To make the audience fall in love with the brand and increase sales, you can send an ambassador to it. We tell you how to choose one and what to agree on at the start.
Who is an ambassador?
What does a brand ambassador do?
Pros and cons of being an ambassador
How to become a brand ambassador
How to choose a company ambassador
Where brands can find ambassadors
Examples of ambassadorship
Expert advice
Who is an ambassador?
Table of Contents
In simple terms, an ambassador is a brand ambassador. They sign a contract with a company and promote its products or services. Usually, an ambassador does not advertise the brand directly, but uses its products and demonstrates this to the audience. For example, they go out with the brand’s product or review it on social media.
Any opinion leader can become an ambassador. However, companies most often attract celebrities or experts in their field. For example, the founder of Dodo Pizza, Fyodor Ovchinnikov, became the ambassador of Tinkoff Business, and biathlete Evgeny Emeryanov became the ambassador of the Nordski sportswear brand.
Working with an ambassador requires investment and is designed for a long period. The question may arise: “Why does a brand need an ambassador?” The fact is that users trust advertising less and less , but they are willing to listen to reviews and recommendations of real clients. It is easier for a “live” person to convey the company’s values and build trusting relationships with the audience.
Ambassadors help increase sales, but such cooperation also has risks. You can understand the intricacies of the work, learn to apply knowledge in practice and get feedback from experts on the course “Brand Manager” .
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What does a brand ambassador do?
The ambassador’s main task is to use the brand’s products and sincerely tell the audience about them. Here’s how he usually does it:
● Writes posts, shoots videos and posts them on the blog
For example, does unboxings. People can imagine how the product will help and how it will fit into their lives.
● Participates in conferences, master classes, business breakfasts
Everywhere he unobtrusively demonstrates the strengths of the brand and its products.
● Conducts quizzes, competitions and rewards with brand products
This increases the activity of subscribers. If they appreciate the product or service, they will become regular customers.
● He appears in commercials and photo shoots
This brings a greater effect when he sincerely recommends the products and uses them in everyday life.
● Contributes ideas for product development
for example, creating joint collections. Collaborations attract attention and increase sales.
● Unofficially speaks out in defense of the brand if negative situations arise
People trust the ambassador, he can place the necessary emphasis and support the company’s image.
● Participates in charitable events that are related to the brand’s values
This helps expand the audience and strengthen relationships.
In the agreement with the ambassador, along with the term of cooperation, KPI and fee, the possible types of activity are often fixed. For example, every month he holds one master class, a couple of competitions and publishes five posts on social networks.
Pros and cons of being an ambassador
It is beneficial for the company and the ambassador to cooperate, but there are also risks for both parties.
Pros
Cons
For the brand
✅ New audience
The ambassador “subscribes” a group of people to the brand who read and watch it.
✅ Consumer loyalty
The ambassador talks about the benefits of the product and the brand values. People trust him and become regular customers.
✅ Integration of the product into life
For example, Valentin Petukhov tested Sberbank services and told how to use an ATM with biometrics or a new function in the application.
❌ Dependence on the ambassador’s reputation
If the ambassador’s behavior causes negativity, this may affect the brand. For example, Procter & Gamble refused to cooperate with Regina Todorenko after her statement about domestic violence. This is how the brand showed that it does not support her position.
❌ An ambassador can work with different companies
Today he advertises gadgets, tomorrow – luxury real estate, and a week later he confesses his love for a clothing brand – and the audience stops associating him with a certain brand.
For the ambassador
✅ Money or privileges
For example, brands provide ambassadors with their products for free – training courses, airline tickets, clothing.
✅ Enjoyment of work
If the values coincide and he is sincerely attached to the brand.
❌ Restrictions
You can’t advertise competitors. The types of activities you must participate in and your behavior in public are strictly specified in the contract. For example, footballer Ronaldinho lost his contract with Coca-Cola after he showed up to a press conference with a couple of Pepsi cans.
How to become a brand ambassador
To do this, you don’t have to win gold at the Olympic Games or collect Grammys: an ordinary person can represent the company.
There are several ways to become the face of a brand:
● Manage social networks and talk about your favorite brand
write posts, film reviews, unboxings. If the content is high-quality and the audience is responsive, the company can “recruit” a blogger .
● Contact the company’s PR service
Prepare a cooperation plan – describe what activities the candidate is ready to participate in and what content to create.
● Track brand offers
They publish terms of cooperation on their platforms and job search sites. Ambassadors often need certain knowledge and skills.
How to choose a company ambassador
The success of the project depends on how well the ambassador’s voice matches the brand’s voice. Here’s what’s important to consider.
Ambassador’s connection with the company’s theme
A dentistry would benefit from a blogger who specializes in beauty and health, while a door factory would benefit from a blogger who specializes in repairs. Such advertising will look natural and will interest subscribers.
Similar values of the brand and the ambassador
If a clothing brand values creativity and its designs are bright, feathered and sequined, an ambassador who speaks conservatively and wears classic grey and white will not inspire confidence.
Ambassador’s activity and reputation
If the ambassador rarely appears in public or manages social networks “according to his mood”, the engagement of subscribers will be low. A popular blogger whose name is mainly associated with scandals will also not be suitable.
Content quality and communication with subscribers
It is important to consider what kind of posts the ambassador publishes, whether he explains expert material in simple language, how he reacts to criticism, does his intonation suit the brand’s tone of voice ?
Experience of cooperation
Has the ambassador worked with other brands and how successfully? Does he/she promote everything or does he/she selectively participate in advertising campaigns?
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Where brands can find ambassadors
There is no universal recipe — they take into account the budget and what products or services need to be promoted. Marketers often use parser programs, such as Brand Analytics. With the help of the program, they find out who the target audience is subscribed to and select suitable bloggers.
Some more search options:
● Through your own platforms
For example, through your website and social networks. The brand can hold a competition, for example, for the best product review. Or describe the terms of cooperation and invite people to respond.
● Through agencies or online platforms
that connect companies with bloggers, such as Epicstars or WOWBlogger .
● At specialized events and online platforms
if you need an ambassador-expert. You can look through blogs on vc.ru , expert articles in RBC and resources with participant ratings.
Examples of ambassadorship
Here are some stories of successful cooperation:
1. Book service “Litres” and actress Ravshana Kurkova
In January 2024, the service got its first ambassador. The image of the actress conveys the philosophy of the brand: intelligence, modernity, love of reading. Ravshana starred in an advertisement, and there are also plans to record audiobooks and selections of literature with recommendations. Perhaps the number of Litres users will grow due to those people who usually read little, but love films and TV series with the actress.
2. Ozon marketplace and stylist Alexander Rogov
Alexander was the face of the brand in 2022. The marketplace declared this year the year of fashion and focused on selling clothes and shoes, so it was a logical idea to invite a wardrobe analysis expert. His communication style matches the tone of the brand’s communications – he is bright, bold and energetic. The expert starred in commercials and participated in special projects: he helped shopping enthusiasts put together perfect looks on Ozon.
3. Sokolov jewelry holding and singer Lolita Milyavskaya with actress Marina Kravets
Lolita became an ambassador in 2021, Marina Kravets joined in August last year. Both celebrities are bright, charismatic and convey the brand’s message well: “SOKOLOV. And you shine.” The duo’s success has been confirmed by research – people trust them and are willing to make purchases based on their recommendations. This collaboration is an example of how the brand has attracted both a young and a more mature audience. The ambassadors create jewelry collections and participate in advertising campaigns.
