Samenvatting

Ambassadors are becoming increasingly prevalent across various sectors, including the equine industry. They are used to spread awareness of a product or brand, establish an image, and to increase sales. Little is known, however, about what exactly makes an ambassador successful. Traits are important as they should match both the companies’ image and the consumers’ expectations but which traits are important and how important they are, is unknown. In this research, the question of how a company can define the correct type of ambassador for an equestrian clothing collection is answered using a case study of the FEI, the international equestrian sports federation. They wish to launch a merchandise collection consisting of higher-end equestrian clothing and may consider using ambassadors to promote this.