Brand Ambassador

A few years ago, during a regular team meeting, my boss at the time spoke about being a brand ambassador for the company.

If you aren’t familiar with what a brand ambassador is, it’s a person (often times a celebrity for large well known brands) who represents and advertises a company, supports its offers and acts as the embodiment of the company’s corporate identity through words and actions.

That morning, my boss told us that anytime we wore the company logo, carried a travel mug, coffee cup, backpack that included the logo we were representing the company. Not only that, but anytime we tagged the company in our social media posts or listed that we worked there, we were representing the company. Furthermore, anytime we were out in public during our workday with our company badge on a lanyard around our neck or clipped to our belt loop, we were representing the company.

She went on to say that when we are representing the company in these ways, we have the power to associate the company with positivity, love, kindness, humility, etc. etc. OR associate the company with negativity, hatred, rudeness, arrogance, etc. etc. She shared a few examples:

• Tagging the company on social media, but speaking negatively about our work affects the brand.
• In the same vein, listing that we work for the company on social media and then every post we make is laced with filthy language, inappropriate jokes, hateful speech etc. also affects the brand.
• Wearing the logo, carrying the logo, having our badge etc. and then treating the server badly, at the restaurant we go to for lunch, affects the brand.

If every interaction people outside the company had with those inside the company was negative, they would begin to associate that with the company as a whole and say things like “That company doesn’t take care of their people.”; “That company is full of rude, arrogant people.”.

Even if they only interacted with a fraction of those employed, that small amount of negative interaction made a big impression for how the company is now viewed. In essence, we held the power to represent the company well or not. It was our responsibility to use that power wisely and be a positive brand ambassador. She suggested:

• If you list on social media that you work for our company, examine the things you “like”, share, post, etc. Ensure it’s positive.
• When wearing the company logo, treat others how you would like to be treated. Never treat the janitor worse than the CEO. Spread kindness.

I left that team meeting feeling very convicted. Not about how I was representing the company’s brand. But about how I was representing Jesus’ brand.

You see, if I profess with my mouth and publicly make known that I am a Jesus follower, I have a responsibility to show His love to all those I encounter and interact with. I am a brand ambassador for Jesus and His gospel!

Ephesians 6: 19-20 says “And for me, that utterance (words) may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, (20) for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Jesus doesn’t want us to be silent about following Him or about the gospel. In fact, Mark 16:15, Jesus said, “And He said to them, Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation”. However, He does want us to be positive ambassadors in our attitude, actions, and words alike as we go spreading the gospel.

If we are saying one thing – “I follow Jesus”; “I’m a Christian”; “I believe Jesus is love, and we have to love like Him”, but then show something totally different with our actions (being hateful to servers, cashiers, those on the roadways, our family members, coworkers etc.; gossiping behind someone’s back – the list could go on, you get the point), we risk alienating true believers or sending unbelievers or those questioning even further away.

The old adage actions speak louder than words, rings so true as it relates to spreading the gospel well. Jesus oftentimes used actions vs. words to show who He was.

I took a stab at rearranging that definition of a brand ambassador to relate to our duty as an ambassador of Jesus.

A Christ Follower Brand Ambassador is a person who represents and evangelizes Jesus, supports the Gospel and acts as the embodiment of Jesus’ identity through words and actions.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for how You love us, and are faithful when we aren’t. May we lean in and surrender to the Holy Spirit’s leading so we can be positive brand ambassadors that one day hear “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Help us to preach the gospel everyday of our lives, and when necessary – use words. (author unknown for quote). We love You Lord,

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

Join me next week for some practical ways we can be positive brand ambassadors for Jesus!