DataArt brand
Internal brand ambassador
programme
Whether your company has just been through a merger, has recently been acquired, or is about to embark on the process, navigating the complexities of rebranding can be challenging.
As senior brand and marketing managers, you must combine two or more distinct brands to build a robust and cohesive brand strategy & brand identity and ensure that employees, customers and stakeholders are brought along for the ride.
As senior brand and marketing managers, you must combine two or more distinct brands to build a robust and cohesive brand strategy & brand identity and ensure that employees, customers and stakeholders are brought along for the ride.
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Introduction
Why? Empowering employees and stakeholders to advocate for the new brand can help strengthen brand consistency, increase brand awareness and boost customer loyalty.
Gallup states that companies with high employee engagement see:
Gallup states that companies with high employee engagement see:
- 10% increase in customer ratings
- 20% increase in sales.
- 20% increase in sales.
Effective internal communication is central to this transition and poses significant questions:
Our internal brand ambassador programme is crafted to tackle these questions head-on. This programme aims to cultivate a shared corporate culture that reflects the collective attributes and values of the merged entities, ensuring a smooth transition and a unified workforce committed to the brand’s vision.
By initiating an internal brand ambassador program, we strategically leverage employee engagement to heighten brand loyalty and awareness, creating a robust sense of belonging and dedication to the new brand’s trajectory.
By initiating an internal brand ambassador program, we strategically leverage employee engagement to heighten brand loyalty and awareness, creating a robust sense of belonging and dedication to the new brand’s trajectory.
L'Oréal case
Some of the most well-known brands have found themselves in this position; there is much to learn from their experiences. Take, for example, L'Oréal. The company is over a century old and boasts the title of the world’s largest cosmetics brand, with a market value of over $29 billion. Most of this has been generated through targeted mergers and acquisitions; L'Oréal has a portfolio of over 36 international brands, with all but one completely acquired.
Empower the individual brand
The success of these acquisitions lies in their strategy to empower the individual brand rather than undertake any drastic rebrand after each acquisition, with long-held importance on respecting and nurturing the acquired company’s brand values and identity.
L'Oréal emphasises retaining the company name, signage and value proposition post-acquisition, which can be foundational to developing successful internal brand ambassador programmes. This approach ensures that employees from the acquired brand feel valued and respected, building a positive environment for brand advocacy.
L'Oréal emphasises retaining the company name, signage and value proposition post-acquisition, which can be foundational to developing successful internal brand ambassador programmes. This approach ensures that employees from the acquired brand feel valued and respected, building a positive environment for brand advocacy.
Amazon case
In contrast, the merger between Amazon and Whole Foods in 2017 illustrates the importance of aligning company cultures and values after a merger.
The initial lack of consideration by Amazon of Whole Foods’ unique culture led to significant employee dissatisfaction; it was reported that some Whole Foods employees were crying on the job and began unionising to protect jobs they felt were under threat.
By forcing a regimented model onto a previously empowered workforce, unsurprisingly, Amazon inevitably found itself in the category of problematic acquisition examples.
By forcing a regimented model onto a previously empowered workforce, unsurprisingly, Amazon inevitably found itself in the category of problematic acquisition examples.
So, with these examples in mind, we’ve created this comprehensive guide as an invaluable resource tailored to the needs of brands that have recently completed or are still going through a merger and acquisition. It will help you uncover strategies to empower employees to become active brand advocates, ensure seamless integration of diverse corporate cultures, and unify various brand perceptions under a cohesive identity. This approach addresses the immediate challenges of post-merger brand integration. It lays the foundation for sustained brand success and longevity, making it an essential part of your strategic toolkit for navigating the post-merger landscape.
This guide will help you:
- Develop an understanding of the framework. Start by familiarising yourself with the core concepts and objectives of the internal brand ambassador programme.
- Assess your needs. Evaluate your post-merger or acquisition scenario to identify areas where brand ambassadors can most impact.
- Engage your team. Use the guide to structure discussions with your team about implementing the programme, ensuring everyone understands their role.
- Implement strategies for employee engagement. Follow the step-by-step strategies for recruiting and empowering your employees, tailoring them to fit your unique organisational culture and brand identity.
- Measure and adapt to assess the impact. Apply the measurement tools and feedback mechanisms recommended to assess the programme’s impact, making necessary adjustments for continuous improvement.
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Framework
This framework goes beyond basic principles, offering a structured yet adaptable approach to cultivating brand champions within your organisation. Tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities presented by M&A activities, it aims to streamline the transition, ensuring your brand survives and thrives.
Strategic planning and goal-setting
Define the programme's objectives, aligning them with the merged brand's goals.
Understanding the brand
Conduct activities to help employees understand the new cohesive brand identity.
Select the ambassadors
Implement a multifaceted approach to identifying potential ambassadors, focusing on their passion, influence, and alignment with new brand values.
Comprehensive training programme
Develop an in-depth training programme covering the essentials of the brand, storytelling techniques and digital advocacy skills.
Engagement & communications strategy
Create a plan for ambassadors to engage with their networks, using online and offline channels to amplify the brand message.
Recognition & incentivisation
Establish a system of rewards and recognition to motivate and appreciate the efforts of brand ambassadors.
Monitoring & feedback
Set up mechanisms to measure the impact of the ambassador programme and incorporate feedback for ongoing improvement.
Community building
Build a sense of community among ambassadors, encouraging them to collaborate and share experiences.
Strategic planning and goal-setting
All brand and marketing managers know the importance of strategic planning and goal-setting for the success of any campaign, and your internal brand ambassador programme is no different.
In this case, the strategic focus is on creating a unified brand identity and culture by selecting ambassadors from legacy companies who embody the desired traits and values of the new entity. The goal is to prioritise building a shared vision and commitment to the new brand among all employees, using the strengths of each merging/acquired entity to build a stronger, more cohesive brand. This involves detailed planning around integration activities, communication strategies, and training programmes to align everyone with the new brand direction, ensuring ambassadors are well-equipped to represent and champion the brand internally and externally.
In this case, the strategic focus is on creating a unified brand identity and culture by selecting ambassadors from legacy companies who embody the desired traits and values of the new entity. The goal is to prioritise building a shared vision and commitment to the new brand among all employees, using the strengths of each merging/acquired entity to build a stronger, more cohesive brand. This involves detailed planning around integration activities, communication strategies, and training programmes to align everyone with the new brand direction, ensuring ambassadors are well-equipped to represent and champion the brand internally and externally.
Strategy map: Key Objectives & Steps for a Brand Ambassador Programme
Build Brand Awareness
Identify Key Messages: Define the core messages that embody the brand's values and mission. Use a message icon to represent this step.
Select Ambassadors: Choose employees who exemplify these values and are influential within the organisation. Use a person icon to represent this step.
Launch Campaigns: Initiate internal and external marketing campaigns to promote the brand. Use a megaphone icon to represent this step.
Increase Employee Engagement
Interactive Workshops: Conduct sessions that allow ambassadors to deeply understand and connect with the brand. Use a workshop icon to represent this step.
Feedback Mechanisms: Implement regular feedback channels to assess ambassador engagement and gather insights. Use a feedback loop icon to represent this step.
Recognition Programs: Develop a system to reward ambassadors for their efforts and successes. Use a trophy icon to represent this step.
Strengthen Customer Loyalty
Customer Interaction: Enable ambassadors to interact directly with customers through events and social media. Use a handshake icon to represent this step.
Customer Feedback: Collect and analyse customer feedback to improve brand offerings. Use a survey icon to represent this step.
Loyalty Rewards: Create loyalty programmes that reward customers for their continued business. Use a gift icon to represent this step.
Enhance Internal Collaboration
Cross-Departmental Initiatives: Foster projects that require collaboration across different departments. Use a network icon to represent this step.
Training Sessions: Provide ongoing training to ambassadors to refine their skills and knowledge. Use a book icon to represent this step.
Internal Communications: Use internal platforms to keep all employees informed and involved. Use an email icon to represent this step.
Understanding the brand
A cohesive brand identity is crucial to the success of the new brand post-merger or acquisition. For senior brand and marketing managers, CMOs, and other leaders, understanding the evolved brand and effectively communicating its essence to the broader business is fundamental to getting this right. This section outlines strategies to achieve this and ensure all employees are aligned and can act as effective brand ambassadors.
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Comprehensive brand overview
You must start by presenting the new brand identity — its values, mission, and key messaging — to employees. This foundational knowledge is crucial for them to represent and advocate for the brand authentically. To effectively communicate this and build real understanding amongst employees, senior leaders need to capture their attention, using methods such as:
Interactive workshop sessions
These are more impactful than one-way presentations as they incorporate activities to allow employees to explore and relate to the brand values personally. Consider storytelling sessions where teams share how their roles can embody the brand’s mission or ideation workshops to generate brand-aligned initiatives.
Storytelling techniques
Stories are a powerful way to connect. By using storytelling techniques in the presentation of the brand overview, you can connect emotionally with your employees. Share the brand's journey as it now exists to cover its history, including the rationale behind the merger or acquisition, emphasising the future vision and how each employee plays a crucial role in the new chapter. Make them part of the story to bridge the gap between theoretical brand values and practical everyday actions.
Design thinking in communication
Apply elements of design thinking into your presentation by empathising with employee perspectives. Understand their concerns and uncertainties post-merger and address these in your communications through visuals, narratives, and metaphors that resonate with the diverse backgrounds of your team members; this could involve creating personas that represent different employee segments and tailoring messages that speak directly to their concerns and aspirations.
Feedback loops
Establish mechanisms for feedback and open dialogue to ensure that employees feel heard and valued. This will allow leadership to adjust strategies based on real input from the team. Use surveys, town hall Q&A sessions, and suggestion boxes to gather feedback and ensure that the team feels valued in sharing this feedback and having it acted upon.
Visibility and accessibility
Make it easy for employees to find and access brand-related information through an intranet site dedicated to the brand transition (include FAQs that can be continually updated, detailed explanations of the brand value and mission, regular updates from the leadership on the integration process, etc.), or regular communications on different elements of the brand. Allowing employees to explore the brand at their own pace encourages greater acceptance of the change.
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Brand immersion
Brand immersion is a critical precursor to launching an internal brand ambassador programme. By dedicating specific days to immersive brand experiences, employees can engage in activities that highlight and embody the brand's values and mission. This could include participating in community service projects that align with the brand’s social responsibility goals, detailed sessions exploring the features and benefits of products or services, or team-building exercises designed around the brand's core values. These experiences help employees internalise the brand identity, fostering a genuine connection to authentically communicate the brand's message to customers and stakeholders.
This deep understanding and engagement are crucial for maintaining brand consistency and integrity across all levels of the organisation, ultimately contributing to a successful internal brand ambassador programme.
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Selling brand immersion to senior stakeholders
Brand immersion days are powerful tools for instilling a deep understanding and commitment to the new brand identity post-merger. These sessions are designed to engage employees at all levels, ensuring everyone is aligned with the brand’s vision, values, and objectives.
To sell this concept to your senior stakeholders, you must highlight its value. You need to:
To sell this concept to your senior stakeholders, you must highlight its value. You need to:
Share the tangible benefits of brand immersion.
Increased employee engagement
Brand immersion days actively involve employees in the brand’s narrative, turning passive recipients of information into active participants. This engagement fosters a stronger connection to the brand and enhances internal motivation.
Improved brand consistency
Through comprehensive workshops and activities, employees gain a uniform understanding of the brand. This consistency is crucial when employees are expected to represent or make decisions aligned with the brand’s values.
Enhanced customer experiences
Engaged and well-informed employees deliver better customer service and brand experiences, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Customise activities to reflect the brand's unique aspects and employees' interests to make the day more relevant and engaging.
- Survey employees beforehand to discover their interests and perceptions of the new brand.
Feedback templates
3 guides
- Design activities that reflect the unique aspects of the brand while incorporating employees' interests. For example, if the brand values community involvement, include a group volunteer activity allowing employees to experience and discuss the brand’s impact on the community.
Example activity: Brand value relay
Design activities that reflect the unique aspects of the brand while incorporating employees' interests. For example, if the brand values community involvement, include a group volunteer activity allowing employees to experience and discuss the brand’s impact on the community.
Outline clear objectives for the day and what is to be achieved.
Example objectives:
Understanding and alignment
Ensure every participant leaves with a clear understanding of the brand’s core values, mission, and strategic goals.
Personal connection
Facilitate personal connections between employees and the brand through interactive discussions and reflective activities.
Actionable outcomes
Participants should be able to articulate how they can contribute to brand goals in their daily roles.
To make the most of the day, ensure interactive and immersive activities provide a mix of education, experience, and engagement. Facilitate open discussions, encourage questions, and allow personal storytelling to deepen the connection to the brand. Finally, ensure the day ends with clear takeaways on how employees can live the brand values in their daily work, turning inspiration into action.
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Example agenda for your brand immersion day
It may be tempting to skip this step and launch straight into recruiting your team, but neglecting it risks leaving the team fragmented with varied interpretations of what the brand stands for. This misalignment can dilute the brand's message and weaken its position in the market.
Investing time in a comprehensive onboarding process ensures that all team members start from a common foundation, strengthening the brand's collective voice. This strategic approach accelerates the brand's integration post-merger and amplifies its impact, setting the stage for a successful and cohesive brand ambassador programme.
Investing time in a comprehensive onboarding process ensures that all team members start from a common foundation, strengthening the brand's collective voice. This strategic approach accelerates the brand's integration post-merger and amplifies its impact, setting the stage for a successful and cohesive brand ambassador programme.
Empowering employees: Selecting and recruiting brand ambassadors
Encouraging employees to become brand ambassadors after a merger or acquisition is key to the success of the new brand. This section offers strategies to identify and recruit the most suitable candidates to ensure brand ambassadors are engaged and committed.
Brand ambassador process
Identifying passionate employees
Identifying passionate employees for a brand ambassador programme requires a nuanced approach beyond spotting enthusiastic individuals. Brand and marketing managers should empathise with the workforce, observing what they say and do to find the best-suited employees for the ambassador programme.
- Look for those who naturally embody the brand’s values in everyday interactions. Engage in empathetic listening sessions where employees can share their connections to the brand. This deeper, qualitative understanding allows leaders to identify genuine brand passion, crucial for authentic representation.
- Establish feedback mechanisms to uncover hidden ambassadors - think peer nominations or digital platforms where employees can express their brand experiences.
By prioritising empathy and observation, it will be possible to find individuals whose natural alignment with the brand can inspire and influence others, making them ideal candidates for the ambassador programme.
Lululemos case
Lululemon’s brand ambassador programme is possibly one of the best-known examples of how a brand can gain advocates to support its mission and values. It is also a great example of how to merge internal and external ambassadors. While this programme is not the result of a merger or acquisition, there are key things that brands can learn from their approach.
How it works:
- Ambassadors spread the Lululemon message by continuously engaging with the local community. Each is local around a Lululemon shop, meaning they can effectively tap into their community.
- They host free yoga classes in-store to integrate the brand into the community.
- The ambassadors act as “a bridge between the community and the store” with regular meetings and discussions with store employees (also known as educators)
- Ambassadors are rewarded with connections to other like-minded ambassadors, resources, tools and advice for reaching their own goals, and a community at their fingertips.
The ambassadors' locality allows Lululemon to ‘think globally yet act locally’. This perfects the customer experience, making every store feel trustworthy and integrated with the community.
Encouraging nominations
Sometimes, the biggest challenge is having people step forward as brand ambassadors. Encourage employees to nominate brand ambassadors, which will help you in your search and foster a sense of community to strengthen the internal culture.
You can also run surveys to identify the right people who align with the organisational values and will positively contribute to the company culture.
Customer feedback templates
3 guides
One way to encourage nominations is to offer incentives. Who doesn’t like recognition and rewards? Incentivise employees to encourage participation in the brand ambassador programme. Knowing that their contribution is recognised and valued will help to boost motivation.
Designing engaging materials
If you want your brand ambassador programme to be a resounding success, you must capture employees’ attention and get them excited about participating. This section uncovers ways to do this through design thinking principles.
You must ensure your communications and all material relating to the programme resonate with employees and reflect the brand identity to reinforce it.
You must ensure your communications and all material relating to the programme resonate with employees and reflect the brand identity to reinforce it.
What challenges are employees faced with? How can you help to mitigate against these challenges and solve their problems? While materials should be informative, they should also be in tune with employees’ perspectives. From email templates and banners to digital badges, let design help you inspire employees to embody and advocate for the new brand.
Developing informative activities
Engaging your internal team is paramount to launching your brand ambassador program successfully. This section delves into strategies to inspire participation among internal brand ambassadors, enabling them to grasp the essence of the new brand and refine their advocacy skills. Incorporating interactive workshops, training sessions, and team-building exercises centred on brand messaging, storytelling, and communication plays a crucial role in fostering this engagement. Leading these activities focusing on design principles enhances engagement and significantly boosts retention and understanding.
To ensure the success of your brand ambassador programme, it's crucial to empower your employees by engaging them in informative activities that are not only educational but also engaging and memorable. Leveraging design principles can significantly increase the effectiveness of these activities, enhancing learning retention and fostering a deep connection with the brand. Here are some design-driven methods and techniques to incorporate.
To ensure the success of your brand ambassador programme, it's crucial to empower your employees by engaging them in informative activities that are not only educational but also engaging and memorable. Leveraging design principles can significantly increase the effectiveness of these activities, enhancing learning retention and fostering a deep connection with the brand. Here are some design-driven methods and techniques to incorporate.
Host workshops
where employees can learn the art of visual storytelling. Teach them to use visual elements to tell the brand's story, history, and future vision. Use a mix of images, videos, and infographics to create compelling narratives.
Organise sessions
where employees can create brand collateral using brand guidelines, such as posters, social media posts, or digital banners. Introduce them to basic design software or online tools tailored to non-designers. This hands-on approach helps employees internalise the brand identity and encourages creativity within brand guidelines.
Implement gamification
in learning modules about the brand, its products, and its culture—design interactive quizzes, challenges, and games that incorporate visual cues and branding elements. Rewards for participation and achievement can further motivate employees and make the learning process more engaging.
Use infographics
to present complex information about the merger or acquisition, such as the integration process, new brand values, or product synergies. Infographics effectively break down complex information into digestible, visually appealing pieces. Hold sessions to go through these infographics, encouraging questions and discussions.
Facilitate design thinking workshops
to involve employees in solving brand-related challenges. Use visual tools like mind maps, storyboards, and prototype models to encourage creative problem-solving and innovation. This empowers employees and fosters a culture of collaboration and co-creation.
Develop a digital platform
or app that tells the brand's story through interactive elements like timelines, videos, and clickable infographics. This allows employees to explore the brand's history, values, and vision at their own pace and encourages deeper engagement with the content.
Integrating these design-driven informative activities makes the learning process more enjoyable for employees and ensures they are well-prepared to serve as effective brand ambassadors. Creating a vibrant and visually engaging learning environment lays the groundwork for a robust, cohesive brand culture capable of navigating the transitions associated with mergers or acquisitions.
Implementing the programme
Once you’ve planned and prepared, it’s time to implement the programme. This section shares best practices for successfully embedding your brand ambassador programme.
Implementation roadmap for a brand ambassador programme:
Planning and Development
Initial Meetings: Gather input from key stakeholders to outline the program's scope and objectives.
Strategy Development: Define clear goals, target outcomes, and the resources needed.
Timeline: Establish a timeline for rollout and subsequent phases.
Strategy Development: Define clear goals, target outcomes, and the resources needed.
Timeline: Establish a timeline for rollout and subsequent phases.
Checkpoint: Approval of the program plan by the executive team.
Recruitment and Training
Recruitment of Ambassadors: Launch an internal campaign to identify and recruit suitable brand ambassadors based on predetermined criteria.
Training Sessions: Conduct comprehensive training covering brand values, storytelling, and communication skills.
Pilot Test: Run a pilot phase with selected ambassadors to refine approaches based on initial feedback.
Training Sessions: Conduct comprehensive training covering brand values, storytelling, and communication skills.
Pilot Test: Run a pilot phase with selected ambassadors to refine approaches based on initial feedback.
Checkpoint: Completion of training and readiness assessment for all ambassadors.
Official Rollout
Programme Launch: Officially start the program with a company-wide announcement.
Engagement Activities: Implement planned activities and campaigns designed to enhance brand visibility and engagement internally and externally.
Monitoring Tools Setup: Establish systems for tracking progress, such as engagement metrics and ambassador performance.
Engagement Activities: Implement planned activities and campaigns designed to enhance brand visibility and engagement internally and externally.
Monitoring Tools Setup: Establish systems for tracking progress, such as engagement metrics and ambassador performance.
Checkpoint: Launch event completion and initial engagement metrics review.
Monitoring and Feedback
Continuous Monitoring: Regularly track the performance of brand ambassadors and the overall impact of the program.
Feedback Loops: Gather insights from ambassadors and other stakeholders to continually improve the program.
Adjustments and Optimisation: Make necessary adjustments to strategies and activities based on feedback and performance data.
Feedback Loops: Gather insights from ambassadors and other stakeholders to continually improve the program.
Adjustments and Optimisation: Make necessary adjustments to strategies and activities based on feedback and performance data.
Checkpoint: Mid-program review meeting with stakeholders to assess initial results and plan adjustments.
Expansion and Evolution
Scaling Up: Expand the program to include more ambassadors or extend into new areas or markets as initial goals are met.
Programme Evolution: Evolve the programme’s activities and focus areas based on long-term brand strategies and market dynamics.
Success Stories: Highlight and celebrate successful outcomes and ambassador achievements to boost morale and encourage wider participation.
Programme Evolution: Evolve the programme’s activities and focus areas based on long-term brand strategies and market dynamics.
Success Stories: Highlight and celebrate successful outcomes and ambassador achievements to boost morale and encourage wider participation.
Checkpoint: Annual review and strategy session for next phase planning.
Successfully embedding a brand ambassador programme hinges on strategic execution, integrating consistent messaging, diverse communications methods, and the involvement of the right people, especially senior leaders. The programme's success is vastly improved by senior leaders who endorse and actively participate, sharing their connection to the brand. This leadership involvement sets a tone of authenticity and commitment that permeates the organisation and should be encouraged!
A robust communication plan should be at the heart of your programme’s implementation. The plan is a blueprint for how messages are issued throughout the organisation, ensuring every employee feels included and informed regardless of their role. By using different channels (think emails and newsletters, video messages and social media), messages reach their intended audiences most effectively. Your content should be designed to be engaging, incorporating creative formats like infographics, podcasts and interactive quizzes that convey key messages and encourage active participation and dialogue.
Successful EE ambassador programme case study
A great example of how effective communication strategies can pay off post-merger can be found in the telecommunications sector.
Orange and T-Mobile entered into a merger in 2010, and before this, they were two of the biggest names in mobile communications in the UK. From the start, their approach was collaborative. They eased employees and customers into the partnership by issuing a joint message internally that retained and communicated each of the two brands’ most recognisable corporate visual identities. This approach allowed the brands to build on the brand equity that both had established over the years, facilitating a smoother integration of the two companies into EE, launched in 2011.
Orange and T-Mobile entered into a merger in 2010, and before this, they were two of the biggest names in mobile communications in the UK. From the start, their approach was collaborative. They eased employees and customers into the partnership by issuing a joint message internally that retained and communicated each of the two brands’ most recognisable corporate visual identities. This approach allowed the brands to build on the brand equity that both had established over the years, facilitating a smoother integration of the two companies into EE, launched in 2011.
This example highlights the importance of strategic inclusive communication post-merger or acquisition, which is essential for the success of any internal brand ambassador programme.
An essential part of your strategy should be to spotlight the brand ambassadors themselves. By regularly featuring these individuals in your company communications, their stories and successes become a source of inspiration for their peers. This celebrates their achievements and humanises the programme, making brand advocacy more relatable and attainable.
Measuring success
Having invested all these resources and effort into the programme, you must demonstrate its value by measuring its success. Here, we outline strategies to help you evaluate the programme's impact.
Employee engagement, brand consistency, and customer satisfaction are all tangible ways to measure results. But first, identify your key performance indicators. What are you benchmarking the programme's performance against?
Employee engagement, brand consistency, and customer satisfaction are all tangible ways to measure results. But first, identify your key performance indicators. What are you benchmarking the programme's performance against?
After identifying your key performance indicators (KPIs), such as employee engagement, brand consistency, and customer satisfaction, a strategic approach is essential for collecting and analysing the data. It's crucial to employ a mix of these strategies to ensure a comprehensive understanding of their impact from multiple perspectives.
Regular Surveys and Feedback Forms
Employees should assess their understanding of brand values, engagement with the programme, and willingness to advocate for the brand. Customer surveys should gauge their perception of the brand and their satisfaction with their interactions. Utilise a combination of quantitative questions for easy analysis and qualitative questions for deeper insights.
Customer feedback templates
3 guides
Evaluating the Impact of the Brand Ambassador Programme
Examine sales data and conversion rates before and after implementing the brand ambassador programme. An increase in these figures can often be directly attributed to more effective brand advocacy and improved customer perceptions.
Ensuring Consistency
Conduct regular audits of brand-related communications and activities by ambassadors to ensure consistency with brand messaging and values. This can be achieved through random sampling and reviewing marketing materials, social media posts, and other content created by ambassadors.
Assessing the Programme's Impact
Evaluate the impact of the brand ambassador programme on employee retention rates and the quality of new hires. An effective programme can enhance company culture, making it more attractive to current and prospective employees.
Tracking Engagement and Centralizing Content
Externally track engagement from internal brand ambassador activity and use platforms such as Hootsuite Amplify, Smarp, or PostBeyond to centralise pre-approved content that ambassadors can share on social media. These tools provide tracking mechanisms to see reach, engagement, and the impact of shared content.
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Building a community
Once you have your programme in place, looking at ways to keep your ambassadors engaged past the initial rollout is important. Community engagement amplifies brand messages and builds a sense of belonging among employees and customers, turning them from passive participants into active brand advocates.
To encourage community engagement within your brand ambassador programme, marketing and brand managers should focus on creating opportunities for meaningful interaction and contribution. This can be done by creating platforms for discussion where ambassadors can share experiences, celebrate successes and exchange ideas.
To encourage community engagement within your brand ambassador programme, marketing and brand managers should focus on creating opportunities for meaningful interaction and contribution. This can be done by creating platforms for discussion where ambassadors can share experiences, celebrate successes and exchange ideas.
You can further build this sense of community by organising regular meet-ups (whether virtual or in-person) to discuss programme progress, brainstorm new initiatives, and recognise contributions.
Resources and support
The brand ambassador programme doesn’t just rely on the ambassadors themselves but on sharing relevant information and resources to keep everyone updated and aligned with the new brand.
Before you launch your programme, ensure you have resources and support materials available to help guide people through the process and streamline communications.
Brand guidelines, communication templates and other design assets are valuable tools for ambassadors to refer to.
Before you launch your programme, ensure you have resources and support materials available to help guide people through the process and streamline communications.
Brand guidelines, communication templates and other design assets are valuable tools for ambassadors to refer to.
Brand Playbook Workshop and Template
Miro board
Equally important is making sure key contact information for programme coordinators and/or facilitators is readily available so they have a support network they can reach out to. Keeping the lines of communication open will ensure your programme runs smoothly.
If you’re looking for more resources related to your M&A journey, why not revisit our other toolkit elements?
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