Do you need some tips for utilizing your brand ambassadors during the current global crisis? It’s tricky territory and should not be done spontaneously. One misstep and a brand ambassador can cast a poor light on your entire brand.
In the past few months, we’ve seen influencers exhibit tone-deaf behavior, being labeled ‘COVIDiots’ by the public. But we’ve also seen brand ambassadors answer the call to action and help brands stay above the fray by providing fun, light-hearted content.
We’re sharing some tips to help you elevate your brand ambassadors during a crisis!
Provide Free Content
Let’s start with a popular one, shall we? Brand ambassadors have been stepping up to help contribute free content via Instagram or Facebook live events. The onslaught of stay-at-home orders opened up a world of demand when it came to free content. I’m sure you’ve watched a dozen or so Instagram or Facebook Lives since mid-March!
One of the best ways to win over your customers is to provide something free and useful to them. If you sell sewing machines, then brand ambassadors giving tutorials on a daily basis is clearly a crowd-pleaser. In fact, this particular one drew in over 1.7K comments on daily Facebook live events!
Even on a more local level, free content pays. My local Orangetheory is a great example. While gyms have been closed, they froze our accounts and have done daily Zoom workouts with their members (and non-members!). Their coaches are brand ambassadors as well and they have continued to promote the company and help keep the members motivated over the last few months. They have me as a customer for life because of their clear cut desire to nurture their community during a difficult time.
At Home Ads
In a time when your brand cannot easily come together to film new content, you can call upon your brand ambassadors to bring back their #ads. Never underestimate the selling power that brand ambassadors have with their audience. Future customers want to see your product in action and unedited.
Personally, I have purchased a few things during quarantine while scrolling through Instagram. There is something that strikes a more personal level when you see someone you follow promoting a product they believe in. It’s not just speaking to the masses, it feels like they are speaking to you.
Skinnytaste (aka Gina Homolka) has her own line of cookbooks (which are fantastic, by the way!). As you can see below, she continued to promote Stony Field yogurt in conjunction with her own recipes. And a quick glance at her page, you’ll find other brands she’s partnered with.
[Image: Skinnytaste Instagram]
All in all, make sure your brand ambassadors are geared up to film and post #ads in the upcoming months. It will help your brand become more down to earth and relatable. It also may become necessary as the uncertainty of how long our new normal will remain in place.
Read The Room
There have been quite a few influencers and brand ambassadors that had some missteps here. It truly pays to take a pause. Your brand ambassadors should look outside their own little world and see what others are experiencing. You should have your brand ambassadors ask themselves these questions before posting:
- Will I make the brands I’m representing proud?
- Have I educated myself thoroughly on what I’m about to post?
- Is this the right platform for my personal opinions?
Here are three that did not read the room at all at the beginning of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders:
- GOOP Founder, Gwyneth Paltrow has a long history of tone-deaf commentary. In a post from late February, she’s seen wearing an expensive designer-made mask during a nationwide shortage of masks for healthcare workers.
[Image: Gwyneth Paltrow]
- Here’s where things get uncomfortable, so buckle up. The name behind the Something Navy brand, Arielle Charnas, came under fire for the handling of her own positive COVID-19 test results. Arielle’s story made national headlines (it’s a long one, so you can read the summary of it here). She had previously been partnered with many brands, including Nordstrom, who publicly took a giant step away from her.
[Image: Twitter]
Arielle was labeled a ‘COVIDiot’ and subsequently took time away from social media. In a New York minute, Arielle went from something fabulous to something undesirable. She was a worst-case scenario when it came to reading the room. But after a month-long hiatus from social, she managed to take that criticism and become more self-aware. In fact, she is a great example of how to absorb the critiques and truly learn from her mistakes.
The main takeaway lesson – sometimes it pays to take a step back and evaluate situations. Especially those that are changing rapidly. There is way too much room for error on social media during a national crisis.
Brand Ambassadors Rock!
The B Squared team has seen plenty of influencer and brand ambassador content. In fact, you may recall this post we did on Influencer Exhaustion. Have no fear, this is not the end of the Age of Influencers! In fact, some may say that now, more than ever, is the time to fine-tune how you want your brand represented.
There is still time to call in your trusted brand ambassadors. As we head into summertime, with no end date to this pandemic, many influencers and brand ambassadors are highly aware that what we say and do is very important.
Which brand ambassadors stand out to you right now? Let us know in the comments below!
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2 Comments. Leave new
Great story! Very enjoyable read
Thank you, I appreciate that!