kwassi
Race Dog
https://www.advpulse.com/adv-prepping/get-sponsored-to-travel/
With adventure riding becoming more and more popular every year, sponsored travelers are cropping up across all countries and continents. But is it worth it, what’s it really like, and how can you get sponsored to travel? We talked to both companies and sponsored riders to find out.
Have a Track Record
Most companies who sponsor riders expect them to already have an established website or blog and a following on social media.
Mark Kincart, director of marketing at Klim, explains that if you’re hoping to get sponsored to travel – either by discounts, products, or cash – it’s important to be able to prove you’ve been on the road for a while. “When I get sponsorship requests, number one thing I do is I investigate how legit they are: are they really riding? Are they leading the life that’s portrayed on their social media accounts? At Klim, we prefer to sponsor people who are already underway as opposed to newcomers, because most startups never leave the ground, or the idea sounds great but in reality, it becomes too hard for riders to accomplish”.
“We usually look for a rather large following, or potential to grow in a new market”, – says Alyssa Bridges, Sena’s Multimedia & Sponsorship specialist. According to her, a rider might also be considered for a travel sponsorship if he or she is doing something truly unique. “Is their adventure or upcoming trip something totally different? If they are not extremely popular online, but make exceptional content, we may consider supporting them”.
Peter Day, founder of Mosko Moto, says it’s all about exposure. “We look for a big viewership of potential customers. This could be lots of followers on social media with a high engagement rate on posts, or a history of high view count ride reports in online forums, or a popular website/blog. We also look for print exposure, i.e. a history of published print articles and/or gear reviews in major publications. In a few situations, we’ve also offered travel sponsorship in exchange for professional-level photography”.
Be Prepared to Offer Value
Michnus Olivier, a South African traveler who has been on the road for seven years now, has experience on both sides of the fence. Him and his wife Elsebie ran a successful overland gear company, All Terrain Gear, which was getting sponsorship requests frequently. After selling the company and hitting the road, Michnus and Elsebie have experienced what it’s like to get sponsored to travel – they are currently partnered with Nigor, GPS4Africa, and Cogent Suspension. Michnus says it’s very important to decide what are your overall goals for the journey, and what can you offer as a sponsored rider.
“The first question to ask is why would you want a travel sponsorship? To get free stuff just because you want to save a few dollars on gear or can’t afford to travel? Or is it to help and add value to others and a brand? Brands are looking for people who are truly part of the community, who share regularly, are consistent and post valuable, original content, not just brand hashtag spam. How that person can be a valuable ambassador to their brand is a big consideration for companies. Their reputation is key, and a brand might not want to see posts from religious, political or other contentious topics”, – says Michnus.
Paul Stewart, better known as rtwPaul, a traveler and photographer sponsored by Big Agnes, Seat Concepts, Klim, Mosko Moto and Warp 9, has been on the road since 2011. According to him, it’s the attitude that matters. “I don’t think trying to get free stuff just for the sake of getting it free is a good idea. I only approach companies for sponsorship if I have tried their products before, and if I am truly convinced that that’s the best product out there. That way, I know that I can honestly recommend the gear for people, the company gets exposure, and other riders can shop for the best ideas out there. If you only ask for free stuff because you can’t afford it, can you then be honest in your reviews?”, – asks Paul.
Don’t Expect Cash
A popular notion that some sponsored riders also get cold hard cash to fund their travels isn’t so common in reality. Very few companies are willing to fund people’s travels, and those that do are extremely choosy with their generosity.
“Sometimes we have supported riders with money, however this is usually after a relationship has been built and they become one of our “Sena Adventure Seekers” – more like a brand ambassador and an extension of our team. We may support riders with a general yearly payment as they will create a certain number of videos featuring Sena or at least the payment can help keep them out on the road longer”, – says Alyssa Bridges.
But Sena is among the minority: most companies prefer to simply offer product.
“We have never offered money. I like knowing that the riders out there using and promoting our bags are doing it because they really know it’s the best gear on the market, not because we paid them”, – says Mosko Moto’s Peter Day.
“We do offer cash, but only to professional athletes. When it comes to adventure riders, we prefer to sponsor them with products or discounts”, – says Mark Kincart of Klim.
Michnus Olivier adds that even if you do receive a payment from a company, it won’t be enough to cover all of your expenses. “I don’t think it is worth pursuing. Most companies do not give cash easily. Even the well-known travelers do not earn enough funds to sustain a trip solely from the sponsorship money they receive. And then they sometimes work like dogs to keep the brands happy. Brands gain much more from you than you from them: when you travel, it is your time, money and gear. They pay nothing towards that, get good content and only offer up a discount or a product. You will work for that, and essentially you pay for what you think you get for free”.
Be Original
Can you still get sponsored to travel even if you’re just starting out, don’t have thousands of social media followers, and are setting out on your very first adventure? Paul Arcaria, sponsored by Nexx, Sprocket Apparel, West 38 Moto, Mosko Moto and Moto Z Tires among others, who has left on his first round the world journey just months ago, says that anything is possible – as long as you’re prepared to do the legwork.
“Frankly, a lot of it is about who you know in the industry personally. Most sponsors want big names, impressive numbers on social media, an established Youtube channel, and so on – and they do get a lot of sponsorship requests. So as completely new faces on the ADV traveling scene, my partner Aida and I simply went to a lot of motorcycle shows and talked to a lot of industry people face to face. If some of the bigger names in the ADV community can vouch for you, that’s already a big bonus. I would say, if you’re genuine, if you are out there in the world and if you have something unique to offer, don’t be afraid to ask”, – advises Paul.
Most companies agree: being unique definitely helps to secure a sponsorship. If your trip is extraordinary, or you have an unusual bike, or are original with your content, your chances of getting sponsored increase. “My recent personal favorite story was Ride4Alzheimers, where a father and daughter took off on and adventure and were using the Sena headsets. Donni was able to comfort her Dad when his Alzheimers flared up and didn’t know exactly where he was”, – says Alyssa Bridges.
“If it’s something a lot of people are doing, then it’s probably not going to be as interesting. So many people are going up and down North and South America right now, but I just heard about a group of riders attempting the Darien Gap on motorcycles. That’s cool! Or it’d be cool if riders were on a trip through the Congo. We feel more drawn to trips that are exciting and unknown, so we can go along for the ride. Being interesting or unique can happen in more ways than just the trip though: for example, going a long way on a tiny bike. Or traveling a long time on a small budget. Or traveling and camping with super-minimalist gear. If we’re inspired, we’re a lot more likely to consider sponsoring those riders”, – adds Peter Day.
Ready to try for a sponsorship? Here are a few pointers:
• Always be honest! If you receive free stuff it’s hard to criticize or be honest about its failures, and that is of no value to the public or other riders, you add no value to the community. When we have issues with products we will first take it up with the brand before we do a review, and all our reviews are always 100% honest. – Michnus Olivier
• Talk to people. A face-to-face chat is always better than cold-calling emails. ADV events are great places for networking. – Paul Arcaria
• Miles ridden don’t mean a thing if you don’t let people know about it. You might have ridden around the world four times now, but if you haven’t blogged, written, or talked about your journey in videos and photographs, you simply don’t exist. – Paul Stewart
• Check what markets is the company currently exploring, and see if you can help them with it: for example, as we have released more products recently for more of the cruiser market, we have been making more effort to support users and create more content in that market. – Sena
• We love to sponsor people who are genuine, have great personalities, and provide real value to the community – either via their content, active presentations and workshops, or their shared experiences and tips. – Klim
• It doesn’t matter whether you’re just riding the Trans American Trail or going round the world – if you’re a great brand ambassador and can offer great exposure, we’re interested. – Klim
• We love to help riders who take risks, who aren’t afraid to be vulnerable, riders who travel with the bare minimum and those who wander more than they plan. We’re often drawn to riders on low-budget, scrappy trips through unusual or dangerous places. We favor dirt over pavement, and camping over hotels – Mosko Moto
With adventure riding becoming more and more popular every year, sponsored travelers are cropping up across all countries and continents. But is it worth it, what’s it really like, and how can you get sponsored to travel? We talked to both companies and sponsored riders to find out.
Have a Track Record
Most companies who sponsor riders expect them to already have an established website or blog and a following on social media.
Mark Kincart, director of marketing at Klim, explains that if you’re hoping to get sponsored to travel – either by discounts, products, or cash – it’s important to be able to prove you’ve been on the road for a while. “When I get sponsorship requests, number one thing I do is I investigate how legit they are: are they really riding? Are they leading the life that’s portrayed on their social media accounts? At Klim, we prefer to sponsor people who are already underway as opposed to newcomers, because most startups never leave the ground, or the idea sounds great but in reality, it becomes too hard for riders to accomplish”.
“We usually look for a rather large following, or potential to grow in a new market”, – says Alyssa Bridges, Sena’s Multimedia & Sponsorship specialist. According to her, a rider might also be considered for a travel sponsorship if he or she is doing something truly unique. “Is their adventure or upcoming trip something totally different? If they are not extremely popular online, but make exceptional content, we may consider supporting them”.
Peter Day, founder of Mosko Moto, says it’s all about exposure. “We look for a big viewership of potential customers. This could be lots of followers on social media with a high engagement rate on posts, or a history of high view count ride reports in online forums, or a popular website/blog. We also look for print exposure, i.e. a history of published print articles and/or gear reviews in major publications. In a few situations, we’ve also offered travel sponsorship in exchange for professional-level photography”.
Be Prepared to Offer Value
Michnus Olivier, a South African traveler who has been on the road for seven years now, has experience on both sides of the fence. Him and his wife Elsebie ran a successful overland gear company, All Terrain Gear, which was getting sponsorship requests frequently. After selling the company and hitting the road, Michnus and Elsebie have experienced what it’s like to get sponsored to travel – they are currently partnered with Nigor, GPS4Africa, and Cogent Suspension. Michnus says it’s very important to decide what are your overall goals for the journey, and what can you offer as a sponsored rider.
“The first question to ask is why would you want a travel sponsorship? To get free stuff just because you want to save a few dollars on gear or can’t afford to travel? Or is it to help and add value to others and a brand? Brands are looking for people who are truly part of the community, who share regularly, are consistent and post valuable, original content, not just brand hashtag spam. How that person can be a valuable ambassador to their brand is a big consideration for companies. Their reputation is key, and a brand might not want to see posts from religious, political or other contentious topics”, – says Michnus.
Paul Stewart, better known as rtwPaul, a traveler and photographer sponsored by Big Agnes, Seat Concepts, Klim, Mosko Moto and Warp 9, has been on the road since 2011. According to him, it’s the attitude that matters. “I don’t think trying to get free stuff just for the sake of getting it free is a good idea. I only approach companies for sponsorship if I have tried their products before, and if I am truly convinced that that’s the best product out there. That way, I know that I can honestly recommend the gear for people, the company gets exposure, and other riders can shop for the best ideas out there. If you only ask for free stuff because you can’t afford it, can you then be honest in your reviews?”, – asks Paul.
Don’t Expect Cash
A popular notion that some sponsored riders also get cold hard cash to fund their travels isn’t so common in reality. Very few companies are willing to fund people’s travels, and those that do are extremely choosy with their generosity.
“Sometimes we have supported riders with money, however this is usually after a relationship has been built and they become one of our “Sena Adventure Seekers” – more like a brand ambassador and an extension of our team. We may support riders with a general yearly payment as they will create a certain number of videos featuring Sena or at least the payment can help keep them out on the road longer”, – says Alyssa Bridges.
But Sena is among the minority: most companies prefer to simply offer product.
“We have never offered money. I like knowing that the riders out there using and promoting our bags are doing it because they really know it’s the best gear on the market, not because we paid them”, – says Mosko Moto’s Peter Day.
“We do offer cash, but only to professional athletes. When it comes to adventure riders, we prefer to sponsor them with products or discounts”, – says Mark Kincart of Klim.
Michnus Olivier adds that even if you do receive a payment from a company, it won’t be enough to cover all of your expenses. “I don’t think it is worth pursuing. Most companies do not give cash easily. Even the well-known travelers do not earn enough funds to sustain a trip solely from the sponsorship money they receive. And then they sometimes work like dogs to keep the brands happy. Brands gain much more from you than you from them: when you travel, it is your time, money and gear. They pay nothing towards that, get good content and only offer up a discount or a product. You will work for that, and essentially you pay for what you think you get for free”.
Be Original
Can you still get sponsored to travel even if you’re just starting out, don’t have thousands of social media followers, and are setting out on your very first adventure? Paul Arcaria, sponsored by Nexx, Sprocket Apparel, West 38 Moto, Mosko Moto and Moto Z Tires among others, who has left on his first round the world journey just months ago, says that anything is possible – as long as you’re prepared to do the legwork.
“Frankly, a lot of it is about who you know in the industry personally. Most sponsors want big names, impressive numbers on social media, an established Youtube channel, and so on – and they do get a lot of sponsorship requests. So as completely new faces on the ADV traveling scene, my partner Aida and I simply went to a lot of motorcycle shows and talked to a lot of industry people face to face. If some of the bigger names in the ADV community can vouch for you, that’s already a big bonus. I would say, if you’re genuine, if you are out there in the world and if you have something unique to offer, don’t be afraid to ask”, – advises Paul.
Most companies agree: being unique definitely helps to secure a sponsorship. If your trip is extraordinary, or you have an unusual bike, or are original with your content, your chances of getting sponsored increase. “My recent personal favorite story was Ride4Alzheimers, where a father and daughter took off on and adventure and were using the Sena headsets. Donni was able to comfort her Dad when his Alzheimers flared up and didn’t know exactly where he was”, – says Alyssa Bridges.
“If it’s something a lot of people are doing, then it’s probably not going to be as interesting. So many people are going up and down North and South America right now, but I just heard about a group of riders attempting the Darien Gap on motorcycles. That’s cool! Or it’d be cool if riders were on a trip through the Congo. We feel more drawn to trips that are exciting and unknown, so we can go along for the ride. Being interesting or unique can happen in more ways than just the trip though: for example, going a long way on a tiny bike. Or traveling a long time on a small budget. Or traveling and camping with super-minimalist gear. If we’re inspired, we’re a lot more likely to consider sponsoring those riders”, – adds Peter Day.
Ready to try for a sponsorship? Here are a few pointers:
• Always be honest! If you receive free stuff it’s hard to criticize or be honest about its failures, and that is of no value to the public or other riders, you add no value to the community. When we have issues with products we will first take it up with the brand before we do a review, and all our reviews are always 100% honest. – Michnus Olivier
• Talk to people. A face-to-face chat is always better than cold-calling emails. ADV events are great places for networking. – Paul Arcaria
• Miles ridden don’t mean a thing if you don’t let people know about it. You might have ridden around the world four times now, but if you haven’t blogged, written, or talked about your journey in videos and photographs, you simply don’t exist. – Paul Stewart
• Check what markets is the company currently exploring, and see if you can help them with it: for example, as we have released more products recently for more of the cruiser market, we have been making more effort to support users and create more content in that market. – Sena
• We love to sponsor people who are genuine, have great personalities, and provide real value to the community – either via their content, active presentations and workshops, or their shared experiences and tips. – Klim
• It doesn’t matter whether you’re just riding the Trans American Trail or going round the world – if you’re a great brand ambassador and can offer great exposure, we’re interested. – Klim
• We love to help riders who take risks, who aren’t afraid to be vulnerable, riders who travel with the bare minimum and those who wander more than they plan. We’re often drawn to riders on low-budget, scrappy trips through unusual or dangerous places. We favor dirt over pavement, and camping over hotels – Mosko Moto
