Before and After: A Brand That Bet on Influencer Marketing – The Success Story of Hawkers

Can an emerging brand take off solely through influencer marketing? That was the big question four young entrepreneurs from Elche asked themselves back in 2013 when they decided to launch Hawkers. Twelve years later, Hawkers generates over €40 million in annual revenue and has become one of the most recognized brands in the industry.

The key? A strategy rooted in digital marketing and, most importantly, a then-innovative approach: relying on people to tell their story. What we now call influencer marketing was, in part, a pioneering move on their part. Let’s take a look at how they did it.

Who are they and how did it all start?

Hawkers was born from the drive of four friends who, with no experience in the fashion world, decided to take a chance by reselling sunglasses online. When they saw the idea was working, they took it a step further and decided to create their own brand.

With limited resources but plenty of creativity, their model was clear from the beginning: direct online sales, no middlemen or physical stores, with a modern and accessible image for everyone.

They came up with a simple yet revolutionary idea: use digital word-of-mouth as their engine for growth. They didn’t need traditional advertising. They needed people to talk about them.

Their bet on influencer marketing

When no one was talking about the term “influencers” yet, Hawkers was already forging relationships with profiles that conveyed style, personality and confidence. Their strategy was clear: send free eyewear to models, photographers and users with an attractive feed. Without asking for anything in return. No mentions, no promoted posts. Trusting that, if they liked them, they would wear and share them.

And it worked. In a short time, the glasses were appearing in photos from cities like New York, Monaco or Santorini, generating an international image without having left Elche. It was a way of creating quality content and projecting an aspirational brand that connected with young audiences.

Over time, the eyewear began to appear naturally on celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment. One prominent example was Paula Echevarría, who was an early consumer of the brand and later became an official ambassador.

But the real success was to understand that influence does not depend on the number of followers, but on the connection with the audience. That’s why they also bet on profiles that today we know as “microinfluencers”. They sent thousands of glasses to these users, making the brand go viral in an organic and powerful way.

Far from following the classic formulas, Hawkers grasped that the power was no longer in conventional advertising, but in real recommendations within digital environments. This intuition allowed them to position themselves as a pioneer and successful case of strategic influencer marketing.

The real impact of influencer marketing

Hawkers’ strategy was so coherent and well-executed that results soon followed:

• From emerging to international brand: in three years, turnover exceeded 40 million euros.
• More than 140 countries: strong expansion, especially in Hispanic and European markets.
• Success in social networks: 1.6 million followers and high engagement.
• Viral sales: its campaigns sold out collections in a matter of hours.
• Physical stores: after their online success, today they have 90 points of sale.

Success story: DOGMA campaign in Ibiza

Among the most outstanding Hawkers campaigns, “Dogma” stands out, the campaign that took influencer marketing to another level. Ibiza, summer, a dream villa… and a group of influencers sharing their day-to-day life with glasses that were already a trend.

For several weeks, these content creators lived together while documenting their experience in a natural way. And the result was a digital phenomenon:

• More than 123 million impressions on social networks.
• 3.5 million interactions.
• 2.3 million likes and 3 million views.

Results that marked a before and after not only for the brand, but for the entire fashion industry on social networks.

When a brand stops selling and starts inspiring through stories, it stops being a logo and becomes a symbol that people dream of being part of.

So… why bet on influencer marketing?

The Hawkers case is not just a success story: it is a wake-up call for all those brands that still doubt the power of authenticity. Betting on influencer marketing does not mean paying for publications, but building real relationships, connecting with communities and leaving a mark.

It’s not about looking for the profile with the most followers, but the one that best fits your identity. Surround yourself with people who can talk about your brand with passion. Because when the strategy is aligned with your values, the result is more than visibility: it is trust.

Today, in an environment saturated with advertising impacts, personal recommendation remains one of the most powerful tools.  Hawkers understood this when no one else saw it, and that’s why it managed not only to sell eyewear, but to create a movement.

The takeaway? Influencer marketing isn’t a fad. It’s a way of communicating. And used well, it can define the before and after of a brand.