Buldak
What happens when the internet’s spiciest obsession takes over the streets IRL?
Influencer Strategy
Influencer Brief
THE SITUATION
This wasn’t just a project—it was my capstone, the final challenge of my college years 🎓. And what better topic than dating?
Let’s be real—dating apps are everywhere. There’s an app for casual hookups, an app for serious relationships, an app for niche communities… and people just download them all. The problem? Choice fatigue. With so many options, dating apps start to blend together, making it hard for any one platform to truly stand out.
Enter Hinge. Unlike swipe-heavy apps, Hinge is all about “Designed to be deleted”—but how can they get more people to see them as the go-to app for finding real love? That’s exactly what I set out to uncover.
THE CHALLENGE
The dating app market is oversaturated, so Hinge needed a game plan to rise above the noise 🔊. My mission? Develop a full-scale marketing strategy to position Hinge as the top dating app for people looking for something real ❤️.
THE SITUATION
When you think of spicy food, what comes to mind? Maybe a fiery hot ramen? If it’s spicy, it’s Buldak. The reigning champ of heat—the one that leaves you sweating, panting, and somehow craving more. And if you’ve been online, you know the hype is real. TikTok? YouTube? It’s everywhere—people gulping down water, crying through challenges, all for that signature Buldak burn.
But now, the heat is stepping off the screen and into real life. Buldak Rider and the Sauce Swap marked a major move in bringing Buldak deeper into the U.S. market, turning digital hype into real-world buzz across NYC and LA.
THE CHALLENGE
Get the word out. Drive influencer and power page participation. Build buzz. Oh, and casually launch a new sauce while we’re at it.
Two objectives, one red-hot mission:
🔥 Ignite passion among Buldak’s die-hard fans for the new sauce.
🔥 Spark curiosity among spice-curious foodies who haven’t yet dared to try the heat.
THE STRATEGIC APPROACH
First, we dove into the data. Google Insights helped us map out the Buldak audience—their interests, sub-interests, and the best way to reach them. From there, we crafted a multi-layered content strategy, activating three key groups:
✅ LOCAL BUZZ DRIVERS – NYC and LA-based food influencers who spotlight what’s trending in their cities, making Buldak the hottest thing on the menu.
✅ VIRAL POWER PAGES – Editorial and meme accounts (think Complex, Pubity, and more) responsible for driving cultural conversations and turning moments into viral trends.
✅ MICRO NICHE INFLUENCERS – Creators within foodie subcultures and adjacent communities (fitness junkies, extreme eaters, gamers) who could introduce new audiences to Buldak’s spice-fueled world.
With this game plan, we handpicked content creators, briefed them on Buldak’s fiery mission, and mapped out exactly how they’d drive online and offline buzz across key touchpoints.
THE RESULTS
We put our strategy into action, curating the perfect mix of influencers, power pages, and meme accounts. From outreach to briefing, we ensured every partner knew their role in bringing the heat. And the results? Scorching.
🔥 25+ influencers and power pages activated
🔥 28.9M impressions generated
🔥 7.95% engagement rate—because people couldn’t get enough
Buldak Rider and the Sauce Swap turned up the heat in NYC and LA, and with the help of our content army, the spice spread far beyond city limits. Mission accomplished. 🌶️