How to Find the Right Content Creators for the Right Brands

At Swanson Russell, our expertise lies in the overlap of trade industries and outdoor lifestyle brands. This deep understanding allows us to craft strategies that appeal to audiences at work and at play. 

We’ve found that, while any brand can have access to content creators, tools and opportunities, it’s the strategic application of that access that makes all the difference. We know how to solve the three major challenges of working with creators:

1. Finding the most successful partners.
2. Navigating the complexity of agreements and activations.
3. Ensuring partnerships deliver the maximum value.

How Swanson Russell Helps Brands and Creators Win

Whether you’re a creator or a brand, we solidify deals and build mutually beneficial relationships in a multitude of ways.

• Influencer Partnerships: Outdoor brands benefit from working with influencers who share authentic experiences in rugged environments — on the jobsite, in the field or on the trail — reaching highly engaged and niche audiences. Meanwhile, influencers gain credibility and new connections by aligning with trusted outdoor brands.
• Content Creation Collaborations: Partnering with creators enables brands to produce relatable content that is visually on-trend. At the same time, creators can enhance their portfolios by working with high-impact, meaningful products.
• Spokesperson Engagements: Collaborating on a handful of videos does not make a creator your spokesperson. If your brand is seeking a true spokesperson relationship with a creator, that can be a great opportunity for everyone but you want to approach the agreements and deliverables much differently. Especially when licensing the use of their likeness beyond social media.
• Live Events: For outdoor brands, teaming up with creators on live events fosters authentic audience interactions. Creators also deepen their relationship with their followers by sharing hands-on, real-world experiences.
• White Labeling: These collaborations allow the brand to use influencer content on ned accounts. This allows the brand to leverage the authenticity and engagement of creator content while having more control over ad placement and targeting.
• Promotions and Giveaways: Partnering on a promotion or giveaway can provide a great opportunity for cross-pollination of audiences. It gives outdoor brands exposure to a creator's audience and provides the creator's following exposure to products and services aligned with their interests.
• Product Launches, Testing and Reviews: Outdoor brands can amplify product launches by enlisting creators to put products through real-world tests. Creators enjoy early access to groundbreaking tools and gear, giving their audience fresh, exclusive content.
• Ambassador Programs: Long-term partnerships allow outdoor brands to maintain consistent advocacy from creators who live the brand’s values such as sustainability or innovation. Creators benefit from a stable partnership that aligns with their passion for the outdoors and their professional growth.

How Swanson Russell Drives Campaign Results with Creators

Our approach enables brands and creators to extend value across marketing ecosystems. With our deep knowledge and strategic expertise, our team helps turn collaborations into successful, long-term relationships with measurable growth. Here’s how we do it:

• Agree on the purpose and strategy for creator involvement
• Set criteria for potential partners including engagement metrics, followings, audience compositions, geographic location, etc
• Present a final list of recommended partners for review
• Conduct outreach to get pricing and availability
• Finalize recommended activations, budgets and timeline
• Draft contracts and gather signatures
• Arrange payment terms and process
• Set tracking and reporting structure

This content creator partnership process has already helped industry-leading outdoor brands garner beyond-expectation results. 

Finding Real Hunters for Badlands Gear’s Influencer Campaign

Partnering with influencers in the outdoor recreation industry can be risky. Done poorly, it drains budgets and damages brand perception. Done well, it drives meaningful engagement with the right audiences.

Swanson Russell's strategy for Badlands Gear was a prime example of a successful partnership, leveraging content creators who were authentic advocates of the brand. These creators tested, reviewed and promoted new hunting gear, producing user-generated content that resonated with serious outdoor enthusiasts.

RESULTS

• 13,044 total engagements across social platforms
• 12.9% engagement rate
• 331,000 impressions
• An impressive 11:1 return on ad spend (ROAS) from using white labeled content as ads
• Strengthened Badlands’ position as a brand trusted by passionate, authentic hunters

Raising Takeuchi’s Profile with a Construction Ambassador Program

Finding the right voices to influence the purchase of heavy construction equipment is no easy task. Do those types of influencers even exist? And if they do, how effective can they be? We used our construction experience to find creators who could both provide an authentic experience with products and deliver on different objectives.

Bar 7 Ranch, with millions of social media followers, brought Takeuchi to the forefront with massive reach to an audience that fit the brand’s overall target demographic. Elite Earthworks brought the credibility of a construction company owner who has been using, loving and posting about the brand independently for years. Now, as official ambassadors, both creators drive engagement, interest and awareness uniquely for the brand.

RESULTS

• 261,259 total engagements
• 3.2 million impressions
• 2 million reached across social media platforms
• Expanded awareness in both the agriculture and construction industries
• Set a new monthly record for new equipment shipped
• 40% increase in month-over-month warranty registrations, indicating new equipment purchases