Brand Activation

What To Look For In The Best Brand Ambassadors

| May 25, 2018

“Brand ambassador” is a broad term: it can refer to individuals within your company who are passionate about their jobs and portray the company in a positive way, or can refer to people who have no affiliation with your business. In cases of street teams and grassroots marketing, brand ambassadors are people who are often employed solely for the purpose of brand promotion.

Employees As Brand Ambassadors

Staff members who are acting as brand ambassadors do not necessarily need to be in the marketing department: they can also work in communications, IT, or even accounting. Anyone who has passion that will enhance the brand image can be a brand ambassador.

Employees should be given ample information to be able to report on a variety of news and events happening within the company through their social media accounts. Providing staff with exclusive information is just one way to show them that they are trusted, and this will increase their willingness to promote your company. Employees should also feel that they are appreciated by the management and that they are important for the future of the business.

Customers As Brand Ambassadors

You can look for brand ambassadors in people who are already talking about your company on social media sites. People who are following you on Twitter or liking your page on Facebook are frequently satisfied customers. Often, you can receive feedback and reviews from these customers just by asking.

Whether you look for brand ambassadors in your customers or employees, you should look out for the following characteristics:

  1. They share the company’s philosophy: Brand ambassadors must agree with your organization’s ideas on how customers should be treated, how business should be run and what the goals for the future should be. If they truly believe that the company is doing something good and right, this will be reflected in communications with customers and prospects.
  2. They can see the importance of their work as a brand ambassador: A brand ambassador should feel appreciated in order for them to be proud, engaged and attentive. Managers can ensure staff feel valued by listening to their ideas while customers can be rewarded through incentives such as free samples of new products or discounts on services.
  3. They are team players: The best brand ambassadors do not work alone — he or she should appreciate being part of a larger team of talented co-workers and should not attribute success to his or her own qualities but understand the importance of others.
  4. They are professional: There have been several incidents where employees who have found themselves in the spotlight, due to the fame of their company, and have portrayed their brand in a negative manner; for example, there have been cases of staff members tweeting details of their personal escapades.A good brand ambassador will only publish positive material on social network sites and will set an example while in the public eye. Similarly, he or she will never complain to customers or other staff about negative aspects of the company but instead will consult a manager, or another person of influence.
  5. They embrace innovation: Promoting a brand goes beyond simply implementing orders. A brand ambassador should be thinking of new solutions for marketing a product or service whether they are part of the marketing department or not.
  6. They are passionate and have a strong personality: Having a passion for the company will ensure enthusiasm and interest is instilled in others. In addition, the individual’s personality will create association with the brand in the mind of prospects.

What do you look for in your brand ambassadors?