Your Employees are Your Ambassadors: PUMA

Yesterday MediaPost published an article entitled "Puma Employees Become Ambassadors," describing Puma's new campaign called "Puma Employees Only." This marketing effort showcases the distinct personalities of 14 Puma employees through a series of YouTube videos, a Facebook Fan Page (with over 1 million fans, thank you very much), and future in-store and out-of-store events. These employees share fun info like their favorite things, pet peeves, and best places to visit in their respective cities.

I love the idea of Puma employees being ambassadors for their brand. I love their use of online video, social media, and in-store/out-of-store events to make Puma more personal - to give a face to the brand. To let the customer "get to know" the real people who work for Puma, and to think "This person's cool; he reminds me of me. He likes Puma; maybe I'll like Puma, too."

But MediaPost got it wrong. These Puma employees didn't become ambassadors for their brand when they were featured in this campaign. Employees are always ambassadors for their brands, whether they star in online videos and Facebook Fan Pages or not. Whether they intend to be ambassadors or not. Whether they show pride in their brands or not.

If your employees don't show pride in your brand, if they talk about coming to work as if they dread it, if they complain about their coworkers or bosses or management or customers or work-hours, they are representing to the world that your brand is dreary, thoughtless, inconsiderate. As ambassadors, they are influencing people against your brand.

If this is true for a significant number of your employees, it is time to look at your corporate culture. Is your company a place where people are respected? where their jobs are appreciated? where their skills are recognized? where ideas are rewarded? where departments work together? where coworkers encourage and help each other? where individuals can get excited about the work they are doing, the products they are delivering, and the difference they are making in the world?

If not, start making it so. It begins with you.