Being a GREAT brand ambassador is about more than just showing up on time in a branded T-shirt and smiling for 8 hours. Much more. Each campaign often calls for a completely different mold when it comes to brand ambassador selection, so what characteristics should you look for? Here are our thoughts and recommendations!
Communicator
A field marketing team’s most clear-cut job is to interact with a ton of different audiences. They’re people’s people, and excellent communication skills are a must. Brand ambassadors are comfortable speaking with the general public, specific audience targets, brand representatives at every level across the client organization and of course, the field marketing management teams. Each brand ambassador must communicate key talking points in a natural way that doesn’t seem pushy or sales-driven (even if sales is the campaign’s end-game).
Passionate
A great brand ambassador has heart. They’re passionate about what they do, the campaign itself, the brand they’re representing and the work that’s being done. It’s more than just a paycheck to them, and when a brand ambassador loves their job, it really does show. It’s also important that brand ambassadors make the audience feel cared for as they engage with them during the campaign. If you catch someone handing out premiums without actual consumer engagement, they’re probably not a good fit for the campaign.
Authentic
A great brand ambassador is not just passionate for the work, they’re authentically connected to the brand or campaign message. When do it outdoors (or our sister company dio) hires brand ambassadors, we consider how the staff truly represent the brand. There must be synergy between them and the brand, itself. Their authenticity will resonate with audiences. A brand ambassador’s need to “fit” into the campaign organically, or they will simply come across as a “warm body” to your consumers. They’re the faces that consumers will remember and often associate with the brand, so make sure they’re coming across as authentic.
Knowledgeable
Field marketing teams are the ones who deliver amazing experiences and are typically the ones doing the heavy-lifting/logistics in the field. But, they can’t confidently deliver unless they’re well-trained on the campaign, objectives, client and audience. As representatives of the brand, they must be knowledgeable and able to perform the job excellently. Ask about the the brands and campaigns they’ve activated in the past: What type of brands? How many campaigns? How long were the campaigns? Where were the campaigns located? How large of a team did they have to accomplish the activation? All these questions can help determine someone’s field marketing knowledge and clout.
High Energy
Brand ambassadors are high energy, friendly and outgoing from the time they clock in, to to the time they clock out. It doesn’t matter if the campaign meet-up time is 5AM or 5PM, it’s their job to arrive, ready to inspire audience participation and engagement. They must radiate a welcoming warmth that invites an audience into the brand activation without being prompted to do so. A brand ambassador’s spirit excites the audience and moves them to action.
Problem-solver
One of the more overlooked characteristics of a brand ambassador is their ability to think on their feet and tackle and issue that thrown their way. We need resourceful problem-solvers in the field who don’t enter “panic mode” and can adjust to any obstacle a field marketing campaign may encounter. Minor or major issues in the field can and do occur, so having those quick-thinkers can be invaluable.
Certified
Certain field marketing campaigns require different levels of skills. For food sampling, they must be certified accordingly to handle and serve food. If they are operating a field marketing vehicle, they might need to be road tested with clean driving records. They’ll be trained on any campaign media formats, such as a sampling bike, Segway, JetPack or ad balloon, before they arrive . Beyond engaging with audiences, field marketing teams manage all of the necessary equipment. The campaign staff are a huge part of do it outdoors’ operational excellence, so we hire and train brand ambassadors based on skills needed on a campaign-by-campaign basis.
Professional
Brand ambassadors adhere to all campaign specifics, including following the schedule/routing and which attire to wear. They’re professional brand representatives and always remain professional, both in appearance and behavior. A field marketing manager will oversee the brand ambassadors during every campaign and respond quickly to any issues that may arise. It’s important to expect the unexpected, so having on-site backups available is often a best-practice of ours.
Detail Reporter
Brand ambassadors are the eyes and ears of each campaign. They need to take photos, collect feedback and accurately track all campaign KPIs to report back to the client brand. Just as trusted reporters for the New York Times are, brand ambassadors, too, are honest and transparent about what transpires every day in the field.
Fun
Last but not least, brand ambassadors are fun! They are the type of people you want at your party because they’ll get your guests involved while putting smiles on the everyone’s faces in the process. Same goes for your brand party or activation. They entertain as well as educate, and they are people that most enjoy meeting. When you have the right mixture of the all the characteristics mentioned above, it’s hard not to be the fun one!
The bottom line is that every campaign is unique and tailored to the client and campaign goals. Yet, the characteristics of a brand ambassador tend to stay similar across all campaigns. It’s the anatomy of a brand ambassador that makes him/her an incredible representative for your brand in market.
We take sourcing campaign talent very seriously and work hard to match the right staff to each brand and each campaign. We know that keeping your brand reputation in tact is important, and we strive to only put the best brand ambassadors for you on your campaign.
Blog updated: Jan 31, 2020
