Have you thought of getting out of the bar to become a brand ambassador? This month, in our Ask the Experts section of the magazine, we spoke to seven of Australia’a leading brand ambassadors to find out how they got the gig, what the job is actually like, and how they handle the know-it-all bartenders when they’re conducting training sessions (you know there’s always one).
In the second part to this story we speak with Pernod Ricard ambassador, Ben Davidson, Bacardi Lion ambassador Sean Forsyth, SouthTrade’s Gee David and Sarah Miller of The Exchange.
Check out their stories below, and read the first instalment of this story by clicking here.
The Expert: Ben Davidson
The Job: Pernod Ricard Spirits Ambassador
Length of time in role: 8 ½ years.
How did you land the role? What did you do to get there?
I landed the role with Pernod Ricard Australia in 2006 when a former work colleague, Liam Murphy, suggested I would make a kick-ass ambassador. He was right. Over the preceding few years I had been working as bartender in Sydney trying to big note myself, to some success.
What does a typical day in the life of a brand ambassador involve?
Every day in the life of an ambassador is different. That’s the beauty of this job. Typically it involves brushing off the dusty feeling from the night before and getting into the office to crack out some emails, reports, expenses, presentations and the like – all before the average bartender has even hit the snooze alarm. Usually by the afternoon it’s safe to call a bartender without interrupting their breakfast to confirm a training session or an activation that was discussed the week before. After delivering a training session in the afternoon it might involve checking into a hotel before planning a dinner and trade visits to ‘spread the love’ for the Brand.
Brand ambassadors train bartenders a lot. How do you keep people of different skill levels interested?
These days the level of knowledge in bartenders is incredibly high. I think Australian bartenders are the best trained bartenders in the world with all the major suppliers engaging them with product training sessions for the best part of the last decade.
One of the ways we have had success recently is with the Maison By Pernod Ricard training programme, which breaks down each category into easily digestible chunks, complete with animations and videos to deliver messages that can be appreciated by beginner and advanced bartenders alike.
Spirits and cocktails are huge body of knowledge and it’s virtually impossible to think that you have mastered all there is to know. I actually like engaging the more experienced bartenders at a session for comments to add richness from their experiences in the industry.
What advice would you give to bartenders wanting to get into a brand ambassador role?
The role of a Brand Ambassador is a challenging role with a large amount of expectation placed on the individual. It may seem like fun and games from the outside, however, there is a lot involved in adapting to the corporate environment. A good Brand Ambassador is someone who lives and breathes the personality of the Brand, to be aspirational and to drive advocacy for that Brand. That’s the easy part. There is a whole other world of pain involved in keeping all the ‘stake holders’ happy with your activities, achieving your KPI’s, performance reviews etc. — to the point where if you stick around too long you become a shadow of your former self.
Being an ambassador can be a hugely rewarding experience and one that can open doors to the world of the drinks business. It helps if you are cool under pressure and act as if nothing can faze you.
Do bartenders play “stump the brand ambassador” with you much? What’s the toughest question you’ve had, and how did you deal with it?
I think bartenders are too scared to try and play ‘stump the Ambassador’ with me. Enough said…
The Expert: Sean Forsyth
The Job: Brand Ambassador Bacardi Lion
Length of time in role: 7 years.
How did you land the role?
Right time, right attitude and a genuine passion for the Bacardi Lion brands and business
What did you do to get there?
I was inspired to become a brand ambassador when I attended one of Australia’s first ever Bacardi Educational’s hosted by now global Bombay Sapphire Brand Ambassador Raj Nagra in early 2003.
I moved to London in 2004 and was lucky enough to be able to apprentice the craft of bartending through the Matchbar group of bars which gave me an opportunity to learn and work with some of the best in the business. People like Kevin Armstrong, Fraser Chapman, Michael Butt, Sam Jeveons, Richard Hunt and of course the man, myth and legend Dale Degroff invested quite a bit of time in helping me build an understanding of this amazing industry. This also gave me exposure to UK based spirit distributors like Bacardi – Brown Forman, Pernod Ricard and Fior brands (Campari/Suntory/Goslings) working events, creating drink strategies and hosting trainings.
What does a typical day in the life of a brand ambassador involve?
Bacardi Lion’s ambassador program is fun, challenging and has evolved quite a bit over the years.
Today we focus on a range of different elements within the business based around every brand in our portfolio. We help build relationships in lighthouse venues, develop sales capability for territory managers in the on premise, work with brand teams on developing advocacy programs & drink strategies as well as the role out of events and Sensology trainings.
So what I am saying is every day is different, for instance I am writing this now currently flying back to Brisbane from Sydney after hosting a group from the BWS drinks academy where I presented our Bacardi Belief training seminar.
Brand ambassadors train bartenders a lot. How do you keep people of different skill levels interested?
I think it is important to understand what level an audience is at before you present any ideas or material, I tend to ask a lot of questions at the start of any training I host and garner the audience’s responses. Sometimes people just want an opportunity to have fun and be entertained and other times people want to really understand the subject you are talking about.
I think the most important thing to focus on as an ambassador is exactly the same focus for a great bartender and that is creating a memorable experience for your guests.
We tend to live by this quote from Maya Angelou at Sensology
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.
What advice would you give to bartenders wanting to get into a brand ambassador role?
I think it is like any profession. Be authentic, realistic and above all passionate about the industry. Make sure that you give yourself an opportunity to create great lasting relationships and find some mentors to help you develop along the way.
Do bartenders play “stump the brand ambassador” with you much? What’s the toughest question you’ve had, and how did you deal with it?
There have been plenty over the years. I think the best way to deal with any tough question is to answer it honestly and authentically. If you don’t have a point of view on the matter or have a definitive answer you should make the point to do some research and follow up via email with your response.
I find that the tough questions allow me to explain the authentic, rich and diverse history of brands like Bacardi Rums in a passionate and heartfelt way and often find that it is the answers to the “tough” questions that allow the opportunity or departure point for people’s perceptions to truly change.
The Expert: Gee David
The Job: National Brand Ambassador/Training Manager, SouthTrade
Length of time in role: 3 years
How did you land the role? What did you do to get there?
I moved to Sydney in November 2009 to work with Grant Collins at Barsolutions as a Senior Consultant and was involved in developing the Asia side of his business when I learned of the opportunity with SouthTrade. After researching the brands and the position, I applied for the position of Training Manager and after a couple of interviews and a very dodgy presentation, was told I had the job.
What does a typical day in the life of a brand ambassador involve?
At SouthTrade the role is very diverse, not only due to the amount of amazing brands we have but also as I work closely with the marketing department and the national sales teams. Education is critical to the success of our brands and it’s my responsibility to ensure all our staff are trained on all aspects of our portfolio, as well as the spirit categories themselves.
I spend time researching and developing training tools that allows us to best represent our brands and educate both trade and consumer.
I’m involved with new brand developments and drinks creations which is another key part of promoting the brands we represent. Drink suggestions, perfect serves and cocktails are always evolving which keeps me on my toes.
I now have a team of expert trainers that are based in each state which allows us to reach more people, more frequently. The coordination of these sessions is an important part of the day.
Brand ambassadors train bartenders a lot. How do you keep people of different skill levels interested?
The most important part of any training session is to keep the information relevant. Being a bartender for many years, I have witnessed a lot of training sessions and I always try and think of how best to deliver the message of the brand and at the same time, keep the session ‘alive’.
Nobody likes to be talked at for any length of time and so interaction is key. I always try and engage people at all times, keeping interest levels as high as possible.
We all started somewhere so it’s never an issue dealing with varying levels of skills. There’ll always be something to learn from each session and sometimes from the most unlikely source. That’s what keeps me going!
What advice would you give to bartenders wanting to get into a brand ambassador role?
Even while representing brands in the UK, bartenders were always super keen to get a job as an ambassador and most think that it’s an easy step and a life of luxury. I’ve witnessed some of the best bartending talent fall short of the mark, simply because it’s a very different approach to the industry. I think the job description varies from company to company and the role can be quite different, but as a Brand Ambassador you need great communication skills and be able to sell as well as educate people on the product. A great piece of advice I was given was to complete a ‘presenters’ course. You can learn so much about how to conduct yourself and how to create presentations.
Above all is – be genuine, do your homework and never be afraid to keep learning.
Do bartenders play “stump the brand ambassador” with you much? What’s the toughest question you’ve had, and how did you deal with it?
There have been a few occasions where someone will have some obscure questions that have no relevance to further education. Sometimes you wonder where a bartender will use the info that they’ve requested? Perhaps the average punter needs to know the cooking temperatures of the corn used to make Buffalo Trace. Maybe it will persuade a customer to buy a different Whisky when they are fully conversant on the size of the sieve used to separate the grist to Mash for Bruichladdich Single Malt…. Somehow I don’t think so.
There was one occasion that stands out with a question that made me think, Why?
It was about the total size in litres that Buffalo Trace fermentation tanks hold. Strangely enough, just that week I had been researching the quantities that are produced daily and had converted the numbers from gallons into litres.
When I rolled off the answer and explained the quantity of each tank, broken down into fill levels in both gallons and then litres, the room fell silent. Even the SouthTrade State Manager’s chin hit the floor.
He questioned me afterwards saying, ‘did you make that up, ‘cos if you did it was pretty impressive…’. I replied, you can’t make that s*** up mate, they’ll see right through you’!
It’s all in good fun when you get tripped up but one rule I live by and always tell all the trainers that work with me, ‘If you don’t know the answer, don’t blag it!’ I’d rather admit not knowing than spinning some yarn that gets found out later to be bull—-.
Isn’t that what Google Search is for?
The Expert: Sarah Miller
The Job: Premium Spirit Brand Ambassador, The Exchange
How did you land the role? What did you do to get there?
I have been working as a bartender in Australia for many years and have spent a lot of time shaking hands and having conversations with industry folk. I suppose my undeniable love for whisk(e)y didn’t hurt the situation either.
What does a typical day in the life of a brand ambassador involve?
One of things I love the most about being a brand ambassador is that I don’t really have a typical day. I’m constantly on the go whether it’s to a training, an event, at a venue for a quick tasting or a bar for a proper drink. Some days are longer than others but in all honesty, you’re never really clock off as an ambassador. You wear the badge 24/7.
Brand ambassadors train bartenders a lot. How do you keep people of different skill levels interested?
It might sound unrealistic but you kind of need to know everything about everything. I spend a lot of time reading and writing about our brands but also about products so when I go into a session I have an arsenal of information. If I have the opportunity to chat to them beforehand or see them in action it’s going to give me a pretty good idea as to where they’re at. Really though, the key is to never go in assuming that they know nothing and definitely do not assume they know everything.
What advice would you give to bartenders wanting to get into a brand ambassador role?
Be a leader. Get out there and do something awesome that puts you on the map. If nobody knows your name it’s not going to come up in a conversation. Talk to other ambassadors, get your aspirations known and truly love your industry because it will love you back.
Do bartenders play “stump the brand ambassador” with you much? What’s the toughest question you’ve had, and how did you deal with it?
It happens. I don’t think any question is tougher than the other. If you don’t know the answer then you don’t know! The worst thing you could do is provide someone with incorrect information when your intention is just to save face. I’ll write the question down, do my research and email them if I can find the answer. The positive thing about getting stumped is that it gives you a chance to learn something new. The question may never come up again but believe me, you never forget the answer.