Fuse Case Study
Authenticity is key for Brand Ambassador programs - especially when targeting young people.
Fuse is the leading marketing firm for companies looking to reach teens and young adults. Through a combination of strategy, social media, and experiential programs, Fuse enables authentic connections between brands and customers.
As the company quickly grew from its action sports roots to include a who’s-who of major client brands, Fuse required a software platform to manage its expanding field activations. In 2016, the firm turned to MainEvent to help organize its marketing operations, manage its Brand Ambassador campaigns, and provide visibility into a treasure trove of data.
“MainEvent’s reporting really provides solid data for clients, and its flexibility allows us to get as detailed as clients want.”
Nina Brand, Account Manager
Spotlight on Ambassadors
To ensure that Brand Ambassador events are properly staffed and workers are trained, Fuse taps MainEvent’s all-encompassing Ambassador tools. “We’re able to load all of our assignments to the platform ahead of time,” Brand says. “Then Ambassadors simply log in, see what’s assigned, do the work, and fill out recaps.”
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are set up with clients from the beginning - such as a concrete number of samples a beverage company wants to distribute - and Fuse will recommend specific college campuses to blanket based on product-market fit, student body size, and past successes in those locations. Staff is then hired accordingly. “We hire brand ambassadors all across the country, drawing from different talent pools [in MainEvent],” Brand says.
Working with such young staff can be a challenge, but smart software helps ease the process. “These young adults have little professional experience, and for some it’s their first job,” Brand points out. “MainEvent makes it very clear what’s expected of them.”
High-quality Ambassadors are often rehired for future programs at their school. “We also hit them up for referrals, to get their friends involved as well,” Brand says.
The Fuse Advantage
Fuse’s full-service shop and two decades of experience give the firm a leg up when it comes to reaching young people. When Pepsi wants to raise awareness of Gatorade on college campuses, for example, they can leverage Fuse’s prior successes with Mountain Dew (another Pepsi-owned brand). Along the way, MainEvent offers valuable data-driven insights from one campaign to the next.
The company’s Account Managers aren’t afraid to put boots on the ground, either. They regularly attend events across the country to gather first-hand knowledge, while a dedicated team crunches the numbers to ensure they’re keeping up with the fast-changing times.
“A combination of being on site and our Insights Team gathering data make us the best in market to deliver results.”
Kelsey Detwiler, Brand Strategy Account Manager
This hands-on approach is necessary in today’s marketplace. “The current generation relies on a lot of peer feedback to make buying choices,” Detwiler concludes. “Word of mouth is so big now, hence the need to use Brand Ambassadors to build an authentic connection.” Conveniently, MainEvent provides a place to compile the media that clients care about, including screenshots from Instagram Stories.
After more than 20 years in the industry, Fuse keeps evolving to meet client needs with fresh approaches and tailored software. With a client retention rate that’s three times the industry average, Fuse’s youth-focused experiential strategy - managed with MainEvent - is clearly working.
