The supplements market is rapidly growing – valued at nearly 150 billion globally in 2021, it is expected to reach 241 billion by 2028. It’s no surprise that with this growth comes a surge of new businesses competing for customer attention. How do some supplement brands succeed while others fail? Beyond having high quality products, word of mouth marketing is necessary for any company that wants to stand out. A supplement brand ambassador program can help fuel that.
In this article, we review 3 successful supplement brand ambassador programs that boost brand awareness, sales and customer retention.
Awesome Supplement Brand Ambassador Programs
For companies wanting to build lasting relationships with customers, brand ambassador programs are a perfect fit. They turn customers into enthusiastic brand advocates who spread the word about your brand. Writing customer reviews, social sharing, and creating informative content are just a few of the many ways ambassadors help brands grow.
Here are 3 supplement companies that have put brand ambassador marketing to work for them:
-
EHPlabs
Since 2012, EHPlabs has been dedicated to researching and formulating the best products to support health, fitness, performance and recovery. The company has assisted millions in reaching their fitness goals.
How their brand ambassador program works
EHP “All Stars” are hard working, committed individuals who are part of their local fitness community. They are offered a number of benefits as ambassadors, such as:
- Free, early-release trial products
- Participation in branded videos and photo shoots
- Recognition and rewards for top performers
Requirements for EHPlabs ambassadors include:
- Being part of their local fitness community
- Having an interest in sharing the power of EHPlabs within their community
- Sharing core values with the brand, like being active, passionate and kind
How EHPlabs leverages brand ambassador marketing
By creating a family-like atmosphere for their ambassadors, EHPlabs has been able to improve customer loyalty and leverage the power of word of mouth marketing. They create fun activities for their ambassadors to engage in, and offer exclusive rewards to them. They also utilize their ambassadors as product samplers – which not only saves the company money that was previously spent on testers, but also engages the community more deeply.
When EHPlabs first started its brand ambassador program, they managed communications, activities and rewards manually. That quickly became too time-consuming as the team of ambassadors grew. Now they use BrandChamp software to manage their ambassador community, so they can automate tasks, communicate and monitor success more efficiently.
Since starting with BrandChamp, EHPlabs has increased their monthly referral sales 5-fold. You can learn more about their brand ambassador marketing journey in our case study.
-
Kaged Muscle
Kaged Muscle is an ultra-premium supplement brand that strives to help its customers exert their full potential. They create products with top-quality ingredients and sell them at affordable prices. Authenticity, transparency and quality are their flagship values.
How their brand ambassador program works
A “Kaged Innovator” is a committed individual that is ready to educate, and inspire others by sharing information to their communities about health and supplementation. Kaged Innovators get great benefits like referral sales commissions, exclusive goodies and free supplements.
Some of Kaged Innovator’s responsibilities are:
- Representing and promoting the Kaged lifestyle through social media
- Generating referral sales and earning commission using a personalized discount code and referral link
- Completing activities in the Innovator portal
How Kaged Muscle leverages brand ambassador marketing
Kaged Muscle manages the activities of their Innovator community and issues rewards with brand ambassador management software. Since creating a structured program, they’ve reduced time spent on management by 70%. This has enabled them to focus more on program growth, and expand their community tenfold.
Now with over 400 ambassadors, Kaged Muscle drives over 10k per month in referral sales. Having great communication with ambassadors has been key to their success. With a flourishing ambassador marketing program in place, the company continues to expand its customer base and increase profits.
-
Herbaland
Herbaland is Canada’s biggest gummy supplement brand, exporting over 40 million bottles a year. They’ve built their brand with sustainability, health and inclusivity as their core values. Their catalog has expanded to include vitamins, fitness products, beauty products, and even candy — all sugar-, gluten- and allergen-free.
How their brand ambassador program works
The “Gummy Crew” are Herbaland’s brand ambassadors. They are committed to spreading values like wellness, growth and success. For joining the Gummy Crew, some benefits are:
- A welcome package with free products
- Early opportunities to try upcoming products
- Points for referral sales made and other activities completed that can be used for merch
Some of Herbaland’s requirements for brand ambassadorship are:
- At least 1,000 Followers on Social Media
- Living in North America
- Demonstrate an interest in supplements and healthy living
How Herbaland leverages brand ambassador marketing
Herbaland initially created their supplement brand ambassador program as a response to social media requests from their fans. Customers wanted to know if they could get discounts or samples for promoting their products. The company quickly realized that having a structured program would help them drive growth.
Since starting the program, they’ve seen a significant increase in social media engagement and new customer acquisition. Having a brand ambassador program has also helped Herbaland to expand beyond its 25-40 year-old target market.
Using BrandChamp, Herbaland is able to segment their ambassador community based on interests and tailor activities and rewards to each group. This helps them to manage promotional campaigns and new product launches more smoothly. Find out more about their ambassador program in our case study.
What Are the Benefits of Brand Ambassador Programs for Supplement Brands?
Social Proof
One of the reasons ambassador marketing is so successful is because 92% of consumers trust product recommendations from family and friends above all other forms of marketing. Building a community of passionate fans to share content organically improves consumer trust and confidence in your brand.
Here are a few of the ways brand ambassadors can increase social proof:
- Create user-generated content about your products or services
- Actively represent your brand’s values, voice and aesthetic
- Leave reviews on your products (on your website, Google, Facebook, etc.)
- Share their experiences in testimonials
Increased Sales and Brand Awareness
Ambassador programs help brands reach customers where they are. For example, gyms are packed with people working to improve their fitness and are likely to take supplements. That makes gyms and other fitness centers a great place for brand ambassadors to interact with potential customers who share affinities with them.
A casual recommendation may be all it takes for a good brand ambassador to convert friends to customers!
Brands are able to greatly increase profits via ambassador referral sales. Referral codes can be generated to offer special discounts, such as 15% off all energy supplements, to ambassadors for personal use or to share with their communities. This incentivizes sales and social sharing.
Brand Ambassador Programs Are a Winning Formula
Brand ambassador programs are a no-brainer for supplement brands. Especially when platforms like BrandChamp provide all the tools needed to manage ambassadors’ activities, issue rewards, showcase leading content, and measure success.
Want to learn more? Contact us or set up a free demo.
