How Arabica Scaled from No Influencer Strategy to 100 Monthly Partnerships
See how Arabica reached 1.2M impressions working with 100 creators a month using Storytime. Explore the full case study.
“If you asked me about influencers and impressions, I wouldn’t even know where to start. I’m relieved Storytime handles that for us.”
About % Arabica
% Arabica is a premium global coffee brand inspired by Japanese minimalism and a passion for quality. Founded by a Japanese entrepreneur, the brand was created to bring exceptional coffee to people around the world, offering not just a drink, but an experience.
Catering to young professionals and global travelers, % Arabica is known for its clean aesthetic, attention to detail, and dedication to the art of coffee. The name “Arabica” refers to the highest quality variety of coffee beans, while the percent symbol (%) carries a dual meaning: representing two coffee cherries on a branch and serving as a universal symbol recognized across all languages.
What Led Arabica to Storytime
Arabica first discovered Storytime as a new way to connect with local creators and bring more local people into their cafés. Emma, the brand’s social media manager, decided to test the platform, and one of her first videos with Storytime instantly went viral. After hosting a few successful events with Storytime creators, the team saw firsthand how effective the platform was in building authentic, local buzz.
Before joining Storytime, Arabica had never worked with influencers or boosted posts. Like many brands, they didn’t have a large marketing budget, and managing influencer campaigns felt intimidating. “If you asked me about influencers and impressions, I wouldn’t even know where to start, I’m relieved Storytime handles that for us,” said Molly.
What stood out to her most was Storytime’s focus on local micro-influencers. “I love that Storytime highlights creators in the city who actually come in and post for people who can visit us and become real customers - not someone across the world who’ll never be able to stop by,” she explained. This local approach helped Arabica generate real awareness, drive foot traffic, and grow an authentic community around their cafés, all while keeping marketing effortless.
From 0 to 100
Within the first few months of joining Storytime, Arabica grew from having zero influencer activity to hosting over 100 creators per month. The café quickly became a go-to spot for local content, not because of paid campaigns, but because Storytime creators genuinely resonated with the product itself. “I think Arabica as a brand is easy to engage with because the product is super Instagrammable.” Molly shared.
“It’s not necessarily about creating something viral, it’s about creating something consistent.”
Arabica has been using Storytime for over a year now, and they continue to see a steady flow of creators visiting their cafés every month. The constant stream of user-generated content has become one of their biggest marketing assets; the team regularly reuses creators’ photos and videos across their own social channels, keeping their feed fresh and authentic without needing to produce content in-house. With Storytime, Arabica’s online presence grows naturally, the brand truly does the work on its own.
Measurable Impact
In just one year with Storytime, Arabica generated 1.2 million impressions, all through authentic, local content. What started with 18 influencer posts per month quickly scaled to 100, helping Arabica reach over 300,000 customers nearby, without spending a dollar on paid ads.
From 18 influencer posts in the first active month (Sept 2024) to 100 posts by May 2025, Storytime helped Arabica achieve a 455% increase in monthly creator output.