Not Just Front Line Employees are Brand Ambassadors

All employees, whether or not they interact directly with customers as part of their daily duties, are brand ambassadors.  Managers, administrators, employees in leadership positions and other “behind the scenes” employees are all brand ambassadors whether or not they think of themselves in this way.    When networking or simply meeting someone, usually the first questions asked involve some version of “where do you work?” or “what do you do?” Now think about how you usually respond.  While some, perhaps those more experienced at networking, answer this question with targeted responses to ensure they present themselves well, others describe their job function or employer in general terms.  It is in these situations that value is gained or lost for both employees and organizations.  For employees, these brief moments offer the opportunity for them to not only share with others what they do and where they work but also how they add value as well as offer a glimpse into who they are and what they’re capable of.  For organizations, such moments can be golden because they can literally add value to current and future customer experiences and increase or decrease loyalty and positive or negative impressions.  This multiplies when customers and potential customers share their interactions with friends, family, and co-workers.  All employees, not just front line employees, can help build or detract from the brand.  All employees are brand ambassadors. 

Photo by Thomas Hawk, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.