Logitech may not seem like the most obvious gen-Z brand.
But in addition to computer mouses, keyboards and headsets, the Swiss hardware manufacturer is also a big seller of mics and streaming equipment for creators on platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
To better cater to this growing audience, Logitech brought on Meridith Rojas as its global head of creator marketing in August. Rojas founded influencer marketing startup DigiTour Media in 2011, which sold a minority stake to Viacom in 2015 at a $30 million valuation.
Having been in the influencer space since the beginning, Rojas knows that gen-Z wants to feel like they’re friends with their favorite creators. And to authentically play in the influencer space, brands have to be invited in. That starts with serving more than just a product, Rojas said.
“We have to serve relationships, personality and an understanding of what they need,” she said.
At Logitech, influencers aren’t just a strategy — they’re also a key audience. So Logitech wants to cater to them in the form of an exclusive influencer club, called Castle, which will launch next year. The members-only club will bring together creattors for exclusive, Instagram-worthy events that support their lifestyle and content needs.
“Think Soho House for creators,” Rojas says. “We're shifting from transactional to something more long-term, separate from one-off product pushes.”
While Castle hasn’t officially launched yet, Logitech has already worked on programs with influencers that could serve as a blueprint for future events. The company partnered with influencer at activist Noah Santineo, for example, this fall on an activation to encourage gen-Z to vote called “F-this, I’m voting.” Santineo invited big-name influencers including Kylie Jenner to the event, which racked up more than two billion impressions.
“It was a non-partisan, voter education program completely driven creatively by Noah,” Rojas said. “We were there to facilitate that and make it happen.”
Castle will formalize the community and process for similar future events. Logitech is bringing in a group of founding members to develop a framework for the program, which will involve monthly events that celebrate creator culture and their influence on entertainment and media.
While Logitech is never overtly selling or even front and center at these events — Rohas calls it a “soft touch approach” — the brand hopes by creating a community, it can establish a deeper connection with creators through its brand, while showing them Logitech is more than just a “mouse and keyboard company.”
“We want to be a brand for creators to make their content look and sound better,” Rojas said.
Building a community will take time, but Logitech is in it for the long haul.
“It's about gently letting creators know we're behind the products they love and use, to understand what's missing and where we can play,” Rojas said. “It won't happen overnight.”
