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out how to make the best use of brand ambassadors, if these individuals defy categorization? Especially as the role continues to evolve? And how can they best use their services without having their brand mix changed signifi cantly?
| APRIL 2012
for William Grant & Sons and the unoffi cial "Queen of All Brand Ambassadors," has diffi culty providing a defi nitive response: "I've even had my mother out on the road for a week watching me, and at the end of it she turns around and says, 'So, what do you do for a living?'" So how is a bar or restaurant operator expected to fi gure
sk fi ve brand ambassadors—and the operators that they work with—what they do and you'll get fi ve diff erent responses. Even Charlotte Voisey, portfolio ambassador
THE BRAND AMBASSADOR, EXPLAINED "For us, a brand ambassador is someone who entertains,
early 1990s, the role got a bump in 2010, when Th e New York Times wrote about the growing trend of bartenders making the leap from drink-slinger to spirits brand promoters. Since then, the number of brand ambassadors has surged, and many modern bartenders actively seek out opportunities to represent diff erent brands. However, the role remains a fl uid one. "We wear so many hats," explains Borys Saciuk, who has been the 42Below Vodka
educates and passes on the message of the brand," Voisey sums up. "It's the embodiment of the brand." Although brand ambassadors have been around since the
www.cheersonline.com
Brand Ambassadors WORKING WITH
The inside story on what these multi-tasking marketers provide to operators.
By Kara Newman
