Being a teen in the mid-2000s and falling in love with fashion in the 2010s, I’ve been a long-time fan of Alexa Chung. As the forever “it girl,” there’s no shortage of brands wanting to work with her. But there are some partnerships that just feel more natural and authentic. Take, for example, her ambassadorship for Lisa Eldrige Beauty.

Alexa Chung was recently named as the first ever beauty ambassador for the brand, which was founded by the model’s makeup artist friend. The founder announced the collaboration on Instagram through a video of her doing the model’s makeup as the two engaged in a conversation.

This partnership felt so natural…so genuine, owing to the strong relationship between the founder and the ambassador. And this makes a world of difference for the brand.

A successful brand ambassador program should model something similar. I get that it’s not realistic to only include well-known faces who are friends with the founder. But the authenticity of the partnership is what’s important for building a successful program with loyal brand ambassadors.

In this guide, I share some examples of ambassador programs that work, featuring brands like Patagonia and Red Bull. I also provide some tips and best practices on how to build a program that fosters loyalty. Let’s take a look.

Examples of Ambassador Programs That Work

Some of the most successful ambassador programs have one thing in common – ambassadors who are well-aligned with the brand. This puts brands in a position to foster strong relationships with their ambassadors, resulting in authentic and long-term partnerships. 

Let’s take a look at some examples of programs that work and why they work.

Patagonia: Eco-Advocates and Outdoor Guides

Starting with one of my favorite brands, Patagonia leads with an ambassador program powered by influencers who share the brand’s core values. The brand doesn’t just sell outdoor clothing and gear; they’re also heavily involved in environmental and social activism. 

With robust programs in place for environmental and animal welfare and social responsibility, Patagonia has built a strong reputation in ethicality and sustainability. So it only makes sense for the brand to partner with ambassadors who mirror these qualities.

Patagonia’s ambassador program consists of influencers who share their love for the outdoors through activities like surfing, rock climbing, backcountry biking, and so on. For instance, Katie Lamb is a rock climber and a Patagonia Climbing Ambassador. She regularly shares content featuring the brand’s products and helps to tell impactful brand stories.

The brand even partnered with her to develop a Reinforced Collection, which features clothing tailored for climbers. The ambassador helped Patagonia put together pieces with climbing-specific modifications for better movement and durability. By involving ambassadors in product development, Patagonia fosters a strong relationship with them, which makes for a lasting relationship.

Additionally, the brand ensures to partner with ambassadors who are as passionate about environmental advocacy as they are about the outdoors. This includes backcountry mountain bike athletes like Kurt Refsnider and Carston Oliver, who were recently involved in a campaign with Patagonia to raise awareness about restoring the Commissary Ridge Trail System in Wyoming.

By getting brand ambassadors involved in campaigns and projects that align with the causes they care about, Patagonia actively works to make a positive difference. This deep involvement with the brand also strengthens their relationship and paves the way for long-term loyalty.

Red Bull: Athletes, Musicians, and F1 Crew Members

As a brand that’s big on adrenaline, Red Bull’s ambassador program also reflects this by focusing on individuals who evoke a strong sense of energy and adventure. The brand chooses to partner with athletes across different disciplines. You can find a host of BMX riders, skaters, cliff divers, skydivers, snowboarders, and F1 crew members in Red Bull’s ambassador program.

The brand also extends its partnership to less traditional disciplines, such as dance and esports. But that’s not all – Red Bull’s ambassador program even includes musicians. 

So it’s extremely diverse, indicating that it isn’t just about sports for the brand. Rather, it’s about individuals whose lifestyles embody the brand. They choose to partner with ambassadors who match the energy they want to associate with the brand. That’s why the program features individuals who are bold, exciting, and unafraid to take risks.

The brand regularly puts together events and shows across these disciplines to bring together their ambassador community. This creates an opportunity for content creation, as ambassadors film themselves participating in these events and share the footage on socials, bringing more visibility for the brand. So Red Bull’s marketing doesn’t center the can but instead tries to evoke a feeling of adventure and excitement in viewers.

By engaging ambassadors in real-life experiences that align with their passion, the brand manages to build a loyal and engaged ambassador community. This community actively and enthusiastically shines a spotlight on Red Bull through their social media content, even without being prompted to do so.

Love Island: Post-Show Alumni

For “Love Island,” the best brand ambassadors are contestants who’ve previously participated in the show. The show manages to reach millions of viewers worldwide. And with 434 million minutes viewed, Season 6 broke viewership records and became the #1 reality series in the U.S. across different streaming platforms.

So it’s safe to say that contestants in the show have managed to gain tons of publicity, becoming influential personalities on social media. That’s why a partnership with the show’s own alumni makes the most sense for its ambassador program.

For example, Cely Vasquez became a public figure after appearing on Love Island Season 2. As an official social ambassador for the show, she hosts The Endgame, where she conducts one-on-one interviews with exiting contestants. 

Cely then shares snippets of the interviews with her 780k Instagram followers while she uses TikTok to share GRWM and BTS content with her 1.2 million followers. This helps to keep the conversation going on social media and engages audiences to tune into the show.

Since these individuals are closely associated with Love Island, it only makes sense for them to stir up conversation about it. Their followers are mostly made up of users who are fans of the show, which means they’re highly invested in content and conversations related to the show. 

And by having post-show alumni as ambassadors, Love Island manages to engage these fans to keep watching while fostering long-term loyalty with the former contestants.

What to Offer Ambassadors

As you can see from the examples I shared above, a partnership with ambassadors who are closely aligned with your brand is essential for your program to work. But you should also give them a good reason to participate. Why should they be a part of your ambassador program? What’s in it for them?

Your program offering may differ depending on the products you sell and the types of industries you’re involved in. Basically, you’ll want to ensure that everyone who’s involved in the ambassador program feels valued and rewarded for their alignment with your brand.

Here are some ideas for what you should offer ambassadors.

Commissions + Exclusive Perks + Branded Gear

The first thing you should include are tangible rewards that ambassadors can instantly associate as a benefit of being a part of your ambassador program. You could offer monetary rewards, such as commissions in exchange for the sales they help to generate, which would require blending your ambassador program with an affiliate program. 

Brands could even pay to sponsor their ambassadors, with some reports claiming that Red Bull pays their athletes an average of $30,000 to $55,000. 

Branded gear and free products are also additional rewards you could offer. This will create more opportunities to generate “free” publicity, as these ambassadors create social media posts featuring your brand and its products.

Beyond this, you could offer additional perks that are exclusively available to ambassadors. Perpetual discounts on their product purchases, skill-building programs, event tickets, gift baskets, redeemable rewards (spa days, gift cards, fitness classes), and more.

Access to IRL Experiences

If the Red Bull example taught us anything, it’s that IRL experiences bring your ambassador community together. This strengthens their relationship with the brand while giving them tons of opportunities to create content and generate “free” publicity for the brand. 

Indulge your ambassadors in IRL experiences that are exclusive to the program. In addition to product launches and store openings, you could create other brand events tailored to your ambassador community. Positioning these events as a reward for being a part of your community will make them feel valued and strengthen their loyalty to the brand.

For instance, CLEARSTEM hosted a “Clearer in the Hamptons” event, where they invited select creators from the brand community for a 3-day retreat. Participants got to enjoy free Pilates sessions, facials, product previews, and more for an immersive brand experience.

Exclusive Brand Marketing Opportunities

When it comes to promoting your brand, who better to use than your ambassadors? You’ve carefully selected these individuals based on their alignment with your brand. And you’ve made them a part of your brand by offering rewards and experiences that are only available to your ambassador community. 

So they’ve already represented your brand multiple times, meaning that your partnership comes across as more authentic and more trustworthy. 

Plus, they’re likely to have a good understanding of your brand’s audience by now. This puts them in a position to speak to the audience in a way that resonates. They may also be able to provide unique insights that could inform your marketing decisions.

Considering all this, exclusive brand marketing opportunities are a great way to simultaneously promote your brand while nurturing ambassador loyalty. For instance, you could collaborate with them on product development, engage them as hosts or participants for promo events, and more.

Tips and Best Practices to Build Lasting Ambassador Programs

In addition to knowing which ambassadors to work with and what to offer, there are a few best practices to ensure that your program fosters loyalty. Here are some tips to build an ambassador program that lasts.

Treat Ambassadors as Long-Term Partners

If you want your ambassadors to stay loyal to your brand, you need to treat them as long-term partners. Remember that they’re not promo machines. So if you’re only engaging them for one-off campaigns, don’t be surprised if you fail to foster loyalty.

Invest in the relationship by offering rewards and perks that would make them want to stay. Make them feel like a part of the brand by involving them in brand events and experiences.

To make sure that you’re investing in the right people, you can use a platform like Influencity to track retention and repeat engagement. See which influencers are delivering long-term value for your campaign so you can focus on nurturing your relationship with them.

Curate for Authenticity Instead of Flooding Your Program

The success of your ambassador program doesn’t rely on the number of ambassadors but on the quality of your partnerships. Be selective about who you include and focus on individuals who are perfectly aligned with your brand. This will help you foster a genuine relationship that adds authenticity to your program.

Co-Create Campaigns with Them

As I mentioned earlier, ambassadors are uniquely positioned to understand your target audience on a deeper level because they can directly connect with them. They can get valuable audience insights from the comments and engagement patterns on their posts, as well as direct messages. 

This means they know what resonates and what’s likely to fall flat. Make the most of this knowledge by involving them in your campaign development. Co-create campaigns with ambassadors by utilizing their creativity and unique insights to inform your approach. 

This hands-on involvement is a great way to make ambassadors feel like a part of the brand. It shows them that you value their opinions, giving them a good reason to stick around. Additionally, you could involve them as faces and creatives for the campaign to attract their audience.

Set Up Your Ambassador Program for Success

A sustainable ambassador program relies on authentic relationships with individuals who embody your brand. It’s about partnerships with those who share the same values and have the same energy that you want to evoke. Make the most of the tips and ideas I shared above to set up your program for success.