• Is your WOM my WOM?

    Posted on November 28th, 2006 by and currently 6 commenting.

    Ya know, it’s good that we all don’t agree on everything all the time (especially the definitions of all this word of mouth stuff). Then what would we have to debate? (Like how word of mouth is NOT a media channel.)

    And then there’s this one: Some of you might be familiar with a couple of the Brand Ambassador movements (note that I didn’t say ‘campaign’ ” ick) we’ve been fortunate enough to help ignite. Part of laying the groundwork is going out and finding (online and off) people who are a number of things ” the most important being passionate about something, whether it be crafting or teen tobacco use, etc. We don’t look for people who are just talkers in general. They don’t even have to be in all the right social circles (although some of them are). They just have to have a passion and a genuine love for that particular part of their lives.

    Well, this weekend I received an email from a woman who wanted to offer her ‘brand ambassador’ services, plus that of her two friends. Brand ambassadors for what? Exactly. For anything and everything. In other words, they were freelance brand ambassadors. They sent me their measurements, eye color and hair color and asked if I wanted to see any pictures of them (I said ‘no,’ so stop it). They sent me their ambassador experience that included two and three day stints working the Canon Tour Truck and NASCAR. Bulls’s Eye Promo Tour and Banana Boat. Volkswagen and Verizon. And Budweiser and the Hawaiian Tropic Bikini Team. (I will not ask for photos, I will not ask for photos, I will not ask for photos…)

    So if you haven’t figured it out now, these women are models that get paid to chat up products. And while someone in an exec suite at Verizon has called them ‘brand ambassadors,’ it couldn’t be further from the definition that we use around our halls and with our clients. Yes, you can be passionate about talking. But I don’t believe that you can be passionate about whatever is put in front of you. The real brand ambassadors that we find have created a section of their lives around that one cause or brand that they feel a kindred spiritship with. That’s powerful. And it can’t be bought.

  • http://www.fiskateers.com/blog May

    these girls remind me of the tequila ‘ambassador’ program I saw in action a few months back. Definitely a whole different thing than what we are doing as ambassadors!!! (thank goodness!!!)

  • http://www.woolardspeak.blogspot.com Andy Woolard

    Glad you made this point, Spike. It’s important – especially for companies that invest themselves in WOM – to publicize this distinction.

  • Vince

    It seems that the problem really just lies in the term “brand ambassador.” I must admit that, I am not a huge fan of it. And while I sit here saying that at 3am, I don’t have a great idea for a different name, haha. Perhaps something bases of Gladwell’s terminology? Such as, a market maven, or a brand maven. That’s really what these people are, isn’t it? Self-imposed and genuinely enthusiastic experts in a little tiny area.

  • http://www.note-to-cmo.blogspot.com Stephen Denny

    Yep, you’ve made the appropriate differentiation between two different species.

    Ever been to Tokyo? “Campaign girls” are camped out at Roppongi Crossing, right in front of Almond (“A-Man-Do mae”) handing out whatever their paid to hand out, dressed like extras in the old Shattner Star Trek days. These are your “brand ambassadors” referenced.

    This ain’t word o’ mouth.

    (Did you get the pictures? I’m just curious. But did you?)

  • Ted Wright

    Spike – Having a great time reading your posts. Keep on keepin’ on!

  • Alex

    Spike,

    I must agree that there are Brand Ambassadors that are paid to look the look, and the walk the walk for brands they sometimes mis-represent. I for one have been working in Marketing for four years, however through my various experiences as a walking advertisement, I found a brand that revolutionized my own existence.

    After four years of working for various companies, I found my Dream job as a full time Brand Ambassador for the world’s largetst Wine & Spirits company.

    I truly found a brand that I truly believe in and promote as if it were my own. I found my other half with this job that I dedicate most of my life to, in your own words I must have found my “kindered spirit”.

    I am a member of a very rare class of real “Brand Ambassadors” whom Love what they do, and simply get paid for loving what they do for a living.

    I will never forget what my College professor advised me during my years of deep soul searching: She said “The key to being happy in your work life, is simply to FIRST find your true passion in life, then dedicate yourself to it no matter what, and then finally find a fool to pay you, to do that of which you love to do the most!

    I’m happy I found my fool. God Bless…

    A