Most Impactful Brand Ambassador Strategies
Brand ambassadors can make a huge difference for businesses and marketing campaigns. A brand ambassador is an individual who serves as the “face” of a brand and markets a company while educating consumers and other salespeople about its products and services. Think of a brand ambassador as a human side of a business who can engage with people face-to-face about the brand’s value.
If your company is looking to hire ambassadors, but you’re unsure where to start, it helps to know the most impactful brand ambassador strategies. From recruiting efforts to launching campaigns, there are many ways companies can empower and promote their ambassadors to accelerate success in growing their brand awareness.
Who is a Brand Ambassador?
As mentioned, a brand ambassador serves as the face of a company to promote products and services. This can be done through retail strategies, promotional programs, content creation, and more. A brand ambassador is paid by a business to execute marketing efforts that help grow their reach and strengthen brand awareness.
An ambassador can be anyone who has a passion for the company and wants to help promote the brand through a partnership deal. Usually, ambassadors fall under these categories:
- Trained Marketing Professionals
Because the role of a brand ambassador is demanding, these individuals are often trained marketing experts who understand what it takes to market a product or service. At T-ROC, we train thousands of ambassadors each year to meet the requirements of this role. Then, we use innovative software to place these professionals in the best role. For companies seeking a perfect fit for an ambassador, our program is a tried-and-tested way to do so.
- Celebrities
It’s common for stars to serve as brand ambassadors for luxury clothing companies, perfume brands, and more. For example, a clothing company may have a celebrity appear in their advertisements and wear their brand at red-carpet events.
- Social Media Influencer
A social media influencer vs Brand Ambassador usually has a large following of 10,000 or more users. Influencers often work with brands to review and promote their products through posts, such as uploading a photo wearing or using a product. However, for someone to be a social media influencer, they don’t have to be a brand ambassador. Influencers often have a personal brand they promote to followers to grow their profiles.
The Role of Brand Ambassadors
A brand ambassador can fulfill various roles, from performing live product demonstrations to working with salespeople at retail stores to educate them on a product. The exact role of an ambassador depends on the company, its goals, and its target audience.
Here are some common roles that brand ambassadors fill:
- Perform Product Demos
It is common for brand ambassadors to perform live demonstrations of what a product looks like and how it works. These demos are often done in stores, fairs, or promotional events. A live demonstration is a great opportunity for a brand ambassador to engage face-to-face with customers and answer questions about the company.
- Work with Retailers
Brand ambassadors often work with retailers to launch new products and educate salespeople on their value. This demanding role requires the ambassador to thoroughly understand the brand and how to market it. The ambassador will need marketing expertise to help make sales and bring maximum value to the company.
- Create Content
Ambassadors may be asked to create content for a brand, such as photos, videos, newsletters, and social media posts. This content must embody the company’s vision and remain consistent with its brand.
- Appear in Advertisements
Ambassadors may be asked to film commercials or attend photoshoots advertising products. Creating advertisements is common for celebrity ambassadors who are widely recognized and can encourage their fans to engage with a specific brand.
Finding the Right Ambassadors
Attracting the right people to represent your brand takes time, planning, and consideration. The more you know your brand and values, the more precise you’ll be in finding the best people to serve as your ambassadors.
T-ROC works with companies seeking brand ambassadors by using innovative technologies. Our software screens our trained ambassadors and places them with companies based on the nuances of their brand. This strategy ensures businesses work with ambassadors who are well-suited for the job and eager to help marketing campaigns succeed thanks to common passions.
As experts in marketing and brand ambassadorships, here are some qualities we recommend looking for in a brand representative:
- Passion and Personality
Because an ambassador serves as a front-facing representation of your brand, you want this person to bring passion and enthusiasm to the job. This person should embody what your company stands for and be able to relay that to your target market. If your company sells organic foods, you may want a brand ambassador who promotes a healthy lifestyle. A luxury clothing brand may look for a celebrity who embodies elegance and style.
- Authenticity
No customer wants to feel like they’re only being talked to so they can spend money. Your ambassadors should bring authenticity and personalization to every consumer interaction, so your customers feel valued. Investing in the human element of your company is a great way to build brand awareness and loyalty.
- Creativity
Bringing in a brand ambassador is a great way to welcome fresh ideas and perspectives into your business. Therefore, you should look for someone who can bring creativity to your business. Whether your ambassador is pitching new campaign ideas, generating posts, or has a vision for an advertisement, finding someone enthusiastic about pitching new ideas will make them a great asset to your team.
- Marketing Experience
It will help your team and marketing efforts if you find an ambassador with some experience in the brand awareness field. While you shouldn’t discount candidates who don’t have 20+ years of experience, look for someone who understands marketing language, campaign timelines and knows how brand awareness works.
- Communication Skills
Communication skills are imperative for brand ambassadors. Not only will this person communicate with consumers, but they’ll also speak frequently with marketing teams and salespeople to educate them on your brand. Seek out candidates you can envision working well with a team and talking face-to-face with your target audience. A responsive communicator will make for a great brand ambassador.
Understanding Brand Ambassador Programs
Before diving into the most impactful brand ambassador strategies, let’s review what a brand ambassador program is. A brand ambassador program is a recruiting method companies use to find quality candidates for the job. Companies can develop their own brand ambassador program or work with an external agency that recruits, trains, and places candidates with brands.
At T-ROC, our brand ambassador program recognizes that ambassadors are not a dime a dozen. It takes time and patience to find the right people and personalities to take on the significant role of a brand ambassador. Our ambassador program recruits globally to find the best candidates. Then, we take our candidates through an intensive training process that uses classroom training, hands-on teaching, and tech-enabled learning. Through this training, our ambassadors learn about the specific needs of a brand and how to meet and exceed expectations. We place ambassadors with companies using innovative software that ensures representatives are matched with brands that fit them best, and vice versa.
Our brand ambassador program is a step above the rest and is great for companies who recognize the value of brand marketing and want to work with someone who is highly trained, professional, and embodies their brand values.
Brand Ambassador Marketing Strategies
If your team has decided to invest in a brand ambassador program, here are some strategies to keep in mind:
List Out Your Brand Ambassadorship Goals & Objectives
The more planning you do, the better luck you’ll have. Before investing in a brand ambassador program, list your goals and objectives and define your KPIs for success. Do you want this person to have a large social media presence and post weekly? Does this candidate need to be available for holiday events? Will you require modeling and advertising experience? The more you envision the role and responsibilities, the better.
Choose Your Brand Ambassador Marketing Program
Now it’s time to decide what type of brand ambassador program you want to invest in. With T-ROC, we perform the ambassador training and place qualified candidates with your company. Then, you can work with the ambassadors on marketing campaigns, in-person events, promotional programs, and so much more. There are dozens of ways you can structure your ambassadorship to help you achieve your goals.
Launch Your Campaign
Once you have your ambassadors, you can begin working on marketing campaigns. This is a highly unique process that will vary by company. For example, if your brand is launching a new food product, you may have your ambassadors visit grocery stores and train salespeople on how to promote and market this new item.
Motivate and Empower Your Brand Ambassadors
As you work with ambassadors and get to know their personalities, remember it’s important to motivate them. Give these representatives the tools they need to succeed. Cultivating a relationship of trust and encouragement is a great way to set up a long-term partnership.
Measure Your Results and Progress
Brand ambassadors are often the key to a successful marketing campaign, so don’t forget to measure your results! Keep track of how ambassadors impact your target audience and what communication methods work best. Over time, you can evolve and strategize to use marketing strategies to increase brand awareness.
Think Toward the Future
A successful brand ambassador program will set you up for a future of success. As you build long-term partnerships with ambassadors, you can work with these representatives on new marketing ideas that generate sales and grow your revenue.
Creative Ways to Utilize a Brand Ambassador
You can work with ambassadors in many inventive ways. Check out these creative ideas for brand ambassador marketing inspiration:
- Live Product Demos – Live product demonstrations are a great way for ambassadors to interact face-to-face with customers and share insight about your products. Plus, these demos allow consumers to see how your product works in real time.
- Q&A Sessions – Ambassadors can arrange question-and-answer sessions at an event or online to talk with potential customers.
- Discount Codes – Companies can give their ambassadors exclusive discount codes to promote at events or online. This idea benefits customers, ambassadors, and businesses. Discount codes can help consumers by cutting costs and may help your ambassadors generate more followers and build brand loyalty.
- Testimonials – A customer testimonial is an endorsement from a satisfied user who is eager to speak about the value of a service or product. Brand ambassadors can create testimonials using visual media or written content. For example, a skincare company may have its ambassadors speak about how their products have improved their skin and encourage them to use photos or videos detailing the process. Testimonials can be personable and exciting, making them a great way to engage with consumers.
What To Avoid with Brand Ambassador Marketing
There are many ways your company can successfully work with brand ambassadors. If you work with the right team and know what kind of ambassador you want, you’ll have great luck.
Just as there are many creative ways to work with ambassadors, there are also mistakes to watch out for. Let’s review what to avoid when recruiting and working with ambassadors.
Don’t Launch Too Soon
Brand ambassadorships can be a fruitful experience for companies and ambassadors alike. However, as a company, you shouldn’t force this program to happen until you’re ready. Brands that launch an ambassadorship prematurely won’t reap the benefits of this partnership which could hurt their chances for future possibilities.
Before launching an ambassador marketing program, make sure you check the following boxes:
- Have a Wide Audience Reach – Ensure you have a wide audience established that you can engage with. An established audience gives you a healthy platform to build from as you seek to grow your reach through an ambassador program.
- Build Up Your Marketing Efforts – Ideally, you should have at least one marketing employee who can help manage your brand ambassadors. If this isn’t feasible, you should at least plan for one of your team members to dedicate several hours a day to working on the partnership. Aim to welcome your brand ambassadors into an established space where marketing efforts are organized and supported.
Don’t Overcomplicate Your Ambassador Program
If you can’t set clear expectations and guidelines for your ambassadors, it is too soon to launch a program. For example, a company may set unrealistic expectations for generating sales because they haven’t yet researched how an ambassador should impact revenue. If expectations are unrealistic, your ambassadors will feel frustrated when they don’t meet their goals. If you are unsure if your goals are realistic for your industry, you can also talk to the experts at T-ROC who have decades of experience in brand ambassadorships.
Don’t Make a Decision You’re Unsure About
Companies that feel pressure in launching their brand ambassador program may feel rushed to decide on candidates. Be cautious about deciding before you’re ready. You want to select the right ambassadors who will authentically represent your brand.
Don’t Restrict Creativity
One of the most significant advantages to having a brand ambassador on your team is the fresh perspective they can bring. So, as a brand, you should acknowledge this creativity and give ambassadors the freedom to offer their own marketing ideas.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set clear guidelines for posting, attending events, or other duties. But when it comes time to pitch new video ideas for a campaign, include your ambassadors in those conversations. Ambassadors will feel more valued if they’re given a chance to share their perspectives with your team. If your ambassadorship program becomes too rigid and controlled, you may not reap the benefits of this creative partnership.
About T-ROC
If you’re looking to start working with brand ambassadors but aren’t sure where to start, T-ROC can help. Our brand ambassador program connects companies with advocates who live and breathe the brands they represent. Our ambassadors know how to share positive energy with others and connect with consumers personally as they spread your brand message.
So why choose T-ROC’s ambassador program? Because we will connect you with unique people and personalities and prepare them to go out there and crush it. Our program is unique because:
- We Recruit Around the World
T-ROC sources from our own pool of professionals around the United States and North, Central, and South America. We’ll manage the process end-to-end to connect you with the best candidates in the business.
- We Believe in the Power of Training
We’ve developed a proprietary Learning Management System (LMS) that includes hands-on teaching, classroom training, and tech-enabled learning. The curriculum is built around your brand’s specific needs and expectations.
- We Practice a Thorough Vetting Process
Our HR team ensures that our ambassadors have been fully vetted to our client’s standards before we introduce them. This process includes verifying work histories, background checks, reference checks, and drug testing.
- We Believe in Program Ownership
T-ROC empowers its ambassadors to own their programs. These professionals are rewarded when they deliver on promises, and they know that when they succeed, you succeed.
In addition to our brand ambassador program, T-ROC offers many additional retail and revenue optimization solutions that include:
- Business Intelligence Services
- End-to-End Solutions
- IT Services
- Fulfillment
- Sales Representatives
- Merchandising
- And more!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are three attributes of a successful brand ambassador?
A successful brand ambassador should be motivated, creative, and personable. These representatives should embody the brands they represent and bring creativity and enthusiasm to the job.
What is the best way to use brand ambassadors?
There is no one right way to work with a brand ambassador. Many companies use ambassadorships for product demonstrations, advertisements, and content creation.
How do you become a brand ambassador?
There are many ways you can become an ambassador for a brand. You can start by contacting brands you love to see if they have an ambassadorship program.