What to foresee companies are hiring an ambassador. Brand ambassador. The nuances of the profession. Engage employees in blogging Adobe Life
Ambassador (brand ambassador, brand ambassador) in marketing is a brand ambassador, a messenger, a leading official representative of the brand's interests among the target audience.Ambassador- a well-known, popular and authoritative person among the target group.
The task and function of the ambassador represents the interests and protection of the interests of the brand it represents, popularization of the brand name, its ideas.
The ambassador, in relation to the brand, has a number of rights and obligations stipulated by the contract. So the main right of the ambassador is the right to speak on behalf of the brand and enjoy the privileges stipulated in the contract. Among the main responsibilities: participation in promotion programs, public activities in the interests of the brand, one or another participation in numerous event events organized on behalf of the brand.
Such a phenomenon as brand ambassador distributed widely in the Premium and luxury segments. However, in other price segments, companies often use ambassadors to contact their target audience. Such a popular promotion mechanic as word of mouth uses brand ambassadors - people independently and with deep knowledge, talking about the brand wherever they are and actively promoting the brand.
At FMCG and HoReCa, the brand ambassador organizes seminars among dealer and distributor managers; master classes for active representatives of the buying community; acts as an expert, speaker and brand communicator in the media and social networks.
In B2B, FMCG, in commercial medicine, the fashion industry and in other segments, a specially hired specialist who is well-known, an authority among the target audience, often with a scientific degree, acts as a brand ambassador. Such a specialist organizes presentations, round tables, seminars, etc. for top clients, sales representatives, sales consultants, etc. Tasks of the current brand ambassador:
- share experience, practice of using brand products;
- form an opinion about the product;
- organize a professional community around you;
- lobby for brand insteres.
Who is the most influential person in the company? Probably CEO. However, with regard to the attractiveness of the company as an employer, it is the opinion of the employees that is decisive. And one of the most effective ways to create a positive image around your company is to give the floor to loyal employees, to make them an ambassador for your hr-brand. A fairly popular direction in marketing is the use of brand ambassadors, their task is to captivate even its active opponents with the promoted brand. This practice has now moved into HR and expanded to promoting the company's brand as an employer.
To prove our words, let us recall the Cory Edelman's Annual Trustbarometer Study, according to which an ordinary employee is trusted twice as much as a CEO of a company in matters of the atmosphere within the company.
Adobe example
So Cory Edwards, Head of Adobe’s Social Business Center of Excellence, found that social media of engaged employees who spoke about the inner life of the company gave more exhaust than ideal branded social media. the Adobe network. Following this opening, the company launched the Adobe's Social Shift Program, which helped grow brand ambassadors among its employees.
Natalie Kessler, Head of Employment Branding at Adobe shares 4 key ways to transform employees into brand ambassadors:
1. Engage employees in blogging Adobe Life
When Adobe Life was in its early days, it had an average of 400 visits per month. At the moment, more than 2 million users visit the blog every month! The main purpose of the blog is to show what is going on behind the scenes, what it is like to work at Adobe from the point of view of the employees themselves. There you can find interviews with employees, their success stories, stories about how they combine work and their hobbies, as well as reports on internal events, tips on personal productivity from top management, and just photos, videos and tweets about everyday life inside ...
2. Inspire and encourage sharing of brand-related content on social media
Adobe periodically hosts all sorts of funny contests and competitions that imply the creation thematic content and posting it on their pages. So, for example, the company ran a competition for the best T-shirt design on the theme of what Adobe Life means to them. Designers created their own options, shared them in social networks under a competitive hashtag, and the best options were then available for sale in the internal Adobe store. They say the T-shirts were sold out in a matter of days.
Natalie mentions that from time to time, the Adobe HR team subtly reminds employees to share stories on social networks about what they especially enjoy working for the company under the hashtag #AdobeLife. Also, this hashtag can be found in interiors in all especially busy areas inside the company's offices, and of course not a single corporate event is complete without mentioning it. Every week, the best hashtag materials are selected and posted on screens in offices with a mention of the author of the picture or a quote.
3. Encourage employees to post on LinkedIn
Everyone has the opportunity to post on their LinkedIn profile stories about the projects they are currently working on, what they have learned, and what inspires them especially in the company.
4. Ask employees to write about the company on
While requests for feedback may seem awkward and odd, it shouldn't stop you. Company ranking sites are one of the resources of passive candidates, and your goal is to make your company look as attractive as possible. And this requires positive feedback from employees, without this there is nothing. If you are really good, then why not? Adobe is not shy 🙂
Don't underestimate the power of the content your employees create! Make the most of this.
What should be your HR brand ambassador?
Of course, your brand ambassador needs to understand and share your values. That is, not only to know them by heart, but also to personify them with your life position.
Brand ambassadors need to truly believe in the brand, be proud of their job and the company, and be willing to recommend the place of work to their loved ones.
But the main component is passion and enthusiasm, without a strong emotional connection with your products, services and ideas, all the words and actions of the brand ambassador will look implausible.
According to a study by Vlerick Business School, there is a link between employer brand representation and certain social and demographic indicators of employees. Thus, there is a relationship between the length of work in the company and the desire to recommend it. New employees and old-timers are more likely to identify themselves as brand ambassadors than those who have been with the company for a decent amount of time but have not yet become senior members of the team.
The most likely explanation that new hires are more likely to behave like brand ambassadors is their commitment to a strategy of reducing cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance occurs when someone makes a decision and then begins to ask questions: is the choice made correct or not? And in order to minimize doubts, a person begins to convince himself and others that he has made the only correct decision, while trying to emphasize all the positive aspects of this choice. Thus, new hires in the early stages of work tend to focus on all the positive aspects of the position and the company in order to justify their decision to work here.
And employees who have worked for the company for many years, have accumulated a lot of work experience, have probably built a strong and trusting relationship with their employer and have reached a stage in their careers where they are completely satisfied with working for the company. It is logical that such employees will make excellent brand ambassadors.
The average [by length of time in the company] group shows the least willingness to become a brand ambassador, most likely due to the fact that they are stuck in their career advancement. It is possible that they have lost their former enthusiasm or have had time to face more negative aspects of their work.
Thus, the higher a person's position in the organization, the more likely they are to be a true ambassador of the employer's brand. As people climb the corporate ladder, they become more and more attached to their organization.
Incidentally, and notably, people who work in sales and marketing are more likely to become brand ambassadors. Most likely, this is due to the fact that they perfectly understand how they influence customers and the success of the company, respectively.
Get inspired by these guys
Blog on the career site:
We have already talked about the fact that in the HR department of Mailchimp there is an employee in the position of "employee happiness ambassador" who is responsible for the happiness of colleagues. It is this person who organizes Friday coffee breaks, is responsible for the involvement of colleagues and comes up with ways to make life more comfortable within the company. And yes, he writes corporate blog posts.
Instagram:
Needless to say, Reebok is positioning itself as a company in which sports are more than just a job. In support of a healthy and active corporate culture, the company launched the hashtag #FitAssCompany. On Instagram and other social media, Reebok employees talk about sports, social activities, and a healthy lifestyle culture. Thousands of posts on this hashtag show how one simple motivating idea can create good content and rally a team better than an expensive corporate event.
Twitter:
“1 like - 1 fact” threads have been popular on Twitter for a long time. And this is how it looks
Sergey Omelyanenko, the only brand ambassador of Jameson whiskey in Russia, says "Paper" about the specifics of this profession, how to represent an alcoholic brand, and shares a couple of Irish jokes.
Sergey Omelyanenko
Jameson whiskey brand ambassador in Russia
Bartender with many years of experience, participant of the Door 19 restaurant project in Moscow
Photo from the archives of Sergei Omelyanenko
How to become a brand ambassador
Bartenders do not always become brand ambassadors of alcoholic beverages, but it is better that the person is from the bar environment. 70% of people who come to trainings are bartenders, a person must understand what he is talking about: he must be able to hold a shaker and a jigger, understand the balance of tastes.
As a rule, when a bartender achieves a certain professionalism, becomes known in the environment, companies begin to show interest in him. When a person is known, they understand what he can or cannot, they know about his merits, they can notice in him exactly the one who can represent the alcohol brand, correspond to him in spirit.
About what the profession is made of
A brand ambassador is a person who represents a brand, he must dress in accordance with the era and country of his brand, look, think in a certain way. It is foolish to talk about alcohol if you do not know the mentality of the country that produces it.
It is foolish to talk about alcohol if you do not know the mentality of the country that produces it
In my case, you need to understand who the Irish are, what they are, and only then study alcohol. A brand ambassador is a marketer, a bartender, and a psychologist, all in one. For ten months, for example, I traveled to 47 cities with training seminars, explaining what the Irish mentality is, why they are similar to us.
About how it all can end
Being a brand ambassador is not the pinnacle of bartender's ambitions; any bartender should have a dream of his own establishment. Nevertheless, there are two ways. You can stay in the company and develop in higher positions: marketing director, regional director, etc. Or go back behind the counter, but with a different knowledge, a different understanding of the product.
How not to be boring
The main mistake is when the person representing the brand comes and simply retells the memorized text. For a brand to be interesting, even an ordinary person who happens to be at the seminar needs to listen to you with an open mouth. In addition to the facts about the whiskey itself, you can tell anecdotes and incidents that happened to you in Ireland. The problem with our people is that they think they know everything. I have been to Ireland seven times and still constantly learn new things about Irish whiskey.
On the role of whiskey in the Irish economy
Whiskey production in Ireland plays a very important role in the economy. They refused a tranche of financial assistance, explaining that "they will flood the whole world with alcohol." Irish whiskey, especially Jameson, has a very high growth rate of 22% over the past year. There is an active popularization: the world is beginning to get really addicted to Irish whiskey.
About Ireland and the Irish
There is a famous joke: what is the difference between an Irish funeral and a wedding? Nothing, just one less Irishman at the funeral. Otherwise, they also drink and have fun there. The bars and pubs in Ireland are part of the culture. Aunties from the factory or from the accounting department can easily come after work, have a glass of beer, whiskey on top and went on to the children. This is the norm, they don’t point a finger at anyone for it.
The Irish are such a people that if Paul McCartney walks by, they won't even react, so all the celebrities go on their honeymoon to Ireland, it's just quieter there. Nobody cares.
Its strength lies in the ability to attract and retain the attention of the target audience. It is encrypted in the company's advertising slogan. Its goal is to make the consumer fall in love with the brand in order to subsequently provide him with quality service. He always has a plan ...
A brief description of the main qualities of a brand ambassador sounds like this (the literal translation of this phrase sounds like “brand ambassador”). By the way, most of the regular customers of reputable companies have a brand ambassador, or rather, his demeanor, conduct a conversation and even his clothing style are almost always identified with the product (service) that he promotes on the world market.
Terms of reference for a brand ambassador
If the company is little-known and requires promotion, the ambassador's job is to ensure that the brand is represented through public opinion polls. This way of creating and maintaining an image is very popular in Western countries, where a positive assessment of target consumers is the main sign of a quality product.
A professional brand ambassador is a skillful speaker and charismatic marketer, whose salary (and sometimes it reaches 100,000 rubles a month or more) directly depends on his ability to find the right time in almost any situation to pronounce the very words that will sound in his ears for a long time. , and then fly off the lips of his clients and followers. But a brand ambassador needs one more thing to be proud of himself: This memorable short speech must end up with a win-win deal.
Artistry is another important trait that a successful brand ambassador should have. True, the presence of acting talent is not the key to success. A well-built marketing model, for example, has nothing to do with art - it is rather an applied discipline, half of accurate calculations, half of time-tested and tested methods.
The marketing model can be borrowed
The marketing model can be the embodied idea of ​​both the ambassador himself and any other employee of the company. There are also frequent cases when a "marketing bomb" borrowed from someone else's business brought success to several more companies.
The most famous marketing model in the post-Soviet territory is the phenomenon conventionally called “word of mouth”. The essence of this effective advertising gimmick is as follows: when the client is satisfied, he voluntarily advertises the product (service) he likes, subconsciously instilling love for the brand in his family and friends.
Alcohol companies: the basics of marketing
A real-life case can be used as an example of an effective marketing strategy. When the ship with the first batch of champagne was just approaching the Russian shores, a "secret" rumor about the smuggling of an exclusive drink had already passed on the shore. Needless to say, as soon as the "underground worker" had time to moor to the shore, the whole batch of the drink was already sold out?
Modern reputable alcoholic companies, with a product range that in many ways surpasses the nomenclature of the resourceful pioneer ambassador, have the opportunity to cover a much larger territory with advertising propaganda in the places where the target customer lives. But even well-advertised brands do not neglect the potential that spontaneous advertising provides. The main condition is that a wise coordinator should be behind the advertising information of any level.
A true brand ambassador is always in the know
For the CIS countries, an experienced brand ambassador is a rare phenomenon. A person who has chosen this profession should not only test all the company's products, but also be able to interest the target audience with the information obtained. For this, he arranges public presentations, tastings and seminars, attends social events and advises potential consumers on all matters related to the products that he promotes on the market.
Ambassador career
An aspiring marketer, whose salary does not match his ambitions, probably dreams of a career as an ambassador. To make this profession a part of his life, he has to work hard:
- study all the components of the promoted product;
- be able to correctly describe the goods and services of your company;
- know how to help a client make a choice between two similar products;
- have the ability to captivate the client with stories about the history of the emergence of the brand;
- know how to provide a potential consumer with the opportunity to fall in love with the products of his favorite company;
Brand loyalty is the foundation of marketing ethics
Some young Internet entrepreneurs may be surprised to learn that their more successful and famous colleagues are much more concerned with representing a brand in the global marketplace than the amount of the check. Often, while promoting several brands at once (since the possibilities of the World Wide Web allow it), novice "ambassadors" are rather invisibly present than identified ...
This is not surprising, because the very phrase "brand ambassador" evokes a whole bunch of conflicting emotions in the uninitiated. By the way, about emotions. Fruitful work with the consumer begins where inspiration reigns, the sales representative's eyes shine with sincerity, and every word he utters is dictated by the desire to help the client.
Nobody likes advertising, and even more so active and direct advertising. To do this, large companies develop advertising projects and resort to unusual marketing solutions in order to attract customers and create the illusion that they are not watching ads at all.
In the past few years, the term “ambassador” has become popular. This person or team representing the brand and promoting it in a favorable light. At the same time, there is no direct advertising, mention of products or services. Advertising is presented as friendly advice, recommendation, instruction. Let's take a closer look at who an “ambassador” is, how different companies recruit people for this position, what skills and character traits a person must have in order to become a representative of a large company. Let's look at specific examples and cases.
Who is a brand ambassador?
As mentioned above, a brand ambassador is a person who represents a brand in various commercials, events, interviews, and social rounds. His main task is not to show his direct connection with the company, and to mention it only during a private conversation or under the guise of an everyday topic for discussion. As a rule, ambassadors are people with a wide circle of contacts, with access to the media or television programs, to public figures.
It is extremely important for the brand that the services provided by the ambassador bring maximum profit and attract as many customers as possible.
In music and sound engineering, a term such as "endorser" is used. This is a person who uses musical equipment from a certain company in all of his commercials and performances. However, the equipment is provided for rent, after which it is subject to return. To the average viewer or listener, it appears that the musician is only using certain instruments or equipment.
With an ambassador, not everything is so simple, since he is always under the sights of cameras and is often discussed, he cannot afford such a luxury. The ambassador should always maintain the brand's fanatic image without explicitly promoting it.
Professional skills and skills of the brand ambassador
An ambassador must be able to advertise products in a way that no one understands. He does not start a conversation about a brand, product, or service first. But when the opportunity arises, he must unobtrusively present his point of view. If the ambassador is exposed or exposed, this may be a reason for terminating the contract. It is this condition that often appears in many contracts. It is due to the fact that it will no longer be possible to promote native (hidden) advertising if the audience has grasped the connection between the advertising person and the company.
From now on, any mention of a specific brand or company will be perceived as an imposition of an opinion. “He was paid - he advertises” - this is how clients will respond about the ambassador. He must be able to create unique content, correctly formulate his thoughts, have a clear life position. It is important to have a legend according to which he began to use the brand and not forget it, since competitors will be ready to catch the ambassador in a lie at any opportunity.
A simple example: An ambassador for a sports nutrition company PowerPro (as a bodybuilder) is interviewed in which he is asked what amino acid composition he prefers. If he cannot answer the question, it will immediately become clear that he only advertises this product, but does not use it himself.
Personal qualities important for a brand ambassador
- First of all, you need acting skills. As strange as it may sound, promoting a product or service is not so easy if you haven't gotten used to the role.
- Resistance to stress is also important. Competitors, journalists, ill-wishers - all these people will try to expose you and deprive the company of profits, destroy the reputation.
- Ability to think objectively and critically. Emotions should not be used during an argument, as this will lead to a loss of control over the situation. When a person is annoyed or angry, he may forget his legend or simply let slip.
- You need to be able to create a name for yourself from scratch. If an ambassador wants to develop in several directions, he must be able to build a reputation and a network of connections from scratch.
What can't an ambassador do?
In most cases, a list of actions is written directly in the contract. Also, direct and indirect responsibilities, services for which the company will pay extra are prescribed. In addition, the main requirements most often include:
- non-disclosure of information about cooperation;
- a ban on arbitrary statements that can be perceived in two ways;
- prohibition on actions that could harm the brand's reputation;
- participation in advertising campaigns of 2 competing brands;
- corporate espionage.
How to become a brand ambassador?
Brand ambassador mission
First you need to create a name for yourself and gather around you a large number of people from different segments of the population. In other words, you need to gather an audience around you (just like on a social network).
- The main mission is to increase the credit of the brand's trust. The more often it is mentioned among people, the more likely it is that people will use the services of this brand.
- The secondary mission is to create automatic advertisements and word of mouth. If an ambassador has concentrated many social circles around him, any word he says will spread very quickly between them. A good advertiser will not be named to everyone personally, he will gather around him the same advertisers who do not even know about their position.
- The third mission is to provide feedback in order to improve quality and increase the level of competition. If a person revolves around a certain brand, then he hears both good and bad about it, which will undoubtedly serve as a plus. At the moment, trust in the Internet has been severely undermined. Reviews can be bought, and the number of spammers and bots is off the charts. People are less likely to believe the inscriptions and more and more believe the words.
Where are they taught for ambassadors?
The Ambassador is the same advertising agent, with a small admixture of a journalist and a public figure. At the moment, almost any advertising agency offers training in this specialty. Nevertheless, if a person has already managed to gather people around him, for example, he is a musician, blogger, writer, stand-up comedian, he has all the skills of an ambassador. People listen to him, people trust him, people are ready to share their opinions with him. More is not necessary.
Ambassador career ladder
As a rule, the ladder starts from the position of an ambassador, then smoothly goes into the advertising compartment, where an employee can become an advertising manager, official representative, regional manager or director of advertising and promotion.
More often than not, career growth ends there, however, in fairness it should be said that the director of advertising is not the last person in the company to whom the head will obviously listen. If the Ambassador reaches this position, he has every chance and opportunity for horizontal growth in the company. In other words, he can simply switch to another branch of activity, do not start all over again.
Cons of working as an ambassador
The disadvantages include:
- constant accusations against you;
- discontent and hatred;
- high workload;
- unstable salary;
- high requirements of the employer;
- almost complete lack of free time;
- loss of your identity. A person who lives according to a certain legend, after some time becomes a part of this legend, forgetting who he is.
Ambassador salary
Salary is based on the size of the brand, the amount of time spent, status and working conditions, country, season. As a rule, the salary is discussed based on the results of the interview. If the person is a popular journalist or blogger, the salary will be in the region of $ 10,000-15,000 per month (if we are talking about a brand at the level of the country or higher). An ambassador for an ordinary position can count on a salary of $ 100-200, with subsequent growth and promotion.
Business advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
- improving brand reputation;
- increasing the level of trust;
- persistent non-prohibited advertising;
- feedback from the audience;
- the ability to monitor the state of the market in real time.
- an employee's salary is absolutely independent of the company's income;
- the contract cannot be called earlier than the remote time;
- in the event of a gap, the employee can tell the whole truth about the collaboration, or join the organizations of competitors and spread the data about the internal infrastructure of the brand there.
Where to find and how to choose an ambassador?
You can search for ambassadors anywhere. It is not recommended to contact advertising companies directly, as they charge a percentage for the provision of their employee. The best way is to find a suitable person or team, then agree on a job and, if necessary, conduct additional training. It is worth choosing after the interview and passing the test period. If the ambassador shows good communication skills and increases the traffic entering your company, then you are on the way.
The relationship between an ambassador and a brand
As the rules, the relationship is governed by an employment contract, which is concluded between employees and the organization. In the contract, all the clauses and conditions of termination, obligations, wages, and other labor issues are clearly regulated.
Brand ambassador agreement. Sample
The agreement is drawn up in a free written form, however, it must necessarily contain:
- details of both parties;
- names of employees and employers;
- the essence of the contract, expressing the terms of cooperation and terms of payment;
- terms of termination;
- clause on non-disclosure of data and responsibility;
- signatures of both parties.
It is not necessary to certify the contract with a notary.
How do Western companies choose their ambassadors?
Nike Brand Ambassador
They are athletes. Usually blacks or Asians, since these races have shown high achievements in sports. As a rule, cooperation consists in advertising things and equipment of the brand.
Cannon brand ambassador
Nature and landscape photographers. Not necessarily very well-known, since the products are not targeted at the general public, but at professionals who purchase cameras and lenses. The photographer only needs to show his backstage to fulfill the terms of the contract.
Adidas Brand Ambassador
There are strictly footballers and athletes. Adidas is a German company specializing in sports paraphernalia and equipment. She is almost always a sponsor of major sporting events, so sponsors can also be referred to as ambassadors.
DIOR brand ambassador
For this brand, ambassadors can be both models, public figures, bloggers, actors, as well as perfume producers, craftsmen, and designers. The main condition for cooperation is the promotion of the logo.
ZARA brand ambassador
The company is focused on women, therefore, as a rule, they hire female models, popular actors, musicians. To advertise a brand, it is enough to appear at an event wearing Zara clothes.
Nikon Brand Ambassador
The brand is also focused on photographers working with people and with live compositions. Nikon's main slogan is to capture the moment, so photographers should provide some moments from everyday life as their work.
Puma brand ambassador
These include athletes-sprinters, basketball players, marathon runners, swimmers. The company works on the profile of sports shoes, which means that it is necessary to convey to the buyer the idea that in sneakers from Puma you can run further and easier.
SONY brand ambassador
Since the company has a wide profile, the ambassador can be sound engineers, cinema operators, cameramen, owners of digital trading platforms, photographers, musicians, equipment manufacturers. The company produces a huge range of products, so it is difficult to guess where the usual fan of quality and affordable prices is, and where is the ambassador or endorser.
BMW brand ambassador
Employees can be bloggers who make reviews on a car, as well as a well-known personality, a lifestyle blogger who shows all the advantages of a given car and company.
GUCCI Brand Ambassador
Gucci clothing is aimed at both young people and adults. Anyone can act as an ambassador, from an ordinary designer to the owner of an expensive boutique. In 2017, the company distinguished itself by creating an advertising collaboration with the rapper Face, which greatly raised the rating of this company in the Russian Federation and the CIS countries.
Demand drives supply. If yesterday advertising was only direct, today it has evolved to many types and subspecies. An ambassador can work great when paired with traditional advertising methods to generate traffic and build brand power.