February 3, 2016

It's Not You, It's Me {Finding Meaningful Brand Partnerships}


With a new years comes lots of new things-new hobbies, new healthcare plans, maybe a new job, a new semester of classes, new goals, and for many bloggers-new ambassadorships. I know that's kind of a stretch from healthcare plans, but roll with it. I still feel like a tiny fish of a blogger in a big pond of amazing bloggers that I follow. However I have managed in the years to work with amazing brands, have amazing opportunities, and find a lot of awesome and supportive friends. To boot, I even made enough money from some sponsored posts to cover some race entry fees and a couple pairs of running shoes last year which is really all I want

I think recently brands have really have acknowledged the power in having some of kind of grassroots promotion and blogger or brand ambassadors. They have people who love their product and promote it all the time in creative ways which they don't have to pay, besides sometimes giving them some discounted or complimentary product. 

With my really busy schedule of school, work, training, coaching, life (obviously the major reoccurring theme in my life for the next 2 years so get used to it!), this January I took some time to reevaluate my obligations and really plan out my weeks using my handy planner. Unfortunately contrary to popular belief, I may not be Wonder Woman. 

It's Not You, It's Me {Finding Meaningful Brand Partnerships}

I blog when I can, but when you have limited time you also really have to make time for hobbies that are important to you. I have also decided to cut out some of my brand partnerships that really weren't benefiting me for the work I would have to put in and didn't apply for extra things just because I could.  It's easy to get sucked into trying to apply for and do everything! I want to support more local companies as well as have partnerships that feel natural and meaningful. 

The brands that I chat about or am an ambassador for, I've all loved before that position was even an opportunity for me.  I think it's really important to keep it real (for real though) and represent a handful of amazing brands and companies whose products I believe in instead of being able to tack on my affiliation with a laundry list of companies. It's also really important for me to like the communication and interaction I have with the brand's managers and employees. 

If I'm entering an agreement to promote a brand (maybe market exclusivity), post on X social media channels X times a month, wear and use during races, and blast their updates on social media, I also need the relationship to be mutual.  It doesn't have to be loads of free product, but discounts and at least a few products complimentary to start helps. If you give me a discount on a product I love, I will definitely be online shopping!  


Also a retweet or some social media interaction every so often would be nice. Of course there are always brand that you want to work with or apply to work with and you happen to get passed over for whatever reason, it stinks, but I always believe that there are more opportunities around the corner. 

 I have talked to some brands that want their ambassadors to really just promote affiliate codes and not get any discounts or products, or maybe only earn some product prizes based on contests. Pushing a code or just constant advertisement urging others to buy a product isn't my style. If I actually like the brand and the relationship is good, then the whole thing feels easy and natural, probably because I'd be using/wearing the product and chatting about it online anyways.

Not in any partnership with Under Armour. Just when you live in Baltimore, the birthplace of Under Armour, sometimes you wear it head to toe because you love it, and it's everywhere. 
It's Not You, It's Me {Finding Meaningful Brand Partnerships}-under armour

I don't want this to come off as complaining. I'm grateful for every single opportunity that comes my way, truly.  However on the same token-my time, my voice and space on the internet and social media is important to me. It's especially important with limited time that my time is not being wasted or not meaningful.  As with anything in my life (seriously ask my friends how much I talk about this), I have no time for settling for anything less than awesome.  I have some amazing experiences working with brands that I will not waste my time in one that won't reciprocate the effort.  

In short, even if you aren't a blogger don't settle for anything less than happiness in life. If your situation sucks, get out of it-we only have so much time in our busy days that it shouldn't be wasted. There is always another job, another significant other, another friend, another opportunity that actually is awesome out there. In these situations, sure there might be a period of discomfort and crappiness, but getting what you want and deserve AND something meaningful is worth so much more. Just do you!

So here's some brands I am really happy to work with again in 2016 that you should check out: 

 If you follow me you know that I freaking love Nuun Hydration and their whole company family. This fizzy hydration product has opened doors to fun races, fueling PRs, opportunities, and lots of friends! I am happy to rep them as long as they'll have me!

It's Not You, It's Me {Finding Meaningful Brand Partnerships}-nuun

Also, unrelated Nuun plug- they just reformulated Nuun Active and Energy so they are still the great flavored fizzy Nuun you always loved, but now uses plant-based sweetners (monk fruit & stevia), includes 1 g of dextrose which is a fast-acting carbohydrate, and is certified gluten-free, vegan, and informed choice. If you have been doubtful about Nuun, you should totally check it out! See, I really believe in this weird little product and company. 

 Momentum Jewelry is a really awesome company owned by an awesome lady Amy (#girlboss) who is awesome to work with. They have some nicely thought out campaigns, organized emails to ambassadors, and are amazing in hooking ambassadors up with new products and big discount codes.  It only fuels my obsession with mantras even more. 

It's Not You, It's Me {Finding Meaningful Brand Partnerships}

Speaking of girl bosses, I love that I get to work with the ZOOMA women's race series which encourages, supports, and gathers women together to get healthy, run, and enjoy a weekend race-cation with great swag and post-race wine. They are working on a huge race diversity issue and often ask for plenty of  feedback from their ambassadors.

It's Not You, It's Me {Finding Meaningful Brand Partnerships}-zooma-race

Okay, so I really love girl bosses including my lady Dana who put out not only Baltimore's first cold-pressed juice company, Gundalow Juice,  but also provides so much support and inspiration in the community. They are constantly supporting all fitness activities and places, getting their juices into small local markets, and never losing sight of the vision of the company. Sometimes it feels like the fact that I love their juices comes second to all the positivity and support that Gundalow Juice provides its ambassadors! 

It's Not You, It's Me {Finding Meaningful Brand Partnerships}-gundalow

The photo below is my favorite products from my first marathon training cycle in 2013 including Honey Stinger so you know the love run deeps. I'm happy to be a part of the Honey Stinger Hive in 2016 . Their program is more hands off, but I'm happy to support a brand I use.  Hello again, Nuun! 

It's Not You, It's Me {Finding Meaningful Brand Partnerships}

Finally I'm excited to be back as a Rock 'n' Blogger for the second year in a row. It seems they are trying to make the program bigger and better, which rocks. I love Ashley, the Rock 'n' Roll Race Series blogger liason and the fact that I have the chance to spread the run love at Rock 'n' Roll races.  Despite some haters who dislike big, commercial race events-I support anything that can make running seem fun for people, can bring people together for running, and can encourage people to maybe sign up for their first race. Philly Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon was my first half and was an amazing experience that I'd love to pass on to others! 

It's Not You, It's Me {Finding Meaningful Brand Partnerships}-rock-n-blog


How do you feel about brand ambassadorships? Do you have a brand you work with or would love to work with? 

16 comments:

  1. Love this blog post! Sometimes I think its easy for women, especially female bloggers, to spread ourselves too thin. It's always good to take a step back ane re-evaluate committments!

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    1. Thanks so much! I agree that is definitely a problem with ladies today.

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  2. I agree with everything you've said about working with brands. I think a lot of what you've shared also carries over into sponsored product reviews and posts along those lines. When I first started doing reviews, I wasn't picky whatsoever, and that showed on my blog and on social media. Now, I'm much pickier, and even if a tempting opportunity comes along my way, I think really hard about it before I apply and/or commit to it. I just turned down a very temping opportunity last week since after I took a step back to reflect on it I realized that it just wasn't going to be a mutually beneficial avenue to explore.

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    1. I'm glad you feel the same. It definitely applies to sponsored posts. Now I'm more picky and really want to make sure it fits with me and my blog.

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  3. You will always be Wonder Woman in our eyes and we are so proud, humbled and honored that you have chosen us to be a brand ambassador. We love you so much and believe in everything you do. Thank you for always being true to you and building an amazing community around being true. As always girl, sail windward! Xoxo Dana

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  4. So many amazing partnerships! I'm with you that some ambassadorships aren't worth the work you put in, but others definitely are. At the beginning of blogging, I would get so excited over every opportunity that came my way even if it didn't fit my personal brand. Now, I have a few really solid products that I love and feel comfortable promoting in a natural way. So jealous that you're with Rock n' Roll again! I don't blog for the money or the "free stuff," but it is nice to see some recognition for your efforts once in awhile. Mostly, the friendships I've made through blogging make it worth it.

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    1. I love all these great opportunities. I totally agree that it's not about the swag and more about all the people.

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  5. I can SO relate to this post! I work with a bunch of brands, but am doing less with those who are offering me "great affiliate opportunities." I have been honest and told some companies that I don't make anything from those. My peeps for now: CEP Compression, Janji, Simple Squares, RunGum, the SF Marathon and Esprit de She. Oh and of course Peanut Butter & Co. Because PEANUT BUTTER! :) Let me know if you want to do any swaps ;) AND if you come back to Chi for RnR or the marathon! I would love to meet IRL!

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    1. Glad you feel me, haha. Ooh I love Janji and have been meaning to try RunGum and run the SF marathon one day. Definitely email me sometime! I don't think Chi will work with my school schedule this year but am toying with coming out for RNR!

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  6. Very much agree with you and this post bone of the things we strive for at Scoot a Doot is partnering with brands we love and feel good about representing and also the ones that work best with each of us. I love representing Momentum because it's a brand that really speaks to me and who I am as a person. Vic has a great relationship with Oiselle and RnR. I love how many opportunities there are and how wonderful the brands that we work with are to each of us. The sense of community is always strong and I think mutual love is always an appreciated aspect.

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    1. That's great to hear! I think once you work with some awesome brands and have a great relationship, it's easier to figure out that some opportunities aren't worth it.

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  7. So true! I used to do that a lot when I was new, and I still get swept up in "OMG NEW AMBASSADOR OPPORTUNITY!" sometimes and then have to take a step back and realize that I don't need to apply for everything. In fact, this year I'm a BibRave Pro and they're taking care of getting me tons of amazing opportunities! You have some amazing ambassadorships though, and it's so cool to know that you care about each and every one of them.

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    1. I agree-it can be super exciting and sometimes hard to realize you can't do everything. Congrats on BibRave Pro-that looks like a great program.

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  8. Congrats on all your ambassadorships. You are a great representative for all these brands!

    I'm feeling a little sour grapey after the RNR announcement, tho. I know they had to draw the line somewhere but I was hugely disappointed in not being picked. Like you, I choose my ambassadorships carefully and thought this would fit really nicely in my plans for destination races this year. The selection process baffles me!

    Happy to be representing Team Nuun with you! <3

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    1. Thanks so much Wendy. Ugh, I know that's tough and I feel ya.

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