“Everyone has a level of influence that can be harnessed for greater good” – Bernard Kelvin Clive
A brand ambassador is a person who is engaged by a company/brand to promote the brand – giving it more visibility, value, and reach to increase the Return-On-Investment (ROI).
To begin with, a brand ambassador should have some level of influence – Either paid or volunteer brand ambassadors. They Must be loyal, they must be genuinely interested in your brand and they must be willing to live by the brand’s values and code of conduct.
Here are the 5 Main Roles of a Brand Ambassador in the acronym B. R.A.N.D.
1. Believe in the Brand:
Brand ambassadors’ first point of calling, connection and communication are to believe in your brand. They are to buy into the brand. If they don’t believe in the brand, there is very little they can do at the core and cry of being authentic in this age.
The role of a brand ambassador is to represent the brand whenever they can and wherever they find themselves. An ambassador becomes the mouthpiece of the brand, in words and in deeds; to positively project the image of the brand in every way possible.
A brand ambassador’s role of authenticating the brand implies making the brand more likeable, real to consumers to enable them to trust the brand and attract more clients. In essence, they humanise the brand by articulating it genuinely.
To nurture the brand is to help the brand grow to reach more people, to create more loyal consumers. Brand ambassadors are to bring in more leads and to replicate themselves creating more ambassadors in their circles of influence.
This means to protect the reputation of the brand. Stand in the gap of constantly proclaiming the goodwill of the brand, where others want to defame the brand, an ambassador quickly steps in with the truth. Where there has been a misconception about the brand, miscommunication of the brand and even instances where the brand has erred, the ambassador sets in to resolve issues effectively to elevate the brand’s image.
In all, a brand ambassador is to help the brand dominate in various areas and ways they can use their influence.
In conclusion, Brand ambassadors can either be volunteers or paid individuals to represent the company in various ways. A staff of a company can become a brand ambassador, and I personally advise firms to invest in their staff to make them brand ambassadors, it pays huge dividends. The scary thing is having a staff who doesn’t believe in your product and services but only exchange his/her time for salaries. It’s a sure sign of losing your credibility and sinking your business.
I strongly believe that companies should focus on having both internal (staff) and external brand ambassadors. Consider a staff brand advocacy training program.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
