In our personal lives, we all want people who champion us.
If we’re lucky, that will start with our family and extend to our friends and significant others. In an ideal work environment, our managers will also champion us and help us climb the ladder.
There’s nothing better than having people cheering for you on the sidelines and advocating for you in the rooms you’re not in.
As a business owner, you also want that level of support for your brand.
That’s where a brand champion comes in as someone who promotes your business and helps grow your loyalty base.
Let’s dive into why you need a brand champion, how to get one, and how to incorporate it into your marketing strategy.
What is a brand champion?
A brand champion is someone who is responsible for promoting your brand and building support for it internally and/or externally. It’s not a formal role and isn’t limited to one person. A brand champion can be business owners, brand ambassadors, a chief brand officer, employees, and customers.
Depending on the size of your business, you may have one or several champions. Sometimes, that role is embedded in your staff’s responsibilities.
For instance, an employer brand specialist is responsible for promoting a company’s culture and benefits to outside candidates. That, in itself, is a type of brand champion, as their role is centered around campaigning for your brand.
You can say the same for brand ambassadors who partner with businesses to promote them and generate leads.
A key difference to note here is that there is typically a contractual obligation for ambassadors to promote your brand. Champions may be incentivized to do so, but they’re not required to celebrate your brand.
In a small company, the business owner can be the brand champion, motivating employees internally and networking externally to gain more customers.
The key takeaway is that anyone can be a brand champion, and the more champions your brand has, the stronger it will be.
How to Be (and Gain) a Brand Champion
To be a brand champion, there are a few key characteristics and traits you must have. A brand champion should:
- Be passionate about the company.
- Know the company’s vision, mission, and values.
- Be invested in the brand’s long-term success and growth.
- Have the skills to lead growth initiatives.
- Stay updated on the most effective strategies to build brand loyalty with employees and consumers.
One place where you might want to start looking for brand champions is with your employees.
Studies show that how businesses treat their employees plays a big role in how trustworthy they seem. Especially in times of crisis, consumers look at how brands treat their own.
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