Five years ago, the term brand ambassador was foreign to many. Fast forward to 2020, and countless organizations, companies and clubs are incorporating brand ambassadors into their marketing agendas in order to increase their success rates.
I see a brand ambassador promoting a new product or service from a specific company almost every time I check Instagram. Chances are, you do too. But what even is a brand ambassador?
Brand ambassadors are people who are paid to represent a company and help its brand profit off of their positive influence and dedicated follower base. They must follow the company’s mission statement and values, and they often work for the company because they love the product or cause.
In other words, brand ambassadors get paid to tell people about a company or organization they love. What could be better than that?
If you love a certain brand, becoming a brand ambassador for the company is a great way to profit. It might seem like this job is common and obviously beneficial for all parties involved. You’d be right! However, the brand ambassador position hasn’t been well-known or widely used until now.
In the past, brand ambassadors were not what they are now. One of the main reasons the position is so relevant now is because of the increasing popularity of social media and advancements to technology. Social media is an almost unescapable part of everyday life, and throughout the years, the various social platforms have continued to evolve.
Social media users often use their platforms to share their thoughts, feelings and experiences. Because of this, it’s only natural that brand ambassadors use their platforms to share their opinions regarding the brands they work for. Utilizing all of the platforms’ features, which include Instagram stories, TikTok videos, Tweets and Facebook posts, brand ambassadors build and strengthen their online presence and can reach a large number of people at once.
Brand ambassadors use aesthetics and graphics to promote a specific brand or company, and users are often drawn to the visually appealing images and graphics. Before social media was around, people had to advertise and persuade people to purchase products or services in person or over the phone. In other words, the only form of ambassadorship targeted individuals and, therefore, was not nearly as successful.
Now that brand ambassadors have the ability to spread information about a company and its products or services to a wide variety of people with one picture or video, they are more likely to actually help a company or organization become more profitable. It’s so easy for a user to direct message the ambassador with any questions or comments regarding their posts, which is a benefit to the brand ambassador, company and the consumer.
Marketing and public relations tangle together to form a brand ambassador. Brand ambassadors, in a way, are the messengers or middleman between a company and its audience. Consumers view the influencers as trustworthy and authentic, and they often heavily rely on the ambassadors’ opinion when making purchasing decisions.
Many small companies create a brand ambassador program in order to strengthen their brand and its reputation among consumers. When a company isn’t well known, partnering with influencers is a great way to begin spreading the word about the product or brand.
On the other hand, big companies also use brand ambassadors. For these large companies, the goal is to maintain popularity and compete with other similar companies. Some well-known brands that use brand ambassadors are Nike, Starbucks and Victoria’s Secret.
Usually, companies use brand ambassadors to promote effective communication between the brand and its consumers.
If you are interested in marketing, public relations or human resources, becoming a brand ambassador is a great first step toward getting your dream job.
Brand reputation and image is crucial to success. If consumers feel uncertain about a company, brand ambassadors serve as a trustworthy advocate for them. Especially in times of crisis, this is an extremely beneficial asset for companies to have. With the massive amount of information available on the internet, it can be hard for consumers to decipher what’s real and what’s fake. Having a credible voice with a dedicated following and a well-built social media platform advocating for your company can be a gamechanger.
In a way, brand ambassadors have always been around. People have always tried to influence other people. Now, in the digital age, the concept of brand ambassadors has evolved into something far bigger than the society that existed years ago could have ever imagined. Chances are, it’ll keep adapting to society and become something even bigger.