Brand ambassador
Written by Jamie May
Brand Ambassadors: Putting a Human Face on Your Business
Written by Jamie May
People buy from people. Always have. A brand ambassador is simply a person who creates a human, recognisable link between your business and the customers you want to reach.
It sits more in marketing than sales. An ambassador isn’t necessarily trying to close a deal, they’re building familiarity and trust so that when someone is ready to buy, your brand is already the comfortable, familiar choice.
What It Actually Looks Like
Brand ambassadors come in a lot of forms. The makeup counter person in a department store who only recommends one brand. The person handing out samples outside a shop. A sports star wearing a sponsor’s logo. The well presented staff at a conference representing a company. An air hostess in uniform. A sales rep. Even the bloke at the supermarket who leans over and says “mate, try this one, it’s much better.”
All of them are doing the same thing, putting a human face on a product and transferring their own credibility and personality onto it.
Why It Works
Association is powerful. If someone you respect or admire uses a product, the assumption is that the product must be worth it. That’s not logic, it’s just how people work. Brands have spent billions understanding this and the principle scales all the way down to a small business owner who is someone’s ‘I.T. guy’.
You are already a brand ambassador for your own business every time you walk into a room.
Just Be Careful Who You Associate With
The same transfer of perception that works in your favour can work against you. Associate your brand with the wrong person, whether that’s a sponsored athlete who ends up in the tabloids or a staff member who represents you badly in the field, and the damage sticks.
Choose who speaks for your business carefully. That includes your staff, your partners, and anyone you put in front of a customer.
The Takeaway
Think about who currently represents your business and what image you want them to represent.
That might just be you.
