Brand Ambassadors or Sales Generators?

Brand ambassadors have primarily been used for in-store sampling to increase brand awareness and drive sales but are they still important and has their role changed?

The NZ retail sector has seen changes over the past few years in both grocery and the non-grocery environments. This change is effecting how we engage with consumers and what they expect from their shopping experience. The team at Retail Safari has written a great article entitled “From Brand Ambassadors to Engagement Specialists”. Here are some key highlights:

Consumers are thriftier and smarter

With our fingers just a touch away from product information, consumers have higher than ever expectations, particularly from the in-store experience. Brand ambassadors are expected to be exceptionally knowledgeable about the product, offering honest expert face to face guidance giving consumers the confidence to make the right purchase decision.

Competition is tougher

There are so many brands out in the marketplace today the pathway has become very complex and cluttered. It is therefore essential that brands and retailers know when and where to engage the consumer along their purchase journey.

A shift in the balance of power to retailers

With a decrease in consumer spend and an increase in online shopping, retailers have had to reduce staff numbers on the shop floor. Thus, making it more important that brands put their own ambassadors out in the stores to engage, educate and ultimately close the sale.

A new model

In the FMCG channels, competition is tough and budgets are shrinking so there is a push for more sales through smart activations. A new model referred to as ‘Sales in Action’ is seeing some positive results. The main difference with this new model is that brand ambassadors not only create brand exposure and the opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ but they also get the sale. By moving away from the traditional low-key store activity, brand ambassadors are now becoming part of a lively shopping experience. This allows them to become tangible sales generators.

At Brandstand we totally agree with what they say. Being one of the main providers of portable display equipment in NZ we have seen a large shift in custom built stands for in-store sampling and experiential marketing. Clients are not just asking us for a product they are asking us for a solution to enhance the shopper experience.

We are in the business of making you look good, so give us a call and let us help you out with the perfect solution on 0800 10 99 88.