In this era of Word of Mouth, having brand ambassadors proclaiming the virtues of your new & improved product is absolutely essential. But suppose you do not have a pool of ambassadors, what then? Well, you can simply buy them, can’t you? There are numerous intermediaries that offer a database of ‘pioneers’, ‘community leaders’ or simply ‘very cool people’. These individuals can leverage their status and heap praise on a particular product or brand. By association the product becomes desirable. Voila!

So supposedly this vanguard possesses the ability to enchant their tribe, simply by acting as, well, as a vanguard… We should not blame them for believing this. They are told that their voice counts, regardless whether they are recommending cookies or cars. Blinded by their newly elevated status, they grow oblivious the fact that they are actually putting their street credibility on the line. So while they are transferring credibility to the brand, their own personal brand erodes. Once they realize this, they will turn against the brand without any remorse, claiming it to be what it actually was: an alliance of cheap opportunism.

You cannot buy ambassadorship. You can buy channels or voice. And you can nurture ambassadorship in case it has manifested itself among your audience. How? There is the usual route of wrapping a product launch in a mind-blowing experience. This shock-and-awe approach works well with icon brands. It creates memorability, a sense of having witnessed something special. Sharing this experience reinforces the bond between the brand and its devotees.

There is an alternative route, appropriate for less exalted brands, and that is the co-creation route. The best way to breed ambassadors is by engaging potential users throughout the entire innovation cycle, instead of only at the product launch. This is not just a matter of broadening the experience space. It is about building goodwill by openly recognizing and accommodating the contributions of end users at each development stage. It is about creating a true sense of joined ownership. By entrusting your customers to share the challenging task of finding a solution, you will create allies who will honestly recommend you. This is brand internalization in its purest sense. You will not just get ambassadors; you will get evangelists.