The Challenge: From Excel Chaos to Structure
As a vegan beauty brand, KESS Berlin faced the challenge of building professional and scalable influencer marketing. The start was characterized by Excel lists, manual processes, and unstructured workflows. The central question: How to build an in-house team that works data-driven and can serve international markets?
The Solution: Structure, Data, and the Right People
Under the leadership of Pauline Stark, KESS Berlin developed a systematic approach together with Linkster, based on three pillars: structured processes, data-driven decisions, and professional team building.
Building the Right Team
KESS relied on hiring full-time professionals instead of just interns from the start. The ideal candidates are organized, detail-oriented, stress-resistant, and data-savvy - with a passion for social media and beauty.
Structured Processes Instead of Excel Chaos
With Linkster as the central platform, all processes were digitized and automated:
Data-Driven Influencer Selection
Instead of gut feeling, KESS uses a clear decision path based on qualitative and quantitative KPIs:
"Linkster is my single source of truth in influencer marketing!"
Pauline's Journey to Influencer Marketing Expert
2019
Fashion Management Studies
Foundation for understanding fashion and marketing
2020
Pulse Advertising
First touchpoints with creative influencer marketing
2021
Foodspring
Getting to know performance-based influencer marketing
2021
Start at KESS Berlin
Building a professional in-house team
2024
160-200 Collaborations/Month
Scaling with a 7-person team across 3 markets
The Secret Weapon: Individualized Briefings & Landing Pages
KESS individualizes briefings and landing pages based on various factors to achieve maximum relevance and conversion rates:
Influencer Type
New vs. long-term partners receive different approaches and offers
Target Audience
Community preferences determine product selection and pricing
Product Performance
Bestsellers and favorite products are prominently placed
Budget Level
High-budget collaborations receive more intensive preparation
The Power of Real-Time Data
Linkster replaced Google Analytics at KESS with its real-time capabilities. The most important KPIs are monitored live and used for dynamic campaign optimization:
Clicks
In real-time
Conversion Rate
Live updates
ROAS
Calculated instantly
AOV
Average order value
The KESS Success Recipe
Structure
Clear processes and defined workflows for every step
Data
Decisions based on real-time performance, not gut feeling
People
Investment in trained professionals instead of just interns
Watch the Masterclass
Get exclusive insights into KESS Berlin's complete influencer marketing strategy in the masterclass with Pauline Stark.
Conclusion: Success in Influencer Marketing Needs Structure, Data, and Trained Professionals – Not Luck
"Linkster is my single source of truth in influencer marketing. Without the real-time data and structured processes, scaling to 200 collaborations per month would have been impossible."
- Pauline Stark, Team Lead Influencer Marketing
Outlook: The Future with Linkster
KESS plans to further expand its use of Linkster to reduce even more manual work:
- Automated Invoice Processing: Time savings on administrative tasks
- AI-Based Influencer Discovery: Even more precise predictions for successful collaborations
- Integrated Affiliate Marketing: Building long-term performance partnerships
Download Case Study
Get the complete KESS case study with all details and insights:
Download Case Study (PDF)Ready to Professionalize Your Influencer Marketing?
The success story of KESS Berlin shows: With the right processes, tools, and people, influencer marketing becomes a scalable and profitable sales channel. No more Excel chaos and gut decisions – time for data-driven growth.
Implement structured processes
Use real-time data
Invest in professionals