'Social Media Ambassadors'

No it’s not like Avon, it’s like being the cool girl at school that everyone copies. Except monetized :slight_smile:

As noted above the best model is the one where your followers get a certain code or click on a link in your instagram and then you get a cut of every sale. Small companies can’t necessarily afford this but it’s the norm in the “real” fashion industry and the instagram models who work hard at it (taking good photos, styling things well, being supercool etc) make bank.

If a company comes to you with a business model other than this, it still might be worth it for you if your instagram isn’t that popular or you are getting a decent discount that will “pay” you more than the expected commissions. You can research online to see what % of your followers you can expect to make a purchase at each price point etc but keep in mind most data is for the fashion industry. I believe some workwear blogs function this way too and that’s more similar as people “have” to purchase corporate wear.

Anyway you’re not going to get rich off the horse person apparel industry but don’t sell yourself short if you are like the top bigeq rider in the nation!

Ugh, Ambassadorships. I think some of these young ladies that are chosen to be “ambassadors” of certain brands are really icky and somehow manage to be rich (or at least give the impression to their twitter/instagram followers that they are rich) and trashy at the same time.

IMO, I really wish these apparel/saddlery brands would leave the sponsorships to the high-level pros (like Beezie and Ariat, for example) and not to any junior twit with an instagram who’ll hawk any product for the sake of a discount and (seemingly more importantly) twitter followers.

I get several requests a week from people who both want to be “ambassadors” and those who want me to send them products to review on their blogs.

I have only sent one item to a person who contacted me wanting to be an ambassador. I can’t attribute it to a single sale. However, a friend of hers also contacted me… Wanting free stuff…

Okay maybe my brain is moving a little slower than usual because it is Thursday but how does this factor into the amateur rules? Lets say Dunkin’ Donuts offers me free donuts in exchange for eating them every morning in the hopes that other people will do the same, how would that be breaking a rule? I’m not getting money/gifts/free food to ride, I’m getting it to eat the donuts in public, post about them on my instagram and leave crumbs around the in gate.

Disclaimer This is not a true story and I don’t even like Dunkin Donuts :slight_smile:

[QUOTE=Single Oxer;8515629]
Okay maybe my brain is moving a little slower than usual because it is Thursday but how does this factor into the amateur rules? Lets say Dunkin’ Donuts offers me free donuts in exchange for eating them every morning in the hopes that other people will do the same, how would that be breaking a rule? I’m not getting money/gifts/free food to ride, I’m getting it to eat the donuts in public, post about them on my instagram and leave crumbs around the in gate.

Disclaimer This is not a true story and I don’t even like Dunkin Donuts :)[/QUOTE]

My understanding so far is that the USEF rules don’t address this specifically, and I’m with you in not really seeing how getting a free belt in exchange for posting pictures of wearing it counts as being a pro. I also don’t really get the hatred of ambassadors (aside from someone who’s Avon-style spamming you about buying X brand all the time, but perhaps I’m lucky to not have had that experience.) Riders get free stuff, post pictures of themselves wearing it, and throw the brand hashtag on the end… I can’t find anything there to be offended about.

According to the rule book (GR1306 4.d), you are a pro if you:

Accepts remuneration AND uses his name, photograph or other form of personal association as a horseperson in connection with any advertisement or product/service for sale, including but not limited to apparel, equipment or property.

Hmmmm I would be interested in how USEF would handle someone who had a non horsey job that blurred this line.

[QUOTE=Single Oxer;8515692]
Hmmmm I would be interested in how USEF would handle someone who had a non horsey job that blurred this line.[/QUOTE]

What do you mean?

If someone comes in contact with multiple vendors in their 9-5 job and they are given things for free (Not necessarily horse related items but still could be apparel, goods etc) with the intent that they will generate sales by wearing/using these products.

^ I see your point. There might be instances where the “as a horseman” part of the rule is unclear, depending on the product.

[QUOTE=mvp;8514633]
And another thing!

Doesn’t this reek of the Tupperware Party of the Ladies of Yestercentury? Some of you might remember how your mom handled a friend or neighbor who invited her to one of these. She tried not to go. She did. Once. She bought something out of obligation. She did.not.go.to.another one, having felt that she had fulfilled her duty.
QUOTE]

Lol, although my mom was the one showing up to the tuperware party in a spandex jumpsuit and tuperware “Jewelry” tied all over her since it was really just party anyways, and 1992 :lol: She is quite the festive lady :wink:

I would think though that while it does feel less genuine to those of us that grew up without this type of marketing for most of our lives, it probably feels more normal so for those that have not known much else. My Space didn’t come until I was in college, so I tink I’m one of the last “classes” to not have to deal with social media while in highschool. If I was a junior now, I might be totally up for this because it would be a way to get more horse stuff and try my hand at “marketing”! I don’t know that I would be so mature as to carefully select each item I was promoting doing my reaserch on the quality each time, but I’d like to think I would be somewhat discerning :wink:

[QUOTE=snowrider;8514796]
No it’s not like Avon, it’s like being the cool girl at school that everyone copies. Except monetized :)[/QUOTE]

eww. That summarizes the source of my aversion nicely.

[QUOTE=Single Oxer;8515772]
If someone comes in contact with multiple vendors in their 9-5 job and they are given things for free (Not necessarily horse related items but still could be apparel, goods etc) with the intent that they will generate sales by wearing/using these products.[/QUOTE]

Ohhhh. Yeah. Or like…if I worked for Dover or something and got an employee discount, what does that mean for my ammy status?

[QUOTE=ybiaw;8515887]
Ohhhh. Yeah. Or like…if I worked for Dover or something and got an employee discount, what does that mean for my ammy status?[/QUOTE]

If you get the employee discount from Dover you’re getting it due to your status of an EMPLOYEE not your status as a horseman. You don’t have to ride to work at Dover and all the employees get the discount whether they rider or not. On the flip side of the coin, horsemen who don’t work at Dover don’t get the employee discount. So I don’t see that this runs afoul of the rule any more than if you got a discount on coffee for working at Starbucks.

Now, if they use your photos in advertising (the first couple pages of the catalog do have photos of some higher level employees riding)… that gets closer to the line. But if you’re just one of the line employees, I don’t think there’s a problem.

[QUOTE=vxf111;8515936]
If you get the employee discount from Dover you’re getting it due to your status of an EMPLOYEE not your status as a horseman. You don’t have to ride to work at Dover and all the employees get the discount whether they rider or not. On the flip side of the coin, horsemen who don’t work at Dover don’t get the employee discount. So I don’t see that this runs afoul of the rule any more than if you got a discount on coffee for working at Starbucks.

Now, if they use your photos in advertising (the first couple pages of the catalog do have photos of some higher level employees riding)… that gets closer to the line. But if you’re just one of the line employees, I don’t think there’s a problem.[/QUOTE]

It’s such a fine line!!!

[QUOTE=ybiaw;8515949]
It’s such a fine line!!![/QUOTE]

All because of the cheating bookkeeper!

[QUOTE=vxf111;8515950]
All because of the cheating bookkeeper![/QUOTE]

THANKS A LOT, CHEATING BOOKKEEPER!!!

[QUOTE=mvp;8515879]
eww. That summarizes the source of my aversion nicely.[/QUOTE]

Peer trendsetters are worth a lot to brands and most are pretty invested in fashion and spend a lot of time and money on it. I don’t see the ewww factor. It’s like giving free CDs to a music reviewer or free tickets to a super fan.

It’s not like we all still ride in green coats and rust britches, is it?

Well actually, everyone is wearing green coats again, probably because brand ambassadors are wearing them.

Speak of the devil. I just accepted a friend request which turns out to be from yet another Avon lady equestrian. (The Rodan and Fields brand.) Now I’m going to be inundated again. So sick of it. How do I get off the list?

I have no problem with a company trying to friend me. I “like” companies on social media all the time. But I hate the idea that my actual acquaintances, someone I may see at a horse show, is trying to use our “friendship” to solicit sales from me. It’s annoying.

The social media “ambassador” thing is less direct and even more annoying. It is nothing like giving a free cd to a music critic or free tix to a super fan. In cases where kids are being paid a commission for impacting sales, it is like repeatedly rewarding a music critic for a good review with a payment. It’s unethical for critics to accept money for good reviews.

[QUOTE=Beam Me Up;8515792]
^ I see your point. There might be instances where the “as a horseman” part of the rule is unclear, depending on the product.[/QUOTE]

But wasn’t the person pimping the products chosen because she already was a horseman of repute? I mean, who cares if I tell you–my 5 friends who ride at our non-show barn and take voicemails from my dumb phone-- that I think a product is great? People like me aren’t chosen to be product “ambassadors” in the first place.

I also don’t think the USEF’s ammy rules have any bearing on what one does for a 9-5, W-2 living. After all, you become a pro if you work on Wall Street and teach a couple of leadline lessons on Saturday mornings and get paid to do that.