John Deere Is Searching for Its First-Ever Chief Tractor Officer to Be the Face of Its Social Media Presence

John Deere

John Deere is searching for its first-ever Chief Tractor Officer, offering a $192,300 contract for someone to be the face of its social media presence. This individual will play a dual role, both behind the camera and in front of the camera, creating content for social platforms, starting with TikTok, to celebrate the company's farmers, contractors, groundskeepers, and brand enthusiasts.

How to Apply

Interested individuals can apply by submitting a 60-second pitch video. John Deere also encourages applicants to share these videos on TikTok and/or Instagram. Finalists will be chosen based on originality, creativity, quality, and brand knowledge.

Creators Going In-House

John Deere is joining a growing list of companies that are embracing initiatives to bring creators in-house, whether in full-time positions or on a contract basis. Some notable examples include:

• Nerf: Hired TikTok creator Sophie Jamison (Sophie Lightning) as its first Chief TikTok Officer.

• Made by Gather: After a stint at Nerf, Jamison transitioned to become the Chief TikTok Officer for the kitchenware company.

• Jack in the Box: Hired Twitch streamer Kodie Turner as its inaugural full-time Twitch creator, focusing on engaging the gaming community.

• Duracell: Enlisted creators to spearhead the launch of its TikTok channel, through its Duracell Labs Techs program.

• Olipop: Appointed two 'Soda Consultants' to embark on city tours, documenting their experiences featuring the brand.

• Ridge: Brought Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) on as a Board Member and Chief Creative Officer.

Recognizing the Value of Creator Talent

While the titles of roles may vary, these brands understand that the talent of creators is crucial for building and expanding their digital presence. This is especially relevant on TikTok and Twitch, where engaging specific audiences, notably Gen Z, requires communication in a certain way.

Talent Acquisition Meets Marketing Strategy

These initiatives do more than acquire talent for adapting to the evolving digital landscape; they can also serve as a marketing and PR strategy. The application process usually includes a competition or challenge, requiring applicants to submit a pitch video on social media. This not only generates brand-related content but also often attracts media attention.

Attractive Opportunities for Creators

For creators, these opportunities can be attractive as they often come with lucrative paydays and stability, at least for a period. This can mitigate some of the burnout that creators are experiencing today with brand deals being more inconsistent for many.

Olipop’s search for 'Soda Consultants' alone received over 90,000 applicants, highlighting the popularity of these ‘dream roles.’

And while not every creator can transition these roles from one company to another like Jamison, creators can leverage them to obtain future opportunities, whether it's brand partnerships or other in-house gigs.

The Future of Hiring Creators

Not every brand needs to launch a big, splashy campaign to bring a creator in-house. However, due to the conversations they drive, we’ll see more brands continue this approach. Yet, brands that want to reap the benefits of today’s creative talent can look within their own companies for people who might be doubling as creators on the side or reach out to creators who are part of their influencer programs.