The word ambassador has been heard by everyone at least once. It means "messenger" in French. However, in modern times this word has acquired new nuances of meaning - a brand ambassador, that is, a person who represents a brand. Why a brand ambassador is needed and how they differ from the face of the brand or a brand advocate, who can become an ambassador and what needs to be done for this - read right now.
Who is a "brand ambassador"
An ambassador or brand ambassador is a kind of messenger for a brand, a person who represents a company to the audience. Usually, it is a well-known person whose opinion is listened to. They use the brand’s products and regularly demonstrate this to the audience. A brand can have several ambassadors. However, the ambassador themselves can cooperate with several brands, but only from different fields.
Note: a brand ambassador and the face of a brand are different concepts. The face of a brand is a celebrity who represents a product in advertising or at events. At the same time, the face of the brand in life may use products of a competing brand, but an ambassador cannot.
Among well-known ambassadors is Monica Bellucci, who for many years represented the jewelry brand Cartier. Irina Shayk appears in social media stories wearing clothing from the brand Intimissimi. Danila Kozlovsky is an ambassador for the Gucci brand. The company "Reebok" was represented by Oxxxymiron and Ravshana Kurkova. By the way, the actress later became an ambassador for Huawei in Russia. And everyone also remembers how Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Jordan advertised sneakers.
How effective is ambassadorship
This form of cooperation is beneficial for both parties - both the business and the ambassador. On one hand, thanks to ambassadors, companies establish trusting relationships with brand customers, increase the loyalty of the target audience and, consequently, the number of sales. Companies spend less on ambassadors than on advertising, but the effectiveness is higher.
On the other hand, brands and ambassadors become somewhat dependent on each other. And the deterioration of one’s reputation will negatively affect the reputation of the other.
What a brand ambassador should do
The task of an ambassador is not to make sales but to demonstrate their positive attitude and trust in a particular brand. They do not just make social media posts with the brand’s products, but use them in everyday life. And if, for example, a Coca-Cola ambassador were caught with a Pepsi glass in their hands, it might be seen as a violation of contract terms.
Tasks of a brand ambassador:
- competently talk about the brand’s products;
- form audience opinions about the brand;
- motivate the audience to use the brand’s products.
Ambassadors are most often prohibited from:
- signing contracts with brand competitors;
- making statements on behalf of the brand;
- disclosing contract terms.
Note: if you have complaints about the quality of a brand's goods or services, the ambassador will not help solve this problem. It is not part of their duties.
Usually, companies sign an agreement with an ambassador, where the terms of cooperation, compensation, number of posts or mentions, performance indicators (such as the number of views) are recorded, along with communication and reporting methods.
How to become a brand ambassador
Most often, companies and brands themselves find potential ambassadors. Usually, these are people leading an active lifestyle who are already using the brand’s products. They can be artists, famous people, bloggers, specialists in some field. There are several ways to draw the attention of a brand:
- Use the product, follow the brand’s social networks, participate in contests and respond to ambassador searches;
- Actively and positively communicate with followers, engage them in dialogue, conduct interactive activities;
- Organize social media, use your hashtag, define the audience your blog targets and establish yourself in this segment. For example, beauty sphere audiences are unlikely to be interested in content about the intricacies of laminate installation and concrete pouring. Unless it’s a couple of posts about opening your studio;
- Choose 1-2 thematic niches where you are already an expert or can become one;
- Study internet marketing to understand "how it works."
You can also not wait until you are noticed, take the initiative and independently write to brand representatives.
What formats of ambassadorship exist
Ambassadorship formats can be divided into groups depending on the form of payment and types of marketing events.
Online and offline
So, there is online ambassadorship when media personalities promote a brand on the internet. For example, they post photos in social networks, create reels, participate in live broadcasts on streaming services, write reviews, and so on.
Offline ambassadorship is less common and involves participation in significant events. For example, store openings, exclusive parties, participation in special tours, giveaways.
Commercial and non-commercial
In terms of payment form, brand and ambassador cooperation can also differ. In commercial ambassadorship, the company pays an agreed amount at agreed times.
In non-commercial cooperation, for mentioning the brand, the ambassador receives free brand products, services, or mutual promotion.
Often, the relationship format between a brand and an ambassador is mixed: the person receives both money and certain privileges in the form of products or discounts on them.
Other interested parties
Let’s call them conditionally – those people who also form a positive brand image. These are so-called brand evangelists and brand advocates.
Brand evangelists are ordinary clients who praise and recommend products simply because they like them, a sort of word-of-mouth marketing. They do not receive any payment for this. Brand advocates protect the company from attacks in the public field – also on a voluntary basis – simply because they like this brand.
Where companies look for brand ambassadors
While companies in the West prefer not to publicize their ambassadors, in Russia, an ambassador’s identity is a kind of marker of company success and a symbol of audience trust. Major companies most often look for ambassadors among blogger-millionaires and artists, while smaller companies look among micro- and nanoinfluencers.
Who will become an ambassador?
The search follows roughly the same pattern: the company's audience on social networks is studied: who they are following and watching. Then brand representatives choose 10-15 people and analyze their blogs: post frequency, content quality, post frequency, person’s image.
For any brand, it is very important how much interests overlap between the company and a potential ambassador and what associations they evoke. So, for a sportswear or footwear brand, cooperating with professional athletes or people leading a healthy lifestyle will be beneficial. And for a chain of children's toy stores, ambassadors with children will be perfect.
A person’s image plays a special role. An ambassador can either attract potential clients or repel them. People with scandalous reputations, addictions, antisocial behavior can tarnish the brand’s reputation. True, even ambassadors with an ideal reputation can cause a wave of negativity affecting the brands they represent. One of the vivid examples is Johnny Depp's divorce. Due to a wave of scandals, Dior froze their contract with the actor and temporarily refrained from content with his participation.
In conclusion
Ambassadorship is a mutually beneficial collaboration between a well-known person and a brand. People's trust in an ambassador increases the number of potential buyers and boosts brand loyalty. The ambassador themselves receives rewards in various forms – and also comes out winning.
This collaboration has its downsides: an ambassador may change their opinion about the brand, most often there is no clear work plan or effectiveness assessment, and the ambassador themselves may lose popularity due to various circumstances.
However, ambassadorship is a very effective tool in product or brand promotion and most often creates a positive outlook among the audience.
