How SM Services Built a Scalable Creator Outreach Engine for IV20 Spirits Using AI + Automation
Executive Summary
This case study is part of Steven Mitt’s Services’ ongoing Digital Startup Playbook research, where we test scalable growth systems that help small teams achieve enterprise-level marketing outcomes using AI, automation, and smart targeting.
SM Services partnered with IV20 Spirits—a cannabis-adjacent alcohol brand known for terpene-infused vodka and elevated lifestyle positioning—to test a core growth hypothesis:
Can a small team run high-volume, persona-targeted creator outreach without paid media or outsourced support, using AI tools and smart automation?
In late 2025, we launched a structured outbound campaign designed to recruit a new wave of creator collaborators at scale while keeping the brand experience fully in-house. Using a multi-layered AI workflow, we executed a segmented outreach system to more than 11,000 curated leads, combining verification, persona-specific messaging, and automated sequencing to drive measurable engagement and creator opt-ins.
This case study breaks down the strategy, workflow, tools, results, and key learnings—so any brand can apply the same framework to build partnerships without overspending.
Client Context
IV20 Spirits occupies a distinct market position: a lifestyle-forward, 420-adjacent spirits brand built for culture, flavor, and experience. The goal was to connect with creators who felt naturally aligned with the brand and build a reliable collaboration pipeline without relying on influencer agencies or paid creator marketplaces.
Campaign Goals
This campaign was designed to achieve two outcomes:
- Recruit creator collaborators for the holiday season and future partnerships
- Increase brand awareness among aligned creators—even when immediate opt-in didn’t occur
Even for creators who didn’t submit the form, the outreach introduced IV20 as a terpene-infused vodka brand operating at the intersection of cannabis-adjacent lifestyle and elevated spirits culture.
Why This Approach (Instead of “Traditional” Influencer Outreach)
Most brands default to one of three approaches:
- Manual influencer scouting and DM outreach
- Cold email done one-off and manually
- Paying an agency to manage partnerships on your behalf
Each option has predictable limitations: manual outreach doesn’t scale, unmanaged cold email risks deliverability issues, and agencies are expensive—while still limiting relationship ownership and control over brand voice.
SM Services recommended a more scalable alternative: a data-driven, automated creator outreach system designed for speed, precision, and measurable outcomes—without losing brand tone or creator respect.
Strategy Overview
We built a repeatable creator acquisition workflow using four core components:
- Creator targeting and list development based on niche alignment
- Double-layer email verification to protect sender reputation
- Persona-based outreach copy to improve relevance and conversion
- Controlled batch sending and automated follow-ups to scale safely and consistently
Execution: AI-Driven Outreach Workflow
1) Creator Targeting & Sourcing
We built a list of approximately 11,000 creator contacts by filtering for cultural alignment and niche relevance, including:
- Cocktail and drink creators sharing innovative, flavor-forward recipes
- Cannabis-adjacent lifestyle creators (terpene audiences, herbal wellness, 420-friendly communities)
- Lifestyle/event creators and cultural tastemakers focused on experience over excess
To further improve quality, creators were prioritized using profile-level indicators such as follower authenticity, engagement health, average reach, and prior brand collaborations.
2) Deliverability Controls (Double Verification)
To reduce bounce risk and protect deliverability at scale, we applied a two-step verification process:
- External verification before importing leads
- A second verification pass inside GoHighLevel
This approach minimized list decay and risk exposure while maintaining high sending efficiency.
3) Persona-Based Copy + AI Optimization
To avoid generic outreach and improve creator fit, messaging was segmented into three persona streams:
- Cocktail creators
- 420/cannabis-adjacent creators
- Lifestyle and event-driven creators
AI tools supported faster iteration across key elements like subject lines, hooks, and call-to-action structure. The messaging stayed aligned with IV20’s tone: culturally fluent, lifestyle-forward, and respectful of creator voice and time.
4) Controlled Batch Sending + Automated Sequences
Instead of sending all outreach at once, emails were deployed in six controlled batches over time. This enabled:
- monitoring performance by cohort
- optimizing subject lines and messaging as results came in
- staying under inbox spam thresholds
- gradually warming sender reputation
Follow-up sequences were automated with smart timing logic based on engagement signals.
Results & Performance Metrics
| Metric | Result |
| Emails Delivered | 11,198 |
| Opens | 1,371 (~12.25%) |
| Clicks | 200 |
| Opt-ins (Form Submissions) | 95 (~47.5% of clickers) |
| Unsubscribes | 31 |
| Spam Complaints | 4 |
| Hard Bounces | 137 |
While the open rate reflected cold-audience conditions, downstream intent was strong: nearly half of clickers opted in, producing a measurable creator pipeline outcome without paid placements.
Key Learnings
This campaign validated several repeatable growth principles:
- Cold outreach still works when targeting and messaging are specific and relevant
- Persona-first segmentation improves conversion quality and reduces wasted volume
- Creator analytics increase the probability of reaching legitimate influence—not inflated reach
- Automation enables scale, but brand voice and creator respect drive opt-ins
Conclusion
This campaign demonstrated that emerging brands can generate creator partnership momentum without paying for influencer platforms or relying on expensive agencies.
By combining creator discovery, verification safeguards, persona-based messaging, and controlled automation, IV20 Spirits successfully launched a scalable creator outreach system—producing 95 opt-ins from cold outreach with measurable engagement and repeatable process architecture.
If you want to build a similar creator acquisition engine for your brand, SM Services can deploy this workflow end-to-end—from targeting and messaging to automation and optimization.