Recognising the potential of your brand ambassadors

Business brand ambassadors and harnessing their potential

The right celebrity can make anything look sexy – and there’s no doubt about it, sexy sells. Jennifer Hawkins did for Myer, Rebecca Gibney did it for Nintendo, Hayley Lewis did it for Nivea, and Nicole Kidman did it for Chanel.

But for most SMEs a celebrity endorsement will bankrupt your business before the ink has dried on the contract. And the truth is, you don’t need one. In fact, you already have an extremely powerful brand ambassador perfectly positioned to attract new customers – just take a look in the mirror. And if you have more than one staff member then your pool of brand ambassadors has instantly doubled! If you have customers or clients, and hopefully you do, then – hey presto – you have a whole network of brand ambassadors at your fingertips.

What is a business brand ambassador?

A brand ambassador represents and talks about a brand in a positive way, bringing passion, credibility, trustworthiness and visibility. It is someone who embodies a brand and can help you reach new audiences – they are like gold to your business.

Unlike the overpaid celebrity who holds up a product and smiles seductively at the camera, an effective brand ambassador in today’s world should humanise a brand and not just be a branded human.

Five tips to help harness the power of your business brand ambassadors:
• Build strong relationships with your brand ambassadors – keep them in the loop, keep them engaged and work with them to maximise their influence – incentives work too.

• Acknowledge the role you play in sharing and representing your brand. Ensure the team understands your brand vision, and your actions reinforce this about work and in social settings.

• Recognise your staff as brand ambassadors and encourage them to actively promote your brand with family and friends.

• Get on board with social media, where a little goes a very long way—the right picture of the right person interacting with your brand (and it doesn’t have to be a celebrity) can be more effective than a multimillion dollar ad campaign.

• Customers listen to other customers. Generations Y and Z in particular will trust your brand more if their friends are using your products.

For more resources, tips and tricks to help you build a successful enterprise, see our business resources.

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