ALLTRAILS

Ambassador
Program Strategy
Report
FALL 2022
Gaucho Creative x AllTrails
 Table of Contents

1 Summary
Objectives..........................................................................02

Methodology......................................................................03

Results................................................................................04

2 Background
Who is Gaucho Creative?...................................................07

Why is Gaucho Creative Partnering with AllTrails?............08

3 Research Methodology
Summary...............................................................................10

Target Demographic.............................................................11

Survey Overview...................................................................12

Interview Overview...............................................................14
 Table of Contents

4 Findings
Survey Analysis...................................................................18

Survey Authenticity.............................................................19

Survey Data.........................................................................20

5 Appendices
Appendix A: Survey Questions............................................52

Appendix B: Interview Questions - Survey Respondents....66

Appendix C: Interview Questions - Brand Ambassadors....75

SUMMARY

01
AllTrails Summary

OBJECTIVES
Who is AllTrails?
AllTrails is a hiking and fitness app aimed at helping people
connect more seamlessly with the outdoors. The brand provides
users with local trails and map routes to make exploring nature
more convenient. With features such as leaving reviews on trails
and connecting with friends within the app, AllTrails has also
created a solid community of nature lovers that can explore
together. The brand believes that “we’re all made better by
spending time in nature,” and so it has taken on the mission to
kindle the spirit of adventure in all of us while democratizing
access to the outdoors.

What is the objective of this report?

This market research report aims to gain a better understanding

of Gen Z’s awareness, motivations, and barriers to interacting
with Brand Ambassadors (BAs). The survey and interview insights
from college students across America helped create actionable
strategies for AllTrails to best scale its Brand Ambassador
program and optimize its outreach strategy.

02
AllTrails Summary

METHODOLOGY
What kinds of research methods did we use? What were
the overall objectives of these research methods?

During these 10 weeks, Qualtrics XM was used to administer

surveys, and one-on-one interviews were conducted with Gen Z
and current Brand Ambassadors to understand Gen Z opinions
on Brand Ambassadors and the outdoors. More specifically,
consumer behavior was analyzed to understand the awareness,
motivations, and barriers that were present when interacting with
Brand Ambassadors and upgrading to a paid subscription of
AllTrails. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected
with these research methods, which illustrate how AllTrails can
create a Brand Ambassador program that increases engagement
and brand awareness in Gen Z college populations.

“...increases
engagement and brand
awareness in Gen Z
college populations.”

03
AllTrails Summary

231 RESULTS
231 respondents were recorded for the survey. The
survey provided a more thorough understanding of
popular marketing strategies on college campuses and
Gen Z college students’ attitudes towards them,
incentives and pain points that encourage or discourage
Brand Ambassador outreach, and best practices for
successful interaction and representation of the brand as
a Brand Ambassador. The survey also provided a better
understanding of what students are willing to spend in
time and money when interacting with new brands along
with the most popular platforms for outreach.

A total of 10 interviewees (5 Gen Z survey respondents and 5

Brand Ambassadors) were procured and interviewed to
garner additional information regarding Brand Ambassador
experiences and areas for optimizing engagement with Brand
Ambassadors. The interviews illuminated individual stories
with brand promoters, meaningful marketing strategies
employed by Ambassadors with regards to awareness or
paying for a service/app, and pain points that discouraged
thoughtful interaction with an Ambassador.

04
AllTrails Summary

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
What were the main three insights that can be taken from our
market research?

01
With regards to bolstering brand awareness, the most
integral considerations for reaching Gen Z populations are
effective social and physical media outreach, demographic
variation in student populations, and word of mouth from
trusted sources as an indirect marketing tool.

02
In terms of motivating Gen Z to interact with Brand
Ambassadors and upgrade to a paid version of the AllTrails
app, intentional partnerships with relevant campus
organizations, catering marketing methods towards
prominent student needs, and aligning with preexisting
student interests are the most impactful strategies.

03
The biggest factors limiting fruitful interactions with brands
and Brand Ambassadors include time restrictions,
monetary struggles, and perceived inauthenticity from
brand promoters.

05
BACK
GROUND

06
AllTrails Background

WHO IS
GAUCHO CREATIVE?
What do we do? Who do we work with?

Gaucho Creative is UCSB’s first and only marketing

and strategy consulting group that specializes in
creative and digital storytelling. With a wide range of
services such as market research, strategy analysis,
brand strategy, digital marketing, and design solutions,
Gaucho Creative provides startups, non-profits, and
Fortune 500 companies innovative and data-driven
solutions. Each team at Gaucho Creative consists of a
Project Manager, Account Manager, Strategy
Consultants, Designers, and a Professional Advisor.

“...specializes in
creative and
digital
storytelling.”

07
AllTrails Background

WHY IS GAUCHO
CREATIVE PARTNERING
WITH ALLTRAILS?

Gaucho Creative is partnering with AllTrails to

scale the company’s Brand Ambassador
program, specifically focusing on Gen Z college
students. By understanding Gen Z’s awareness,
motivations, and barriers surrounding Brand
Ambassadors, Gaucho Creative will provide
AllTrails with actionable insights into how best
to gain Gen Z users, increase conversions to the
Pro subscription, and build lasting customer
loyalty to the brand.

08
METHO
DOLOGY

09
AllTrails Methodology

SUMMARY
Gen Z college
students across the
nation participated in
this survey and
interview research.
Research was
conducted to
understand Gen Z’s
awareness of Brand
Ambassadors as well
as their barriers and
motivations when
interacting with Brand
Ambassadors. The
survey received 231
responses and 10
interviews were
conducted.

10
AllTrails Methodology

TARGET
DEMOGRAPHIC

50
Survey participants were aged
18-24 and sourced from every state across the
nation. A majority of participants were located in California.
Participants were asked what university they currently attend
along with the requirement of an “.edu” email to narrow down
respondents to the targeted Gen Z college student
demographic.

11
AllTrails Methodology

SURVEY
OVERVIEW
Goals
The survey was constructed with the goals of understanding
awareness, motivations, and barriers involving Brand
Ambassador outreach and strategy. The first of the three goals
aimed to understand how AllTrails’ Brand Ambassador Program
can garner more on and off-campus awareness and
engagement among Gen Z populations. The second goal
focused on pinpointing practices, stimuli, and relevant
conditions that motivate Gen Z populations to interact with
Brand Ambassadors and potentially upgrade to a paid version
of the app. The last goal helped identify pain points affecting
Gen Z populations that inhibit fruitful interaction with Brand
Ambassadors. All of this data was used by Gaucho Creative to
strategize the best methods of how to scale AllTrails’ Brand
Ambassador Program.

12
01
AllTrails Methodology

Recruitment
At the end of the survey, respondents were asked
whether or not they’d be interested in participating in a
15-minute interview to expand on similar topics, in which they
would be incentivized with a $10 Amazon gift card. Out of
those who selected “Yes,” 5 interviews were conducted, with
the intention of selecting diverse participants from different
regions/backgrounds of the U.S. Overall, the team conducted
10 interviews, with 5 Gen Z interview participants from the
survey and 5 Brand Ambassadors that contained a mix of
existing AllTrails Brand Ambassadors and Brand Ambassadors
from other brands. All 5 Gen Z interview participants received
a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

“...10 interviews were

conducted, with the
intention of selecting
diverse participants from
different regions/
backgrounds of the U.S..”
15
AllTrails Methodology

Procedure
Interviews were conducted over the span of 3 weeks and each
individual interview lasted about 15-20 minutes over Zoom.
Every interview had two Gaucho Creative team members,
where one was primarily guiding the interview and asking the
questions, and the other member would take notes.

The interview consisted of topics about participants’ school

experience (what clubs/organizations they’re a part of), their
opinions on brands & Brand Ambassadors (what brands they
like, personal experiences with Brand Ambassadors & tabling),
and their experience with the outdoors & fitness (what activities
they like to participate in the outdoors, if they ever used a
fitness app).

The interview topics included introspective and recall questions

about participants’ personal experience, and allowed them to
properly elaborate on their opinions expressed in the survey.
Half of the interview content also centered around the
outdoors & fitness.

16
FINDINGS

17
AllTrails Findings

AUTHENTICITY
Survey Authenticity
An authenticity filter was created in Qualtrics to remove
inauthentic responses and responses outside of our target
demographic range. The filter used conditional logic to remove
unwanted responses and whittle down participants to our
desired demographic. Criteria considered for determining
authentic survey respondents included:

Group 1 The participant answered two captcha questions.

Group 2 The age of the participant is between 18-24.

Group 3 The email the participant provided is associated

with a school email at an accredited college or
university or a team member personally knew a
survey participant.

19
AllTrails Findings

SURVEY
DATA
Q&A
This section will
feature examples of
survey comparison
data used to
generate additional
insights from the
larger aggregate of
research.

20
AllTrails Findings

Q2 x Q8
Power Statement
Free food and free merchandise are the best ways to get Gen Z
consumers to notice and interact with marketing methods.

Visualization
Reasons for Interacting with a Stranger/Club on Campus by
How Likely Participants are to Interact with BAs
4
8
Colorful and 8
well-designed 59
graphics 45

1
9
Big crowd
around the 6
table 49
32

1
1
Few people 5 Extremely Unlikely
around the 14
table 12
Somewhat Unlikely
Neither Likely
4 Nor Unlikely
7
Charismatic 9 Somewhat Likely
personality 64
Extremely Likely
38

3
10
Free 16
merchandise 99
58

2
11
Free food 14
96
57

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 100

22
AllTrails Findings

Q1 x Q3
Power Statement
Of the participants who have interacted with Brand Ambassadors,
flyers and events were the main marketing mediums they have
noticed on campus.

Visualization

Most prominent marketing methods noticed by

participants that have interacted with BAs

58.79%
Tabling
41.21%

Brand 72.65%
Ambassadors 27.35%

Product 83.33%
Demonstrations 16.67%

Guerilla 60.00%
Marketing 40.00%

Product Free 80.56%

Trials 19.44%

61.58%
Flyers
38.42%

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 100

24
 AllTrails Findings

Q12 x Q21
Power Statement
Students with moderate to high levels of comfort/experience with
the outdoors also tend to have positive perceptions of Brand
Ambassadors.

Visualization
Perception of Brand Ambassadors by Comfort/
Experience with the Outdoors

65
60 59
60
55
Perception of Brand Ambassadors

50
45
40
38
35
30
25
19
20
16 15
15
11
10 8
4
5 2
0
Very Low Low Moderate High Very High
Comfort Level
Positive Negative

28
AllTrails Findings

REPORTING

Implementation Strategies for Brand Awareness

80% of survey respondents are more willing to put monetary value
to an activity if their peers are involved. Targeting on-campus
groups and organizations would ensure that diverse groups of
students hear about Brand Ambassador events. Brand
Ambassadors should engage and partner with these groups to
host events and increase word of mouth amongst students. The
ideal methods for accomplishing successful brand awareness on
campuses involves targeting clubs and organizations through on-
campus marketing strategies and directly catering social media
outreach to college populations by appealing to their values.

34
AllTrails Findings

...continued
AllTrails BAs should specifically target outdoors-focused
groups. 72% of respondents noted they would be more likely
to attend an event if a club they are interested in was hosting
or partnering with the brand. Reaching out to on-campus
groups that align with AllTrails’ values such as adventure
groups, hiking/camping groups or recreation centers is a great
way to partner with the community in order to increase
interaction with the brand. Contact information for these clubs
can usually be found online by searching a campus along with
the keywords “adventure,” “excursion” and “outdoor” club for
example. Usually a school’s campus recreation center website
will also have information on such activity groups.

36
AllTrails Findings

...continued
In addition, emphasizing flyer efforts in areas that are related
to the outdoors or fitness such as the recreation center and the
University Environmental Studies departments are concrete
ways to target students who are more likely to be interested in
nature and physical activity. Not only is it recommended that
AllTrails collaborates with outdoor and fitness groups, but it is
also integral to extend flyer efforts in areas where students not
participating in these groups can also have their interest
sparked.

Catering Social Media Outreach to Gen Z’s value of

authenticity
College students in general are increasingly using social media
as a means to form groups and communicate information
regarding organizations and gathering. Of the respondents
who had yet to interact with a BA, about 22% discovered new
brands using social media as their primary platform to do so.
People who are less likely to interact with a brand ambassador
in person are more likely to do so through social media. Brand
Ambassadors should integrate their colorful personalities in
their social media outreach.

38
AllTrails Findings

Scaling Strategies for Brand Ambassador Programs

Based on our survey and interview data, outlined are
recommendations for increasing the size and impact of the
AllTrails’ Brand Ambassador Program to target Gen Z college
students. Here, we will discuss recommendations for day-of-
tabling strategy, reaching the correct target audience on
campus, and effectively promoting AllTrails’ events.

Day-Of Tabling Strategy

80% of survey respondents indicated they were either somewhat
likely or extremely likely to interact with a tabling booth if they
gave out incentives. Additionally, free merchandise and free food
were the top motivating factors reported by survey respondents
for trying a new product “in the moment.” Based on this insight,
we recommend not only offering incentives at every tabling
event, but highlighting their presence in order to draw people in.
Free food to give out might take the form of granola bars, trail
mix, and other snacks one might enjoy on a hike or nature walk.

42
AllTrails Findings

Purchasing Drivers for Paid Subscription Acquisition

So, now that we’ve reviewed the data, how can we apply it to
help make more Gen Z users make the switch from a standard
AllTrails subscription to a premium subscription?

The biggest factor participants revealed for switching to a

paid subscription was financial security and interest. If an app
aligns with someone’s interests and offers features that will
help enrich their interests, they’ll upgrade - with the
caveat being they must be financially stable and have
extra expendable income. On the contrary, the reason
most Gen Z individuals don’t upgrade to
a premium version is a lack of funds. In
fact, Student #4, University of Colorado,
Boulder stated that the reason they
didn’t make a switch to a paid
subscription is because they are
“a full-time student, so all my
money goes to my education.”
In addition, they said that
having a subscription was
not good, because they
didn’t know if they
would have that
wiggle room in
their monthly
budget in the
future.

45
AllTrails Findings

Pain Points Affecting Brand Ambassador

Engagement
Throughout the conduction of the survey and interviews,
participants collectively voiced various pain points and concerns
regarding their experiences engaging with Brand Ambassadors.
The focus of the questions asked during each portion targeted
the initial impromptu interactions that Gen Z participants had
with Brand Ambassadors through introductory events such as
tabling and product trials. Overall, the survey and interview
findings indicated that the main pain points regarding these
engagements were participants perceiving that they do not have
enough time for interactions, lacking interest in a brand’s
product and mission, and experiencing insincere conversations
with Brand Ambassadors.

47
APPEND
ICES

51
AllTrails Appendicies

APPENDIX A:
SURVEY QUESTIONS
This section will
include the Qualtrics
survey questions and
their corresponding
answer choices.

52
AllTrails Appendicies

SURVEY
QUESTIONS
1. What kinds of campus marketing methods have you noticed
brands use on your campus? (Select all that apply
Tablin
Brand Ambassador
Product Demo
Guerilla Marketing (surprise/unexpected/unconventional
methods to promote something
Product Free Trial
Flyer
Events - (activities, meetups, promotions
Word of mouth (a friend told me
Referra
Info session
Class announcement
Other

53
AllTrails Appendicies

Survey Questions (cont.)

14. Brand ambassadors are most impactful when they…
(Choose top three
Personally use the product they’re sellin
Aligns with the mission and values of the compan
Properly demonstrates the produc
Connect with me at in-person events such as tabling or
activities put on by the bran
Are clearly passionate about what they’re usin
Are personable and socia
Reflect the brand aesthetic they are advocating (i.e.
“they look like someone who…”
Have a large social media followin
Are energetic and outgoin
Consider and act on feedback

58
AllTrails Appendicies

Survey Questions (cont.)

17. What incentivizes you to try an ambassador’s product in the
moment
Colorful and well-designed graphic
Big crowd around the tabl
Few people around the tabl
Free merchandis
Free foo
Charismatic personalit
They have a partnership with a person/brand I already
know and lik
Similar interest
Knowledgeable about the subject they’re advocating/
tabling fo
If I think they are attractiv
Good fashio
Cute companions (ie. dog, baby, kittens, etc.)

60
AllTrails Appendicies

Survey Questions (cont.)

Basic Demographics Questions
18. What gender do you identify as
Femal
Mal
Non-binar
Other

19. How old are you

Under 1
16-1
19-2
22-2
25-2
28-3
36-4
Over 45

20. What is your ethnic background

White / Caucasia
Asia
Hispani
African-America
Native-Americ
Mixed Rac
Othe
Prefer not to say

61
AllTrails Appendicies

Survey Questions (cont.)

Basic Demographics Questions

26. Which state do you currently live in? (drop down)

27. Which city do you currently live in? (short answer)

28. What type of area are you from

Urba
Suburba
Rural

29. Which university do you currently attend? (if applicable

State (drop down
University (drop down)

30. What is six plus two

Fill in

64
AllTrails Appendicies

Survey Questions (cont.)

Basic Demographics Questions

31. Do you wish to enter in a raffle for one of many $25 Amazon
gift cards upon completing this survey
Ye
No

32. Would you be interested in participating in a short 15-minute

interview talking about similar topics? Participants will
receive a $5 Amazon Gift card
Ye
No

33. Please provide your school/university email (must contain

".edu"
Fill in

65
AllTrails Appendicies

APPENDIX B:
A:
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
SURVEY RESPONDENTS
This section will
include the interview
questions that were
asked to survey
respondents.

66
AllTrails Appendicies

Survey Respondent Interview Questions

[INTRODUCTION]
Hi [NAME], my name is [YOUR NAME] and this is [PARTNER’S
NAME], who will be taking notes today. We are both part of

Gaucho Creative, a student-run marketing consulting group

at UC Santa Barbara. Thank you so much for taking the
time to talk to us. In this meeting, we’ll be asking
questions specifically about how a hiking/fitness brand
can successfully connect with students on your
college campus. Your answers will help us
guide the brand’s outreach strategy.

67
AllTrails Appendicies

...continued
[SCHOOL AND BRAND AMBASSADORS]
What types of in-person or online activities are you involved in
at school?

If lists an activity → Is [mentioned activity] popular at your

school?

If list an organization →

How did you find out about them?

How do they market themselves on campus?

Are you involved in any in-person or online activities outside of

school?

If list an activity → Is [mentioned activity] popular in [x

location]?

If list an organization →

How did you find out about them?

How do they market themselves on campus?

69
AllTrails Appendicies

...continued
[SCHOOL AND BRAND AMBASSADORS]
Thinking back to the last time you interacted with an
organization, what was it that made you stop and interact
with them
After the interaction, did you engage with them further in
any way?

If [YES] → How so? What made you want to continue

interacting with them (e.g. Charismatic personality, Colorful
and well-designed graphics
Have you ever interacted with a tabling organization and
left uninterested after conversing?

If [YES] → Why?

71
AllTrails Appendicies

...continued
[CONCLUSION]
Thanks so much for participating, we have reached the end of
our interview today. Your insights will help guide our client in
learning more about Gen Z motivations and awareness of
brand ambassador programs on college campuses. You will
hear from us by the school email you provided in the next week
regarding your compensation for your participation in this
interview
Do you have any questions or comments for us?

74
AllTrails Appendicies

A:
APPENDIX C:
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
BRAND AMBASSADORS
This section will
include the interview
questions that were
asked to Brand
Ambassadors.

75
AllTrails Appendicies

...continued
[CURRENT EXPERIENCES]
Are you in contact with other AllTrails brand ambassadors?

If [YES] → what kinds of communications do you hold with them

Do you collaborate with them in any way? How so?

If [NO] → [NEXT QUESTION

What sorts of engagement activities are AllTrails Brand

Ambassadors doing
As an AllTrails Brand Ambassador, have you engaged with Gen
Z or college students? If so, how
Consider what you do as an AllTrails ambassador. What do you
think are the most effective strategies for getting brand
engagement
How have you made efforts to get people to upgrade to a paid
subscription of the app
What characteristics do you think you need as an AllTrails
brand ambassador
What do you like most about being an AllTrails Brand
Ambassador? What have you gotten out of this experience?