After what has been a bizarre couple of years, finally a shift is in sight, and we are coming out of restrictions ready to get our lives back.
Before the pandemic, brand ambassador promotions were the perfect tool to personify a brand, but with restrictions firmly in place, interaction in person had to be at a minimal and subsequently, brand promotion in public settings was stopped in its tracks.
Brands sought to digitalize their campaigns, and whilst they have served a purpose at a time when everyone was connected to their devices, restrictions have since lifted, and people are fed up with being in their homes talking behind screens.
Now is the time then to re-examine the benefits of face-to-face promotions and what is needed to ensure your campaign achieves success…
Some of you may have had experience of using brand ambassadors and some of you may be entirely new to the concept, so here’s a brief recap of what they are and how, if used correctly, they can positively impact your business.
Brand ambassadors personify a brand. They humanize a product, service, or company, raise visibility, increase traffic to your website and increase sales. A brand ambassador acts as a spokesperson for a brand, providing word-of-mouth advertising to promote it and what they have to offer. Reports have shown that in using a BA, 92% of customers were more influenced to purchase a product by having that physical contact from a brand advocate. Sounds like a no-brainer when you reflect on the stats but how can you make sure you select the right BA for your brand?
Finding the right BA can be difficult because there are so many things to consider…
The rise in social media has seen various ‘celebs’ acting as spokespersons for brands, which on paper provide public respect and popularity, but as we all know, public respect and popularity can change in an instant. If you are relying on one specific spokesperson to act as a brand representative, you are placing your trust on a person to align with your brand both personally and professionally and there is no such thing as a ‘private life’ in the public eye. Many brands have fallen victim to shady celeb activity through no fault of their own, this is worth considering before sliding in their DMs.
Many promo companies offer brand ambassador facilities but as most of their employees work on a freelance basis, around studies or to make a bit of extra cash, their books are often inconsistent and who you have chosen to act as spokesperson for your campaign, may not actually be who turns up on the day.
At Varii we carefully select our BAs and provide clients with an extensive list to choose from to ensure your brand and our BAs are perfectly aligned. Most of our BAs work entirely for us so you can be confident we are solely focused on providing your brand with the best spokesperson for your promotion. More importantly than this, because we are their only employer, your chosen BA will be present from the start of your campaign until its finish, ensuring that your campaign is always their main priority.
Employing a professional BA is high on the list of priorities for any campaign…
Professional BAs are well versed in how to handle public questions, how to capture an audience and know what works and when to do it. So, whilst it might be cheaper to get your mate Dave promoting for you, it might not provide your campaign with the best representative for your brand. Sorry Dave!
Considering the pandemic, safety is even more of a factor in creating promotions. Whereas it used to be about obtaining permits and the logistics of travel and carrying products to and from venues, the public are still existing in the wake of covid-19, so its even more important to make certain that health and safety has not only been considered but is demonstrated to the public too. Many campaigns since 2021 have failed because the public haven’t felt ‘safe’ engaging with strangers in the street, so by eliminating that concern and providing PPE equipment, its one less hurdle to get over to gain your sale.
We’ve discussed some of the benefits and things to consider when using a BA to support your marketing campaigns and whilst they are a standalone bonus, it’s important to ensure your brand is entirely ready to face the public. If you’re promoting a new or existing product, make sure its tried and tested first. Ensure all content and other marketing (like your website and social media) align with what you are claiming to offer. There is no point shouting about how amazing a product is if the brand values don’t match or you offer poor customer service, all that will do is lose public respect. Making sure everything is cohesive prior to launching a campaign is the foundation to delivering results.
Our experts can offer a free consultation to see if you’re ready to launch, providing you with the best solutions if required, whilst supporting you with the execution of your campaign. A BA is an excellent addition to diversifying marketing strategies, but you must have everything in place prior to campaign commencement.
So what are the key takeaways from this article?
Choose a professional to execute your campaign, it’ll save time and money in the long run and provide you with the confidence of knowing your brand is in safe hands.
Health and safety are a must and a detailed risk assessment is a priority when it comes to public promotions.
Get everything in order before you launch, your customers can’t trust your brand if you haven’t laid strong foundations and can’t back up what you want to say.
Ultimately, brand ambassador promotions exist to develop your brand, cultivate an interest, and make you recognizable and visible. Its important you get it right from the beginning because there is such a thing as ‘bad publicity’.
If you require further support or ideas on how you could benefit from BA promotions, give us a call or an email and we will guide you towards your goals with our professional and reliable services.