We're holidaying on the Gold Coast at the moment and went to check out the new Night Quarter at Helensvale. We didn't know a lot about it other than it was a bunch of stall holders operating out of shipping containers that once formed the set of Pirates of the Caribbean.
What we didn't expect was to be so completely entertained while we walked through the maze of markets. One stallholder in particular had worked out that even if they really were selling the world's greatest funnel cakes that they needed more than just reputation to draw people's attention. They needed to stand out from the crowd and create brand ambassadors with spunk and personality that would make people want to cue. And that's exactly what they did. The four girls selling the cakes were dressed in pearls and lace and were bopping all night to tunes like 'Puttin' on the Ritz' while they built towering stacks of fried batter cakes, ice-cream and toppings. They were having a whole heap of fun and so were the 30 odd people cuing up to watch them – and of course, buy a funnel cake.
Brand ambassadors have the capacity to drive awareness and sales at events like none other. I'm not talking the stereotypical promotional girls who are giving away cans of V in the hope it will catapult their modelling career. No. I'm talking about recruiting brand ambassadors who have the right sunny disposition, intelligence and confidence to truly engage with your target market. The funnel cake girls had all of that and more.
I've been to enough events where sponsors think having a lounge area or chill-out zone is enough. It's not enough if it's empty and there's no one happy to be there while they welcome you in. Ambassadors give your business a face, a personality, credibility. They have the power and the opportunity to influence people's perceptions with their energy and enthusiasm. They humanise your brand and give it meaning.
It's the brand ambassadors that get a crowd participating and create the social sharing. So how do you do it? Here's a few easy pointers.
- 1.Know what success looks like. Why did you enter the sponsorship in the first place and what is it that you want to achieve. What are your KPIs and how will your brand ambassadors help you achieve them? What conversations do they need to be having and what perception should they be creating with the crowd?
- 2.Plan. Know everything you need to know about the event so you can match the event with the right number, type and required personality or expertise of your brand ambassadors.
- 3.Equip your brand ambassadors with enough information so they are able to do their job properly. It will significantly increase your results and set your brand ambassadors up for success. Make sure they understand the event and how your brand fits in.
- 4.Remember your brand ambassadors are your front line so they can give you market intelligence better than most other touchpoints. Listen to their insights and feedback after the event so next time you can improve your optimisation and fan engagement.
- 5.Keep them happy. There's no greater turn off than coming across promotional people at events who are more interested in talking amongst themselves because they are disengaged and disinterested. These are not the people to have on your team. Find the ones that truly match your objectives, the event and your target market and do what it takes to keep them happy. And that doesn't mean strapping billboards onto their backs either! Think about what your ambassadors can do to help improve the event experience and you'll be a big step closer to building your fan base.
Want to know more about creating fan engagement through brand ambassadors? Email me at caroline@eventsponsors.com.au or phone 1300 366 306 for the full range of sponsorship management solutions. We can provide everything from recruiting brand ambassadors for your next sponsored event to developing sponsorship strategy, negotiations, leveraging and measurement solutions.
