How Coachella Became the Influencer Olympics 🎡

📊 Did you know?

Retail sales in the US jumped 3.6% in March as consumers anticipated tariffs.
(Source: RetailDive, 2025)

📌 What Marketers Can Steal From Coachella 2025

Did you know it can cost brands at least $100,000 just to show up at Coachella?
And that’s before paying influencers or running any media.

But clearly, for many brands—it’s worth it.
Because they keep coming back, bigger every year.

Why?
Because of creators—and the exposure they drive.

Coachella has become more than a music festival.
It’s what many now call The Olympics of Influencers.

→ 250,000+ attendees
→ $102M+ in earned media value
→ Thousands of creators on-site

It’s a global content engine—and a playbook you can learn from.

Lucky for you, I’ve gone through all the top activations from this year (and a few standouts from the past)…

And I’m breaking them down into 5 key lessons you can use for your next creator campaign.

Ready? Let’s go 👇

1️⃣ Make It Shareable

If it’s not filmed, it didn’t happen.

The most talked-about activations weren’t just “nice setups”— they were built to be filmed. 

Every corner of the Poosh outpost, or the same for Revolve Fest or 818, was designed with influencers in mind.

From the freebie booths to the neon backdrops, they created content factories.

✨ Pro Tip: If your event can’t be turned into a social media moment, it’s not worth doing. Design with UGC in mind from the start.

2️⃣ Partner Up for Double the Impact

Two brands are better than one.

The collaboration between 818 Tequila and Rhode was the perfect example.

They didn’t just throw a party, they created an experience. 

By partnering, they were able to cross-promote to each other's audiences, double the reach, and get more creative with their activations.

According to Click Analytic, you can see that their audience had very similar demographics, which therefore made sense to partner:

✨ Pro Tip: Find the right brand partner who shares your audience and budget. The synergy can double your impact.

You can use a tool like Click Analytic “Search feature” to identify brands with similar audiences. Use the filter “Creator Gender = Neutral” + “Person or Brand = Only Business Accounts” to identify brands only.

3️⃣  Use Your MVPs (Most Valuable Partners)

Your top creators shouldn’t just post—they should be there.

Poppi nailed this by flying out Alix Earle to show up and share real, behind-the-scenes content.

The result? A mix of raw, authentic moments and beautifully curated content that drove sales and engagement.

💡 Pro Tip: Don’t just send products—send your best ambassadors to make the experience feel real.

4️⃣  FOMO is Real—And Powerful

Big names set the tone, but micro-creators make it viral.

The buzz around 818 Tequila’s Outpost didn’t stop with the big influencers.

Micro-creators flooded the scene, snapping pics, sharing behind-the-scenes moments, and creating a chain reaction of content.

✨ Pro Tip: Start with a handful of high-profile creators, but let the micro-influencers spread the hype. It’s a snowball effect that can explode into organic virality.

5️⃣ Start Before the Event Even Begins

Don’t wait for Day 1 to get started.

The smartest brands didn’t wait until Coachella weekend to launch their campaigns.

From teaser content to product seeding, they were building hype weeks before the first DJ dropped their set.

✨ Pro Tip: Plan ahead. Send out lookbook drops, teaser posts, and pre-festival content to build momentum before your event kicks off.

🥇 Why 818 Tequila Was The Standout Brand This Year

818 didn’t just throw a party, they built a full content playground.

Here’s why they were the standout brand at Coachella 2025:

• 🎯 40+ partner brands activated inside their Outpost

• 💄 Viral collab with Rhode brought the best of beauty + beverages

• 📸 Every setup was made for content—photogenic, branded, and interactive

• 🤳 Hundreds of creators attended, from Alix Earle to rising micro-influencers

• 🔁 Endless organic UGC flooded Instagram and TikTok all weekend

  
  Want to win with creators? Start by studying what 818 just did.

🫵 Now it’s your turn!

You don’t need a $100K Coachella budget to take action.

What matters is strategy, not size.

If 818 Tequila can own Coachella, what can you do in your niche?

What if… I could help you find the right creators who would drive thousands of sales for your business.

It’s not easy, but using the right data + getting to know your brand, I can help.

How?

🚀 Book a free strategy call with me.
I’ve led over 200 successful campaigns and was recently featured on Swiss TV for my insights.

🚨 Don’t wait — your competitors won’t.
(Psst… the call is free, no strings attached.)

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