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How the creative mind works.

Being a brand ambassador ain’t what it used to be. Ten years ago, anyone could dress up to hand out products to people IRL. Today, brand ambassadorship exists predominantly online, driven by Instagram influencers and actors paid to pose with products in transactional sponsored #ads.As brand ambassadorship has become increasingly digitized, the authenticity of advocacy has been called into question, leaving us to wonder: What even happened to brand ambassadors? Although the job seems more popular than ever, ZoomInfo data shows the title peaked in popularity in 2017 before suffering a sudden decline.To find out how brand ambassadorship has evolved over the last 10 years we talked with Kristal Mallookis, the CEO and founder of Mustard Lane, a brand ambassador staffing agency that has built a community of thousands of brand ambassadors across the country.

Kristal Mallookis is the founder and CEO of Mustard Lane, MEAUX & founder and President of 501c(3) nonprofit Off The Lane. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, it was only natural for Kristal to pursue her passions.
 
Kristal’s first company was founded in 2007 at the age of 24. “The Lane" was created for creative professionals looking for some in-between gigs. MEAUX was founded in 2017, and hosts anything from intimate dinners, cocktail parties, bridal showers, pop-up shops, launch parties as well as photoshoots & film shoots. Off The Lane was founded in 2019, launching its first Mentorship Program in early 2020. The digital program connects college seniors and young professionals looking to move to NYC with working creative professionals to enrich, educate, and engage them to ease their transition into a new creative community. 

Kristal Mallookis

Kristal Mallookis is the founder and CEO of Mustard Lane

Being a brand ambassador ain’t what it used to be. Ten years ago, anyone could dress up to hand out products to people IRL. Today, brand ambassadorship exists predominantly online, driven by Instagram influencers and actors paid to pose with products in transactional sponsored #ads. As brand ambassadorship has become increasingly digitized, the authenticity of advocacy has been called into question, leaving us to wonder: What even happened to brand ambassadors? Although the job seems more popular than ever, ZoomInfo data shows the title peaked in popularity in 2017 before suffering a sudden decline. To find out how brand ambassadorship has evolved over the last 10 years we talked with Kristal Mallookis, the CEO and founder of Mustard Lane, a brand ambassador staffing agency that has built a community of thousands of brand ambassadors across the country.


What happened to brand ambassadors? Going from actors to influencers. 

ZoomInfo Podcast

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Who says data can't be sexy? Here on Talk Data to Me, we beg to differ. Join cohosts Stephanie Tonneson and Sam Balter as they chat with industry professionals, who help them answer the age-old question, "What the hell is going on here?" one piece of data at a time.