When is the best time to activate influencer marketing? Most brands ask this question like there’s a perfect date on the calendar.
There isn’t.
The best time to activate influencer marketing is when you have something real to say — and a clear market you want to win.
We’ve seen this play out firsthand.
Le Grec is a Quebec-based brand that wanted to get noticed in Ontario. Not just awareness — actual traction, actual sales, actual movement at shelf.
So we didn’t go national. We went local.
We worked with Ontario-based influencers and content creators who already had credibility in their communities. People who felt familiar to the audience. People who didn’t look like ads.
Because that’s the shift in influencer marketing right now — trust beats reach. Smaller, more local creators often outperform bigger names when it comes to real engagement and conversion.
And it worked.
We’re now heading into round three with them.
That’s the part most brands miss.
Influencer marketing isn’t a one-time hit. It’s not a campaign you test once and walk away from. The real value comes from building momentum — learning what content works, which creators convert, and doubling down.
That’s where it becomes a growth channel, not just a tactic.
In 2026, the brands winning with influencer marketing are treating it like infrastructure — not experimentation. Long-term creator relationships, repeatable content systems, and performance-driven decisions are what drive ROI.
So when is the best time to start?
• When you’re entering a new market
• When you need local credibility fast
• When your paid ads are plateauing
• When your brand has something worth talking about
• When you’re ready to commit beyond one round
Or simply:
When you’re ready to stop guessing and start building something that compounds.
Because the best influencer programs don’t launch once.
They build.
Overview
- A total of seven Influencers throughout Canada were selected
- KOLs selected by influence in the food and lifestyle niche
- Content focused on brand awareness, educate to domestic audience and inspire their audiences to create meals using Le Grec Dressing
View this post on Instagram
Results
Strong Visibility: The campaign reached a massive number of users, with over 116,395 combined reel/story views. This shows that the content was highly engaging and catered to IG’s algorithm where competition for eyeballs is fierce.
Rich Engagement: The campaign generated 2,772 comments, a clear indication of a successful content approach. This sort of two-way engagement is golden in today’s digital landscape, offering a genuine connection between brands and their followers
High Engagement Rate: With an engagement rate of 22%, Le Grec’s campaign outperformed many industry standards. Engagement rate, as a metric, is often a more reliable indicator of campaign success than mere follower increase. Why? Because it signifies genuine interest, interaction, and investment from followers. While follower count gives a sense of brand reach, engagement reflects how effectively a brand resonates with its audience. A highly engaged audience is more likely to be loyal, share content, and ultimately, convert to customers.
Diverse & Rich Content: The collaboration with seven unique influencers brought in a fresh perspective and creativity. This culminated in seven novel recipes, complete with eye-catching images and interactive videos. This not only adds value for the current audience but can be repurposed for future campaigns, offering versatility and maximizing ROI
Influencer Deliverables
Include the use of at least 1 product in their content:
- (1) Recipe
- (1) REEL video
- (1) Instagram story
- (1) Static Image final recipe beauty shot with PRIMARY PRODUCT in full focus *OPTIONAL TO POST
- Follow the official Instagram & Facebook pages @https://www.facebook.com/LeGrecOriginal/
- Tag the brand in every post and use the campaign hashtag #LeGrec
Our content garnered 108,799 views, in stark contrast to the recent content’s 1,404 views. On average, our content creator videos drew 15,543 views, vastly outperforming the recent content’s average of 315.