Winning Kentucky Derby Influencer Campaign Ideas

From horses and hats to mint juleps and celebrity guests, the Kentucky Derby is an event like no other. Its wide appeal makes it a great marketing event, even for brands with no affiliation with horse racing. This year, consider these Kentucky Derby influencer campaign ideas:

4 Kentucky Derby influencer campaigns you can run 

If your brand sells horse tack or hats, marketing ideas are probably easy to come by for the Kentucky Derby. But, no matter what you sell, you can adapt these ideas to fit your brand and use the race as a marketing event. 

Leverage the Derby Hat-wearing trend

Hats are synonymous with The Kentucky Derby — the bigger, the better. As a brand, you can leverage this trend. 

If you happen to make or sell hats, the Derby is a prime time to promote them. Ask an influencer to model different styles for their social media followers. 

Fashion brands could team up with fashion influencers to show off outfit ideas for a party or spring.

Is there a way your brand could feature its product on a DIY Derby hat? A florist, for example, could create a blooming hat, or a craft business could ask an influencer to use its materials to make their own hat. The local influencer can feature the unique hat on social media or wear it to a watch party and share some snaps. 

Host a Derby Gala or a watch party

Your brand could host its own Derby Gala. You could invite customers or clients and ask an influencer to host the event. If you’re working with a larger budget, you could ask Derby influencers like Bruce Clark, a racing manager and TV commentator, or Tom Magnier, the heir of Ireland’s leading stud owner, to make an appearance. You can also ask a Louisville influencer or a local creator in your area.

For a more low-key event, consider hosting a dinner and a watch party. Each year a California-based nonprofit hosts one.  

You could do something similar but work with local Instagram influencers to extend the invite to people in your community.  

Ask an influencer to shoot a “get ready with me” video featuring your product 

The Derby’s main event might be a horse race, but fashion is a close second. People go all out for the Derby, with fancy duds and eye-catching hats. If your brand sells any kind of apparel that could be worn to the Derby or to a watch party, ask an influencer to shoot a “get ready with me” video, like this TikTok where Gaja Wehrle does a special hairdo and puts on a Derby-chic dress. 

Even small companies that sell horse-featured sandals or Derby earrings can leverage this derby influencer campaign idea.  

Work with a makeup artist to envision a creative makeup look with the colors and theme of the Kentucky Derby. The official colors are red, black, gold and white. 

Offer party tips or recipes

Many people have Derby-watching parties. If your brand traditionally shares party-planning tips, recipes, or event hacks, you can create posts to help people prep for their guests. 

You could team up with a baking influencer to share derby-themed cookies, ask a party planner to share DIY tablescapes, connect with a thrifty crafter to make budget-friendly party favors, or collaborate with a cocktail influencer and ask him or her to share their recipe for the event’s famed drink: the mint julep. 

Here’s a simple mint julep recipe shared on TikTok that you could use as inspiration. 

Even landscaping crews and residential cleaning companies can help people prep their homes for a watch party. Team up with a local influencer hosting a watch party and ask him or her to endorse your pre-party services. 

Tips to make your influencer campaign successful

Before you start planning your influencer marketing campaign, here are a few tips to make sure it’s a hit:

Plan accordingly

The Kentucky Derby is held on the first Saturday in May, so prepare accordingly. You can plan Derby-day-specific campaigns or start them a week or two before the event. 

Find the right influencer

Make sure the influencer you work with aligns with your brand’s values, has a good reputation and engagement rate, and has experience collaborating with brands. It’s difficult to manually search social media profiles, so use an influencer marketing platform like The Creator Marketplace® to find a fitting influencer. 

Have a contract ready to go

Before any content is assigned, have a signed influencer contract. The contract should explain the campaign’s purpose, list the deliverables, identify the due dates, specify compensation, and cover content ownership.  

Set and review goals

Every influencer marketing campaign should have a goal and KPIs that you’ll use to gauge success. Once the campaign is complete, review your metrics and investigate your ROI. 

With these campaign ideas and tips, your brand will be ready to leverage the Race for the Roses. 

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