Gap Inc. has opened its creator programme to its own employees. From 22 July, people in offices, stores and distribution centres can sign up and earn commission for content about Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta. The company is expanding a model that it launched in October 2025 for external creators, which generated almost 30,000 unique posts reaching 154 million users in under a year.
What the programme offers employees
Participants get access to sharing tools, company content and affiliate commission on sales from customers they bring in. Alongside commission, the reward includes product. “By expanding this program to eligible employees across our offices, stores and distribution centers, we’re giving them a way to become influencers, earning commission and product while sharing what they love and bringing our brands to life through authentic storytelling,” said Damon Berger, SVP Marketing Shared Services at Gap Inc.
Starbucks pays baristas through TikTok
Employee creator programmes are not an isolated step by Gap Inc. Starbucks has run Green Apron Creators since 2024, which encourages employees to create content about the brand. In June 2026 the chain announced a pilot expansion through the Creator Network in TikTok Content Suite, where it can brief selected baristas and reward them with a share of advertising revenue.
“Every day, our partners bring Starbucks to life by creating moments of connection with our customers and with each other. And more than ever, they are sharing those moments with the world online in authentic, creative and unique ways,” said Erin Silvoy, senior vice president of global marketing at Starbucks. According to the company, Starbucks employees publish content three times as often as employees of comparably sized chains.
Ulta builds on its sales staff
Beauty retailer Ulta Beauty launched its internal programme, Ulta Beauties, in June 2025. About 1,500 employees applied for the first year, and the requirement is at least six months with the company. Selected sales associates submit two paid posts a month, and the main metric is engagement. “We knew we had an untapped superpower with our [store] associates,” said Stacy Coblentz, associate manager of the programme.
Compensation remains an open question
Companies do not dispute the value of employee content. What remains open is compensation. According to Sprout Social’s Q2 2026 Pulse Survey, which covered more than 2,000 social media users in the US, Britain and Australia, 40% of consumers regularly discover a product or service through employee content, rising to 61% among Gen Z. The same 40% of respondents also believe brands should pay employees extra for such content.
Content creation is rarely part of a job description, as Lindsey Gamble of IZEA points out. Firms without a budget for direct payment therefore face the question of what other value to offer employee creators.
European rules target influencers
In Europe, such promotion is governed by the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, whose European Commission guidance also covers influencer marketing. According to an analysis by the law firm Osborne Clarke, the commercial intent of a message must be clearly recognisable under Article 7 of the directive, and the disclosure must not be hidden in a hashtag or behind a “read more” link.
In July 2025, the European Commission also launched a consultation on the Digital Fairness Act. It asks whether creators should “clearly and prominently disclose” advertising, and whether brands and agencies should ensure compliance. According to the same analysis, however, the framework focuses on influencers with above-average reach, and does not yet explicitly address employees promoting their own employer.
Where the new boundary is forming
A model in which a company’s reach is made up of thousands of employee accounts places employees in a role that until now was held by hired creators. Gap Inc., Starbucks and Ulta Beauty offer commission, product or a share of advertising revenue for this work. The boundary between the job itself and paid content creation is, for now, set by each company alone.
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