Regardless of a company’s digital marketing activities or social media presence, nothing strengthens brand reputation today like face-to-face interactions.
Not only do they mean fewer distractions to compete with, but they also offer brands the chance to engage consumers with all the senses, improving credibility and communicating key value propositions more effectively. The result? Personal referrals from real people that will always be the holy grail for marketing teams.
This is where brand ambassadors come in, who play a vital role in building a strong identity for companies and engaging new customers. So, let’s take a look at who they are, what they do, and the benefits they offer brands.
Defining a brand ambassador
A brand ambassador represents and promotes a brand and its products or services through words and actions. They might be an existing employee or outsourced from an agency to represent that brand in a positive light, embodying its corporate identity and increasing brand awareness and sales.
What does a brand ambassador do?
The role of a brand ambassador can vary greatly, but the goal is usually to create a positive image for the company or organisation and build trust with its audience. As such, good communication and networking skills are a must. Tasks might include:
• Communicating information
• Hosting retail demonstrations
• Handing out samples
• Recording data
• Encouraging consumer interaction
• Answering questions about the brand, its products, and services
Take this Kiehl’s activation as an example, we were asked to raise awareness and create a buzz around the skincare brand’s new summer range through a premium sampling experience across the sunny streets of Berlin.
Our brand ambassadors honed in on the vibrancy of the new products and levelled up the street sampling interaction with consumers using character actors, micro-influencers, and brand specialists. Creating these positive interactions with both existing and potential customers is what led the campaign to smash its targets. Our brand ambassadors handed out over 2,454,600 samples and generated more than 22,000 social media impressions.
Soap & Glory’s ‘Glory Girls’ are another great example. These ladies are the face of the brand, helping it to become the thriving beauty label it is today.
Using our unique recruitment approach, we went on the hunt for global make-up artists who were highly skilled and passionate about beauty. Our staff are now long-term spokesmodels for Soap & Glory, successfully representing its distinctive identity and brand values across multiple markets.
How do brand ambassadors improve campaigns?
No matter how unique the product or service, the competition for brands is rising. Markets are becoming increasingly saturated, offering consumers more choice. For this reason alone, it’s important to focus efforts on driving awareness and strengthening brand-consumer relationships.
Many of us have learnt to cut through the noise and ignore what we think is irrelevant. For brand ambassadors, however, it’s much easier to gain audience attention and communicate in a genuine and enthusiastic way.
With the right training, brand ambassadors become experts in a brand’s product or service, making customers more likely to trust them. After all, most of us will identify with a brand more if it has a face that makes it appear more human!
What makes a successful brand ambassador?
There are plenty of roles brand ambassadors can take. From mixologists and demo specialists to make-up artists and models, all of these require their own set of specialist skills. However, no matter what the campaign or event may be, there are certain core traits that every brand ambassador needs to be successful.
Natural communication skills – Who do you usually turn to when you’re looking for recommendations? It’s probably someone who you recognise as being knowledgeable in a particular space and appears confident in their decisions. That’s exactly what traits a brand ambassador needs to exude, and it’s these communication skills that engage audiences and reinforce a positive brand identity.
Professionalism – While it may seem like a no-brainer, having a high level of professionalism is a vital skill for any brand ambassador. They are responsible for representing a brand and have a significant impact on how others perceive it. When working with the public, it’s important to understand that things don’t always go to plan. If someone already has a negative perception or reacts badly to an interaction, brand ambassadors need to be able to handle the situation calmly and professionally.
Marketing knowledge – The very best brand ambassadors understand the importance of marketing and its wider role. While they don’t need to have a degree in it, they should understand how their role fits into a brand’s wider strategy.
The ability to give and receive feedback – A key part of being a brand ambassador may be to engage with the public, but it’s also to gather feedback based on their interactions. Event reporting technology has come a long way in the last few years, giving brands deeper insights into their activations. To do this, brand ambassadors must be able to use the technology and react accordingly based on the results.
Reliability – Good time management and organisation skills are what make a good brand ambassador great. Being on time, carrying out tasks according to instructions, and communicating with other team members effectively are fundamental tasks for this type of role.
Register your interest in becoming an Elevate brand ambassador
Elevate is an award-winning staffing agency that works with some of the biggest brands delivering unforgettable experiences to audiences across the world, but we couldn’t do this without our global network of ambassadors who bring our events to life.
From pop-up stores and roadshows to conferences and festivals, we work at the most exclusive events in some of the most exciting locations.
Are you interested in becoming a brand ambassador? We’re looking to add new talent to our global network across multiple areas including promotional staff, retail experience staff, corporate event staff, hospitality staff, logistics experts, actors, baristas, make-up artists, mixologists, and more. To register your interest, please visit our staff portal.
