So this is becoming a thing, huh?
Earlier this week, we wrote about how cosmetics company Ulta Beauty is establishing an ambassador program where it finds and nurtures employees who were already making content about their jobs. Called “Ulta Beauties,” the program has accepted ~30 staffers so far, from cashiers to general managers, and is paying them to make two pieces of content per month, plus sending them on a bunch of biz dev experiences.
Now Starbucks is doing something similar–except instead of accepting a bunch of ambassador employees, it’s only accepting one.
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The international café brand just opened a new position: Global Coffee Creator. It’s a 12-month job that will send two people–one an established Starbucks employee, one an external hire–around the world to “Milan, Tokyo, Colombia, Dubai, Costa Rica, and more,” where they’ll make content that captures “the local culture, community and atmosphere surrounding each Starbucks location.”
“Your mission? Help us show the world why Starbucks coffee hits different,” Starbucks said in the gig description. “This is more than a job; it’s a chance to immerse yourself in the world of coffee, meet new people and see new places. If you’re ready to pack your bags and share the Starbucks experience through a fresh lens, we’d love to hear from you.”
Both creators will be paid a full-time salary, with travel comped by Delta and hotel stays handled by Marriott Bonvoy.
Unlike Ulta, Starbucks doesn’t require that its Global Coffee Creators be significantly followed content-makers already. Instead, it asks that they show “strong creativity and storytelling abilities,” along with proficiency in using editing tools on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. They also have to be comfortable on camera and show “strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, with the ability to represent the brand and adhere to company policies and standards.”
Applications for this position are open through June 13; to apply, both Starbucks employees and potential outside hires have to make a TikTok video showing why they’re a “coffee-obsessed, chronically online, world traveler.”
This trend with companies is an interesting one. We’ve seen creators like Dude Perfect and MrBeast talk about how they want to establish longer-term relationships with brands, where they become de facto ambassadors, and in exchange, the brand pays for multiple videos, plus things like activations and even product collabs.
With Ulta and Starbucks, it’s clear brands are looking for the same thing. They want creators on their payroll, making regular installments of high-quality, brand-friendly content that gets approved by corporate before it goes live. This gives companies a way to tap creators for the long-term, instead of having to seek, vet, and instruct new influencer partners for every campaign. It’s a win-win for both creators and companies–so long as creators are being compensated fairly.
