs were similar to The Influence Room and the output didn’t come close.

The team was paying the same but walking away with far fewer assets.

Transitioning to The Influence Room meant:

The decision came down to value and efficiency.

The platform gave them access to a wide pool of creators, each producing unique, reusable content, something freelancers simply couldn’t match in volume.

What convinced them to act was simple:

“We realised we could get even more content for the same cost and we were able to carve out more of a social brand, which we didn't have previously, which has been quite nice.”

 

Strategic Content

Before using creators, online brand exposure was something of an untapped territory for Coopers.

Their traditional customer base was strong, but social media offered something they couldn’t ignore: visibility, relevance, and ongoing interaction with new audiences.

Kay and the team knew that building brand exposure wasn’t just a “nice to have” it was a necessary part of modern retail.

The goal was clear:

Influencer marketing became the natural next step.

Coopers didn’t want polished ad-style partnerships, they needed real creators producing real content that could live on their social channels long after campaigns ended.

It wasn’t just about reach. It was about brand exposure that felt genuine.

The Experience

Once they joined The Influence Room, Kay described the platform setup as refreshing.

Everything was clear, intuitive, and built for marketers who need results without endless admin.

Campaigns that previously took hours to organise were now handled in minutes.

Uploading briefs, reviewing pitches and approving creators fit naturally into their workflow, saving the team valuable time.

The creators delivered exactly what Coopers had been searching for: beautiful, evergreen content that could be repurposed across channels.

From product demos to cosy winter lifestyle shots, creators showcased items in real homes, offering far more authenticity than studio content ever could.

The team quickly noticed an added bonus: creators were posting content that looked organic, relatable, and trustworthy.

This wasn’t just exposure; it was social proof, an area Coopers had been eager to strengthen.

The reaction internally was immediate. Stakeholders were genuinely impressed by how quickly the content came through and how visible the brand suddenly became online.

Having such a steady stream of creator-made assets took a huge weight off the marketing team. 

Instead of constantly trying to produce content themselves, they finally had the space to focus on the bigger picture and plan ahead.

For a small team, that shift made a massive difference.

Coopers also highlighted how helpful The Influence Room team was throughout the process. Campaigns felt smoother, easier, and more organised than anything they had run before.

“The platform has worked very well for us, definitely for the UGC content you get a lot more quality content for the price tag.”

Influencer marketing had felt like a big leap, but The Influence Room made it feel effortless.

The Results

The “Winter Warmers” campaign became a turning point for Coopers’ online visibility.

Across 10 campaigns, the cumulative results were:

For a brand stepping into influencer marketing more seriously, these numbers represented a major leap forward.

The spotlight Winter Warmers campaign produced:

This wasn’t just surface-level awareness. 

Coopers saw stronger audience interaction, better recognition across social platforms, and a noticeable lift in followers who resonated with the warm, relatable content creators posted.

Confidence grew quickly. Teams could see the direct benefit influencer marketing brought to the table, especially the high volume of quality assets that could fuel marketing activity for months.

Without The Influence Room, Kay said:

“If we weren't working with you, we probably would have spent another couple months floundering around for a bit figuring out what we were doing, being super behind on video content creation.”

But they did not have to worry…

With their online presence strengthened and brand exposure growing, it became easy for leadership to approve continued budget toward creator-driven campaigns.

 

Standout Creator Moment

One creator who really stood out during the Winter Warmers campaign was Sylwia Wasik.

The way she shared Coopers’ products felt completely natural, like someone showing what they actually use in their home, rather than a staged photoshoot.

Sylwia delivered:

She posted about winter essentials in her own space, with warm lighting, small family moments in the background, and rooms that felt lived-in.

It resonated deeply  with audiences because it felt like it came from someone who genuinely used and enjoyed the products.

 

Conclusion

Coopers’ move into influencer marketing shows what can happen when a traditional retail brand tries something a bit different.

Working with creators didn’t just put their name in front of more people.

It helped them build trust with their audience, get people genuinely interacting with the brand, and create a stash of content they can keep using long after a campaign finishes.

It’s the kind of work that keeps giving, rather than disappearing the moment the campaign ends.

From 279K impressions in a single flagship campaign to more than 1M cumulative reach, the results reflect a brand that has successfully expanded its digital footprint and evolved.

For Coopers, The Influence Room didn’t just provide influencers. It provided momentum and the brand exposure they were ultimately seeking.

If you want to elevate your brand like Coopers of Stortford, book a demo with us at The Influence Room today for unforgettable results and a bank of even more beautiful content!