Branding builds businesses

Offlimit Communications (OLC), one of Africa’s leading experiential agencies, has continually showcased the value of brand ambassadors for campaigns over the years. In 2010 OLC created an internal brand ambassador offering within the greater agency to better serve its clients and fellow agencies’ needs. In addition to offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, OLC has a national footprint which enables the agency to better service the county’s leading brands with the right hand-picked brand ambassadors. This specialised division is the newest addition within the agency’s 360-degree offering.

Why does this matter? The marketing landscape

A brand’s identity is the way a brand presents itself to its customers. It represents the brand values and motivates why consumers would purchase a specific brand, product or service over another. It is a practice of perception, in other words, how we want our brands to be viewed - be it youthful, innovative, informative, etc. In the fast-paced world of innovation and technology, consumers are bombarded with information, access and options to anything and everything thing they need.

Having a strong brand identity can improve a brand's perceived equity, foster emotional attachment and engagement, as well as encourage conversion. So “first impressions last”, sure, but when exactly does that first impression take place? It’s about being in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. Equipped with the right information, brand ambassadors play a pivotal role in generating sales and many brands have gotten it just right.

“In 2018, a strategic decision was reached to amplify the existing offering of brand ambassadors at OLC. The all-important purpose of the brand ambassador is to translate the right brand messages to the consumer and ensure an increase of sales. Being a division that has grown organically between 2017-2018, it was really a natural transition,” commented OLC managing director, Jerome Cohen.

In just the month of December, brands like Schweppes, Ferrero Rocher, Absolut, Fuze Tea and Mc Donald’s have utilised brand ambassadors for sampling, giving consumers first-hand experiences with product in hand. When done with the right experiential twist, this can take product sampling through the roof, such as the successful Share A Coke campaign, a nationwide execution in six provinces, achieving of global best sampling rate of six cans per minute. Through the right selection of brand ambassadors OLC sampled over 14,000 cans in a day with four vending machines with a total of 1,130,000 cans sampled in 3.5 months.

“It’s not enough to just have a pretty face, but the division also boasts specialised brand ambassadors for niche requirements such as hip-hop dancers. Because of the expertise we have in the sector we are able to provide tailored individuals who fit brief requirements physically, personality-wise and so forth. The offering includes male and female ambassadors between the ages of 18 and 25 across the demographic spectrum,” Cohen continued.

For more information, contact:

Nicole Bessick
az.oc.timilffo@elocin