Brand Ambassadors: Then and Now

For centuries, big name companies across the world have relied on promotion through celebrities, politicians, and athletes to demonstrate the quality or effectiveness of their products and services. Even Uncle Sam, though fictional, acted as a sort of brand ambassador for the US army, visible on every storefront with his famous “I Want You” catchphrase. Similar fictional faces were put into place in the ‘60s, such as the Pillsbury Doughboy and Ronald McDonald, to promote brands that found steady client bases among parents and children. 

Heavily influenced by everything advertised on television in its early years, consumers depended on the word of influencers and brand ambassadors to determine the reliability of a product. Actors, actresses, and athletes noticed a sharp increase in their incomes due to sponsorships, as companies began to realize the power of having a popular ambassador as the face of their brand. 

Fast forward to the present day. Though techniques that gained popularity earlier in the decade, like PPI marketing, can get a brand’s name onto multiple different platforms, web users have become increasingly impervious to such outlets. At the rate individuals consume information on the Internet, companies cannot afford to spend money on creating content that will just be scrolled over or ignored.

Turns out, the brand ambassador strategy is still a viable solution. In fact, due to the advent of modern day media technologies, ambassadors aren’t just limited to famous celebrities or athletes, but also normal individuals who champion the brand to their own relevant audience. Usually, this audience is highly engaged to the individual “micro-influencer” promoting the brand (both online and offline), driving up the effectiveness with which the marketing message is accepted.

At Evolvez, we capitalize on this new movement of brand ambassadors on college campuses to boost your brand message and product adoption.

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Information via “The Evolution of Brand Ambassadors” by Toby Britton, Website Magazine.