For its fifth year, the folk music festival that takes place over four days at 105-acre festival ground of The Woodlands of Dover International Speedway in Delaware was a smashing success. Firefly, produced by Red Frog Events alongside Goldenvoice — the folks who are responsible for Coachella — showcased headliners like The Weeknd, Muse, Twenty One Pilots, Chance the Rapper and Bob Dylan. Needless to say, it was THE ticket to get your hands on this summer.
With so many festivals popping up, how does a festival like Firefly continue to attract nearly 100K people year after year? Their answer lies in building a strong brand and giving fans what they want. From top headliners and creative food vendors to easy-to-navigate grounds and access to exclusive experiences, Firefly allows fans to curate the experience.
Each year, Firefly attendees rave about the amazing experiences they have had at the event, posting eye-catching selfies and videos that captivate their peers and entice them to join in on the fun – so it made sense to set up an ambassador program to reward them for doing what they do best: proving their fandom.
Firefly teamed up with SocialLadder to create a brand ambassador program to engage their fans and reward the most engaged of them for helping them create another great year. Through the platform, ambassadors were given access to exclusive rewards like backstage access in exchange for proving their fandom and getting their friends to pick up passes.
“We really enjoyed working with each member of the Social Ladder team. In the fast-paced festival environment, timing is everything, and whenever a question would arise SocialLadder always had a timely and insightful answer. Collectively, our brand ambassador program benefited greatly from the Social Ladder partnership,” said Firefly marketing coordinator Baily Gorey.
Ticket sales by ambassadors set a new bar this year, with sales from the ambassador program accounting for over $500K in just a few short weeks. This organic outpouring of friends bringing their friends, accompanied by the hundreds of thousands of social media impressions and Instagram posts generated by Firefly ambassadors, is a great example of the symbiotic relationship between brands that care about their fans and fans that are eager to support that brand!
For more information about creating a brand ambassador program like Firefly’s, or other ways to use the SocialLadder app check out our website.
Clarissa Phillips is an Intern at SocialLadder. A class of 2019 student at Swarthmore College, she studies Sociology, Computer Science and Psychology. She is an avid music lover and enjoys going to concerts, as well as singing in her college’s newest a cappella group, Offbeat.
