Brand Ambassador
/brand/ amˈbasədər,-ˌdôr
noun
1. A brand ambassador is a marketing term for a person employed by an organization or company to promote its products or services within the activity known as branding. The brand ambassador is meant to embody the corporate identity in appearance, demeanor, values and ethics.
I am an Aveeno Active Naturals Ambassador. And I am proud to align with this company because I have confidence in the products, trust in the brand, and most importantly, an affinity for quality skin care essentials.
Why do I feel it’s a partnership made in heaven? Let’s just dissect this line: “The ambassador is meant to embody the corporate identity in… values and ethics.” By reading this, I am to assume that Aveeno selected me as an ambassador because they believe my values and ethics align with THEIR own. And while this is a true statement, I’m so proud to share with you an example of how Aveeno’s values are aligned with MY own – and how that is a beautiful thing. Please read on for an example of excellence in blogger/brand relationships.
It has been a cold, unforgiving winter in Toronto. Many have used the term “Polar Vortex” to describe the relentless, bitter cold temperatures that we’ve experienced. Now you may not know this, but Ryder attends private school. A small, primary campus of an accredited Montessori school that offers an enriched curriculum and differentiated teaching and learning experiences designed to engage each student’s unique learning style.
They also offer a pretty awesome pick-up and drop-off service; I simply pull into the front of the school, and a teacher removes Ryder from the car and takes him to the class, or, brings Ryder to the car and ensures he is seated so I can secure him in. While this is an added convenience or “perk” of the private school system, the reality is, rain or shine, sleet or snow (or Polar Vortex), the teachers at Ryder’s school face the elements every single day in order to bring our children safely to our warm, dry vehicles.
So, I began thinking, what could I do to say thank you? You know that it’s within my ethics and values to give back to those who deserve recognition, and one of the wonderful benefits of blogging is that I’m able to connect with brands who can help me reward those special people. Hence, I used my partnership with Aveeno as an opportunity to give back to the handful of special teachers at Ryder’s school. Specifically, I mentioned that it’s been a particularly rough winter up north, and if they could spare a few Aveeno Active Naturals pampering products (body care, hand lotions, etc), it would be a great way to help rescue, repair and remedy their winter-beaten skin in time for the warmer temperatures ahead (in theory; it’s -24°C with the wind chill right now!).
What did I expect? Oh, I don’t know. Maybe a box containing a handful of hand creams (their Intense Relief Hand Cream is THE BEST thing since sliced bread) or a bag full of Daily Moisturizing Body Washes (which is also my go-to all year round). I let Aveeno’s amazing PR team know that there were about 8-10 teachers in total that manned the front door on a rotating basis. So… about 8-10 hand creams, right? That’s what I expected….