The revolving world of brand ambassadors
Finding a universally accepted definition of a brand ambassador is impossible because the notion means different roles to different industries and even other functions in the same industry.
For example, in marketing luxury goods and services, the role is technically an ambassador for the brand. Someone famous who might or not be featured in the advertising campaigns, who attends the events organized or sponsored by the brand to support the brand. Rolex leverages actors and sports personalities for launch occasions or sponsored events – like golf tournaments or regattas – who wear their precious watches.
In other marketing contexts, brand ambassadors are early adopter consumers helping recruit other early adopters or later groups in the diffusion funnel (e.g., early or late majority, but not laggards).
In the liquor industry, the role gets a bit more complicated. For example, a Brand Ambassador can work full-time for the company as an employee. And in that case, they have one of two roles:
1) Product Expert, spending significant time working with the master distiller and becoming an evangelization person for high-level industry meetings, keynotes, and speaking in public or to the press.
2) A commercial support role, working with prospective customers to make the most of the brand, understand its potential, and the so-called “best-serve” key recruiting drinks for the brand. In this aspect, the BA is not “a closer” but a facilitator.
But in the same spirits industry – and beverages sector in general – a brand ambassador can also be an external expert who delivers training for the brand. The most common example is a bartender, who trains other bartenders.
So what do BAs do?
A Brand Ambassador works on behalf of a brand to communicate its message to consumers or professionals. The primary function of a brand ambassador is to build relationships with consumers by either:
- Telling the brand’s story and relating that story to the consumer’s needs and wants;
- Amplifying the brand message to the media by positive association;
- Playing a critical role in evangelizing the brands’ products and services to the experts in the industry.
A brand ambassador may act as a spokesperson or representative at special events, trade shows, and product launches.
A Brand Ambassador is the face and voice of a brand to communicate with the consumer.
A Brand Ambassador is the face and voice of a brand to communicate with consumers, channel professionals, or the media.
Brand Ambassadors are typically celebrities or models but can also be brand employees. They do not necessarily have to be spokespeople, as this term implies that there is a single spokesperson for each campaign. Many campaigns will use multiple ambassadors who all contribute their unique perspectives on how they use or relate to the product being promoted, thus creating an array of messaging across various media platforms.
Of significant interest is the evolution many celebrity endorsements are taking: more and more celebrity ambassadors are taking a stake in the brand or launching their brands. For example, British singer and songwriter Rita Ora is Chief Creative Officer and minority stakeholder for Conecuh Brands’ Prospero Tequila. Likewise, Sean Combs – aka Diddy or P. Diddy – is not only the face but also the marketing mastermind of Diageo’s Ciroc Vodka, for which he receives a percentage of sales. George Clooney was one of the co-founders of Tequila Casamigos, which Diageo acquired in 2017 for more than a billion dollars.
A Brand Ambassador’s primary function is to build relationships by telling the brand’s story and relating that story to the consumer’s and customer’s needs and wants.
A BA is a person who is an active representative of a brand, serving as its voice and image. A Brand Ambassador’s primary function is to build relationships with consumers by telling the brand’s story and relating that story to the consumer’s needs and wants.
Brand Ambassadors can come in many forms:
- They may be spokespeople or other company representatives.
- They might represent the company through social media.
- They may be celebrities amplifying the brands’ reach through their own followership.
A Brand Ambassador may act as a spokesperson or representative at special events, trade shows, and product launches.
You may have heard of a brand ambassador before. As the name suggests, they act as the face of their product or service in public. They usually work at events and trade shows representing the company’s interests.
Some specific duties that a product ambassador might perform include:
- Representing the company at special events such as product launches or conventions
- Acting as a spokesperson for the brand online or offline
Brand Ambassador is a significant role for companies looking to promote themselves via social media networks like YouTube or Instagram. Brand Ambassadors typically have influential followers on these platforms and can reach thousands with each post they make on behalf of their employer.
A brand ambassador works on behalf of a brand to communicate its message to consumers.
The role, function, and even the industry decline the commitments of a brand ambassador in different directions, and the BA might have opposite career paths. In a nutshell, A BA’s duties may include:
- Hosting events and parties.
- Attending trade shows.
- Amplifying the brand message on social media.
- Endorsing the brand in their social media accounts.
- Evangelize the brand with channel partners or trade experts (e.g., training mixologists if you are a mixologist).
Conclusion
We hope this article has given you a better understanding of what makes a brand ambassador special. They’re passionate about their brands and willing to use their influence to help create more awareness for those brands. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be a Brand Ambassador or how much money they make, then now is your chance!
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