Background

Adobe Photoshop Express needed to enhance its presence on Instagram to become the essential editing app for next-gen creators. This demographic often dismisses traditional brand messages, preferring authenticity and inspiration from peers.

Situation

The app was powerful but underutilized by a younger audience because it lacked the genuine community connection that Gen Z and Gen Alpha value on social platforms like Instagram.

Brief

The challenge was to transform Adobe Photoshop Express from just another app into a community-centric brand that behaves like a creator. This required adopting the communication style and content preferences of Instagram's creative communities.

Objectives

- Resonate authentically with Gen Z and Gen Alpha by integrating into their digital lives as a peer.

- Increase app relevance and usage by demonstrating its value in enhancing creative expression.

- Build a strong community of engaged users, leading to significant growth in followers, interactions, and app downloads.

The creative idea behind the Adobe Photoshop Express campaign was to position the app as a peer within the creative community on Instagram, rather than as a traditional brand. This concept was implemented under the mantra "Become a creator for creators." To embody this, we adopted the authentic voice and style of our target demographic—next-gen creators—thereby fostering a genuine connection and community feel.

Our strategic approach influenced every aspect of our creative execution: from content curation that resonated with next-gen values and cultural moments, like Holi and Lunar New Year, to engaging with our audience through the voices of influential Gen-Z influencers. By leveraging a blend of culture-driving media and creator-first content, the strategy ensured that our posts, collaborations, and community interactions felt native and authentic to the platform, enhancing relevance and engagement.

Strategic Process: We engaged with Gen Z by assembling a braintrust of next-gen creators and conducting global focus groups. This approach helped us tailor content that resonates deeply with our target audience.

Arriving at Insight: Our key insight was recognizing that Gen Z values authenticity and peer-driven content over corporate messaging. This insight was gleaned through collaborative sessions and workshops with creators, tapping into cultural moments and trends relevant to them.

Challenges and Solutions: A major challenge was integrating the brand into the Instagram community authentically. We adopted the voice and tone of a peer, curating content that felt personal and relatable, thus overcoming this barrier.

Breakthrough Moment: The strategy crystallized when we fully embraced the role of creators on Instagram, using culturally relevant media to position Adobe Photoshop Express not just as a tool, but as a facilitator of creativity, forging a genuine connection with the audience.

Adobe Photoshop Express's strategic initiative achieved significant results, elevating the app's social presence and market position on Instagram. We witnessed an 80% increase in followers within a year, reaching 31M accounts globally across 66 boosted posts, with an impressive 2.6% interaction rate. The campaign also spurred a substantial increase in app downloads, with 6 million additional downloads in 2023 compared to the previous year.

Beyond quantitative growth, the strategy significantly enhanced community engagement and brand perception among next-gen creators. This not only improved Adobe Photoshop Express's industry standing but also cultivated a vibrant community, resonating deeply with users. Comments from our audience like "I needed this ♡ I’ve been feeling so out of touch with my creative energy recently" highlight the campaign's emotional impact, demonstrating its success in fostering meaningful connections and affirming its value to the brand.