Meet the Influencers and Ambassadors Behind Some of the Biggest Equipment Brands

At one time, social media was about sharing memes, hilarious videos and your kid’s first day of school photo. Now, it’s a place to showcase your talents, swap ideas, learn something new and grow your business. Today’s “content creators” are using their platforms to connect with their audiences, teach their skills and influence others to try new things, explore brands and more. It’s that kind of reach that’s making these influencers — like those in the construction equipment space — a valuable part of manufacturers’ strategies to reach customers.

“We began exploring influencer partnerships to bring our brand to life through credible, customer-first storytelling,” says Hanah DeBlaey, social media lead at John Deere Construction & Forestry. “By partnering with operators, contractors and creators who use equipment every day, we can share authentic, firsthand perspectives on how our machines perform on real jobsites and contribute to success in the construction industry. These relationships complement our broader marketing strategy by expanding reach to new and younger audiences, adding trust to our messaging and creating engaging social content that supports brand awareness, product education and consideration.”

The trend of big equipment brands collaborating with influencers is gaining momentum, so we decided to chat with six manufacturers on why they chose their partnerships and what they hope industry enthusiasts take away from these accounts.

Telling a Brand’s Story

The biggest advantage of construction equipment influencers is the fact that they offer authentic, experience-driven storytelling across their digital platforms. Their content provides real insight from real people, so users can make informed decisions when purchasing or operating machinery.

“Influencers play an important role in humanizing the brand by putting real operators, customers and communities at the center of the story,” says Caryn Odenbach, Bobcat’s brand and experience marketing manager. “They help build credibility by showing rather than telling, demonstrating equipment performance in real-world applications and speaking in their own voice to audiences who already trust them. This ‘watch me’ approach allows people to see firsthand how equipment is used and the value it delivers.”

Sasha Mikulecky, brand marketing manager at Case Construction Equipment, has a similar sentiment. The company relies on its brand ambassadors and influencers to operate equipment and translate their experience into meaningful, genuine insights for customers.

“It’s important for us to tell our brand story through the lens of the customer, as that’s what most resonates with potential equipment purchasers,” says Mikulecky. “Any brand can promote equipment claims, but when customers can see equipment in action and hear from someone running the machines, it promotes a new level of trust in the equipment’s actual performance.”

Speaking of Case, one influencer the company partners with is Michael Simon (a.k.a. Dirt Perfect). Mikulecky says that Simon is a great fit for the brand based on his level-headed and informed approach to evaluating Case equipment on his YouTube channel (youtube.com/@DirtPerfect). Simon aims to educate viewers on a product with honest opinions, including both positive and constructive feedback. Those critiques, as well as insights from viewers, have been beneficial to Case and its equipment.

“One unexpected part of this partnership has been getting involved not only with the marketing team, but also with the product specialists and engineers on improving existing models and even helping develop new ones,” says Simon. “Whether it’s feedback from our own experience or things we see mentioned in the comments from viewers, Case Construction Equipment has always been open to listening.”

Kubota started to explore brand ambassador partnerships as more audiences were turning to digital platforms and trusted online personalities to learn about equipment, projects and property management. The company realized that buyers were interested in real-world content and hands-on project storytelling, so it sought out accounts that could provide that while aligning with Kubota’s values.

“Kubota’s brand ambassador partnerships are rooted in authenticity and real-world equipment use,” says Beth Stanford, senior digital marketing manager at Kubota Tractor Corp. “Whether it’s ranching, trail building or property improvement projects, our ambassadors naturally showcase how our equipment supports their real work in a way that feels relatable and credible to their audiences. From a marketing perspective, these relationships help expand awareness among emerging audiences while reinforcing trust with existing customers.”

The company’s diverse group of brand ambassadors has something for everyone. Stanford says it includes farmers, ranchers, outdoor enthusiasts, motorsports personalities, entertainers and other influential individuals. One particular focus for Kubota has been western and ranching lifestyles.

“We partner with professional rodeo athletes including J.B. Mauney, Kaycee Feild and Paul Eaves, as well as Bosque Ranch, the Texas ranch and production facility founded by Taylor Sheridan,” says Stanford. “These partnerships help demonstrate how Kubota equipment supports ranch operations, land management and rural property maintenance through authentic storytelling and day-to-day use.”

Another notable partnership has been with professional freeride mountain biker and trail builder Carson Storch. Through this unique title sponsorship, Kubota equips Storch with a U55-5 compact excavator and SVL97-3 compact track loader that support his work alongside Oregon trail organizations. Stanford explains that Storch’s content showcases how Kubota equipment excels in rugged, real-world environments while connecting with highly engaged outdoor and mountain biking audiences.

Promoting Beyond the Screen

Another role influencers and brand ambassadors are playing includes helping companies introduce new equipment and innovations to the market. This involves promotion on their platforms and sometimes in-person events — giving a chance for followers to meet their favorite content creators at trade shows and beyond.

“Our brand ambassadors help generate excitement around new products by creating content that demonstrates features and capabilities in real working conditions,” says Stephen Odum, national marketing manager at Takeuchi-US. “For example, our ambassadors both came to our Media Days event at our Pendergrass facility last summer to help us introduce landscape, construction and rental editors to the new TL11R3 compact track loader. They participate in product walkarounds, field demonstrations, trade shows and social media campaigns tied to new machine introductions.”

Takeuchi currently has two brand ambassadors — the Archie family of Bar 7 Ranch and Brandon Johnson of Elite Earthworks. Based in Gatesville, Texas, the Archies are a ranching family with a strong social media following on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Odum says the Archie’s focus on family, faith, fun and hard work fits well with Takeuchi’s own values.

“They bring a real-life, grounded perspective to the way our excavators and track loaders can help farmers and ranchers get their jobs done,” he says. “The Archies are true pros when it comes to the social media landscape, and they are great at showing the different ways they use our equipment around the ranch. The Archies have helped us reach a whole new audience. Because of their large following on social media, more people now recognize the Takeuchi brand. Even if they may never purchase one of our machines, that heightened level of brand awareness is so valuable. We want people to see our equipment out working and know, ‘That’s a TAK!’”

Takeuchi’s partnership with Brandon Johnson began after the company discovered his high-quality content featuring its machines and the ways he uses them for landscaping, construction and utility jobs. Odum explains that Takeuchi reached out to Johnson, who resides in Joplin, Missouri, to gauge his interest in joining the company at industry events and continuing to produce videos. Since then, Johnson has been a great resource for his audience and ambassador for Takeuchi.

“Brandon’s a hardworking guy who knows our equipment inside and out,” says Odum. “Despite his excellent machine operating skills, his humility stands out when people come up to him at our trade show booths and say, ‘Brandon, I’ve learned so much about how to use equipment by watching your videos.’ Those interactions still shock him, but that’s why we love him. He’s approachable, experienced and very relatable, so other contractors trust and value his opinions.”

Aside from the Media Days event last summer, the Archies and Brandon Johnson have joined Takeuchi at industry shows like Equip Expo, Utility Expo and CONEXPO/CON-AGG. Odum says attendees love seeing them in person, because they feel like they already know them from social media.

“Our brand ambassadors even help us with equipment demos at these events,” he adds. “Our customers feel a kinship with these individuals, and we want their feelings of trust in them to carry over to our equipment.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

One of the strongest arguments for influencers and brand ambassadors is their ability to introduce (and attract) younger audiences to industries like construction, agriculture, landscaping and land management in a more approachable way. These online personalities create content that engages potential contractors, farmers, landscapers and more — a push that’s needed to fill those future jobs.

“We’ve heard some really cool stories from young people at trade shows sharing that creators we’ve partnered with inspired them to start their own businesses,” says Megan Monsour, marketing communications manager at Toro. “The fans look up to these content creators, not just for their points of view on products, but as role models in the industries they work in. It’s exciting to see more young people exploring professions, such as landscape contracting, and to know that creator partnerships may help inspire that interest. By showcasing the skill, creativity and impact of this work through relatable content, creators can help audiences better understand career opportunities in these fields and feel more connected to the industries and communities behind them.”

Toro currently works with content creator partners on every major social media platform. The company’s approach focuses on partnering with accounts across a variety of industries, such as landscaping, hardscape and construction, that use Toro products in their everyday work and projects. Monsour says these accounts help customers see authentic, real-world solutions in action, as well as give audiences more relatable, useful guidance and build confidence in how Toro equipment can support their needs.

One of John Deere’s partners, Thomas Karczmarczyk, president of KZ Construction Inc., hopes relationships among creators and equipment companies will show others the value and potential the construction industry has to offer. He emphasizes that his partnership with John Deere has exposed KZ Construction to new ideas and equipment that has helped it grow into a better and safer company.

“I would hope that it shows a better portrayal of the men and women in this industry and the pride they have in their product,” says Karczmarczyk. “This is an awesome industry and there’s so many ways to get involved whether you’re an end user of the machines like us or you’re involved in R&D, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales, John Deere Financial, Precision Construction or one of the many other teams that are pushing to improve the way we do things.”