The Value of Genuine Brand Ambassadors
…and why I’m here for Tiffany Haddish as the new spokesperson for Groupon.
The SuperBowl is coming. No matter what time of year you read this, brands are prepping for their next SuperBowl ad. And with SuperBowl ads come celebrity endorsements. But, do any of us think celebrities actually eat, drink or wear most of the things they’re pitching us? Beyond being a culture match, speaking in the proper brand voice or testing well with the focus groups, do we think they actually care? More importantly, does it matter to us?
The short answer is yes. Blame social media culture or the swell of brands selling a million different kinds of pressed juice, but we are in a time where consumers are calling for more transparency. Though there is still a veil of presentation and persuasion, we’re not going for a vegan celebrity in a Taco Bell ad or Morgan Freeman telling us he uses GoDaddy. And this extends to the influencer marketing landscape as well. As popular personalities are becoming their own brands in themselves, isn’t it time to better align with the truth?
Luckily, Tiffany Haddish actually uses Groupon
We know this because of her hilariously retelling of a story where she took an unsuspecting Will and Jada Smith on a discount swamp tour ride.
So the series of videos featuring her in Groupon’s latest email marketing campaign and the up-coming SuperBowl ad is no surprise. This isn’t a soft spin by a brand to attract the comedian’s growing fan base (watch Girls’ Trip, her Netflix special, or any of her recent appearances). These are two “brands” aligning to create a strategic partnership that’s mutually beneficial. Here’s a list of the good stuff that comes from finding genuine ambassadors for your brand:
They create their own content
Genuine brand ambassadors create their own content…in their voice, in their style, and in the language of their audience — your audience. And they get your brand because they actually use it. While you may need to slightly edit the script to make sure they’re hitting all of the important points, they pretty much have the brand’s values down and can speak on them in authentic ways.
They make us believe because they believe
Have you ever listened to a friend talk about their favorite show, song or restaurant? Good luck making them stop. The pure passion to make their favorite thing your new favorite thing is the epitome of “word-of-mouth” marketing. Genuine brand ambassadors are considered trusted resources by their fans and followers and if they actually like your brand, they’ve already been talking about you around town. Why not make it official?
It’s the ultimate reward for your brand’s superfans
While you may not be able to give everyone your SuperBowl monies, you can provide your brand’s superfans with incentive to keep up the recommendations. Referral codes, affiliate links, discounts, free product, partnership deals…reward the people who are actually cutting through the clutter to get your brand’s message heard and they will keep up the good work.
Shani is a marketing consultant and creative director connecting brands to millennial women of color. Interested in finding the right ambassadors for your brand? Email her for a consultation shani@jamilastudio.com.
