Did someone get paid to say that?
I often find myself asking that question, and many times I have trouble finding the answer. For example, when a guest on MtnMeister gives a gear recommendation, does she get paid by that company? If she does, can we trust that the recommendation is authentic? How do these sponsorships work? What do the brands get from the athletes and what do the athletes get from the brands? How does this impact us as outdoors consumers?
Episode Participants
In this episode, we hear from a couple of professional athletes, a large outdoors brand, and a talent manager.
Rebecca Rusch is a professional mountain biker whose partners include Red Bull, Niner, SRAM, and GU. She is seven-time world champion, four-time Leadville 100 champion, and the author of Rusch to Glory. For more, follow her on Instagram @RebeccaRusch or visit her website.
Andrew Skurka is an adventure athlete, speaker, guide, and author of The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide. Among many endurance endeavors, he has hiked the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop and the 7,778-mile Sea to Sea route. Andrew’s partners include Sierra Designs, Mountain Laurel Designs, and DeFeet. Check out his interview with MtnMeister.
Katie Ramage is the Director of The North Face sports marketing, a group which oversees the Global Athlete Team, Expedition Program, Events and Partnerships in all sporting categories (includes skiing, snowboarding, climbing, endurance running, mountain biking, and yoga).
Jonathan Retseck is a managing partner of RXR Sports, a full-service talent management and sports marketing firm. RXR represents some of the most prominent names in the world of sports, adventure, and active lifestyle including Alex Honnold, Conrad Anker, Emily Harrington, and Scott Jurek.
With these words, Peyton Manning gave Budweiser an estimated $13.9 million in free advertising.
Additional Resources
Check out these links to additional episode content.