How to create brand ambassadors for your business

Gone are the days where companies can operate from afar. In the past few years, there’s been a business reputation regression. With the rise of data breaches and a shift in work culture overall, businesses aren’t seen as trustworthy by the public. In fact, only 34% of consumers report trusting the brands they buy and use according to the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer.

Conversely, 81% of consumers say that having trust in brands plays an important role in purchasing decisions. As Millennials and Gen Z gain buying power, brands that are considered trustworthy will reap the rewards. Research shows that 73% of Millennials and 72% of Gen Z are willing to pay more for a product or service they believe in. That's up from only 51% of Baby Boomers.

This isn't a "what if" scenario, either. Millennials currently hold more purchasing power than any other generation. At this point, brands are looking for ways to regain the trust of the general public, and we have a unique way to align customers with brand visions.

What is a brand ambassador?

A brand ambassador is a person with a significant amount of social currency (think celebrity or social media influencer) who passively promotes a brand. For example, Mark Wahlberg has a vast collection of Rolex watches he regularly sports. He's an ambassador for Rolex because he genuinely loves the company's products, not because he's getting paid.

Building emotional connections with consumers helps show the human, relatable side to your business. For this reason, brand ambassadors are essential. A whopping 92% of consumers trust influencers more than advertisements. Micro-influencer ambassadors, influencers with a small but dedicated niche audience, are particularly popular.

The elements of a great brand ambassador program

You'll want to set up a brand ambassador program to get people on board. Every brand ambassador program requires a few elements to succeed:

• Solidify the vision of your brand within your workforce.
  • Your employees will liaise with brand ambassadors, so they need to represent your brand's vision. This may seem obvious, but only 41% of employees know what their company stands for. Use a keynote speech as an opportunity to solidify your brand's image for your workforce.
• Do your research.
  • Micro-influencers with small but dedicated audiences are often more effective brand ambassadors than celebrities. Invest in ambassadors who actually believe in your brand and aren't just in it for a paycheck.
• Make sure your brand reflects the image your ambassadors portray.
  • If your brand ambassadors are touting your customer service, but your customer service department has horrible reviews, it's time for a change. The whole purpose of brand ambassadors is to create trust, so make sure that what your ambassadors say is true.
• Find brand ambassadors who truly believe in your product and support them.
  • Singer and songwriter Hobo Johnson just released an entire song dedicated to the Subaru Crosstrek XV - without being sponsored by Subaru in any way. Subaru now has a valuable opportunity to turn a well-known artist into a brand ambassador by, for example, giving Hobo a Subaru Crosstrek XV. Even better, none of this seems "fake" because Hobo announced his enjoyment of the product before he was sponsored.
• Let your brand ambassadors know you value them.
  • Typically, this means supplying brand ambassadors with perks such as free products, discounts or capital for the work they do. Even if you run a smaller business, it should be possible to provide brand ambassadors with some form of compensation or incentive.

Creating brand ambassadors can allow your business to stand head and shoulders over the competition. Interested in creating an excellent ambassador program for your business but don't quite know where to start? We can help! GKA Advertising has been helping companies run successful marketing campaigns for over 31 years. Visit our website to learn more.