What is a brand ambassador?

A brand ambassador is someone who represents, promotes and spreads the word about a brand’s products and services either in person or online. Typically partnerships are over a long term period, and brand ambassadors’ fame, connections, and power can be a huge asset for many companies.

They are often chosen to represent an organisation because of their public profiles – they are influential, convey trust and have enormous power to sell to their audiences which is something a brand may wish to leverage.

What risks can a brand ambassador partnership pose?

As with any partnership, or where a third party is involved, there are associated risks. This individual has been nominated as a representative of your brand and is therefore an extension of your values and mission. Any divergence from this may alienate customers, lead to bad press and ultimately damage reputations.

Outspoken political beliefs, criminal proceedings, bad behaviour – even if they occurred long before the partnership – can be detrimental to the brand and business by association.

How can the associated risks with a brand ambassador be mitigated?

Detailed background checks and a proper vetting process is the only way to mitigate some of these risks. Continually monitoring any developments and acting on the intelligence is essential to make sure your decisions are made on the latest available information. InsightX’s brand ambassador reports are designed to do just this.

Why is value alignment important for ambassador partnerships?

Carrying out proper due diligence and intelligence checks goes beyond making sure there can be a green light to work with the selected ambassadors in terms of risks. It means making sure the sponsorship makes sense when it comes to shared values and causes.

Brands should always make decisions based on their values and not simply favour the latest up-and-coming personality. Athletes and influencers themselves are putting their personal values and causes at the forefront of the corporate sponsorships they sign. Authenticity and consistency are essential for the endorsement to be successful.

What is a brand ambassador due diligence report?

InsightX’s Brand Ambassador Reports are based on a stringent investigative process undertaken by a team of experienced journalists and editors, across multiple jurisdictions and languages. The reports go further than any other provider and delve into the background of the subject, uncover areas of concern and recommend steps to mitigate risk with the proposed partnership.