What Brand Ambassadors Bring to the Table

Brand ambassadors can be a powerful asset to your brand’s pop-up shop activation, but how you use them and what they can accomplish depends on your specific goals and the type of event you’re planning. Here are some ideas about what a brand ambassador can bring to a marketing event, and things to consider at the outset to ensure results you’re happy with.

What Are Brand Ambassadors?

There are as many models for the brand ambassador role as there are brands, but most simply, a brand ambassador is a person who acts as the public, human face of your brand. An ambassador represents your brand’s values and story to their followers, network, or audience. “More than just promoters, they are ardent advocates,” says a post on blog.heepsy.com, “building strong and reliable connections with your audience.”

Isn’t that what an influencer does? Not exactly. While influencers are often one component of ambassador programs, they’re usually part of a short-term campaign designed to increase awareness quickly. An ambassador, on the other hand, is in it for the long term. An influencer campaign might help improve specific metrics like sales or social media following, but an ambassador program focuses on “meaningful engagement and long term relationships and connections,” says Forbes.com — more qualitative than quantitative measures of your brand’s success.

Why Use Brand Ambassadors at a Pop-Up or Activation?

Consider the purpose of a pop-up shop or activation: to create an immersive experience that cultivates connections between the brand and its target audience. Activations, pop-ups, and other experiential marketing help build relationships and brand awareness, elevating marketing strategy in a way that traditional marketing can’t.

But beyond compelling graphics, fun activities, and free samples, brand activations and pop-ups need personality to form connections with consumers. That’s what ambassadors supply.

“Ambassadors function as personable, human extensions of a brand so that brand can expand outreach and create community more authentically,” says socialladderapp.com. They provide valuable word of mouth advertising and a new, enthusiastic perspective on your brand, increasing trust and a sense of authenticity.

What Can Brand Ambassadors Do at Experiential Marketing Events?

Brand ambassadors can be used for a variety of purposes at an activation or pop-up shop; their duties depend on the nature of the products and how well they’re trained. Some brands use them as additional staff, with training in product selection, restocking, street team-style promotions like handing out flyers, and POS duties. Other brands treat ambassadors more like celebrities or expert guests.

Here are a few ways ambassadors can help personalize and promote your brand:

Spread pre-event awareness: Brand ambassadors who have their own following on social media can help spread the word about the event and why followers should attend. An ambassador’s word carries more weight with followers than the brand’s, and because they know their audiences well, ambassadors know how to target them and what will entice them to attend.

Plan events for maximum interest and engagement: Brand ambassadors and influencers know their audiences and their preferences well, so they can be indispensable in planning stages for an event like an activation or pop-up.

Offer expert advice: People are more likely to be drawn in and engage with a brand if they see someone they trust recommending it. Ambassadors who are equipped to answer questions and provide genuine recommendations offer a degree of authenticity that will make a positive impression on attendees.

Boost engagement at the event: To their followers, brand ambassadors can feel like celebrities — and having them on-site, interacting with attendees, helps customers feel more engaged and understood.

Lead demonstrations, workshops, and sampling: Live demonstrations of your product or services are a natural fit for well-trained brand ambassadors. For demonstrations, “brand ambassadors can help facilitate setup and breakdown, as well as appropriately communicate the product or service to pedestrians or guests,” says a blog post on elev8.la.

Run games and swag distribution: Enthusiastic ambassadors can create a fun and interactive game experience for attendees, leading to positive associations with your brand.

Content creation: Ambassadors can capture engaging photos and videos at the event for your and their social media channels, expanding your reach into new audiences.

Gather customer data: Ambassadors can solicit contact information, interview customers (briefly), collect feedback, and field customers’ questions about your products at the activation.

By effectively leveraging brand ambassadors, you can create a dynamic and engaging pop-up shop experience that leaves a lasting impression on customers and boosts your brand awareness.

Promobile Marketing is a dynamic experiential marketing agency based in New York City. For over a decade, Promobile Marketing has collaborated with a range of brands—from budding startups to major CPG brands—on immersive marketing campaigns. Get in touch to discuss your next project.