360DigitalInfluence

Yesterday’s WSJ contained a front page story detailing the Olive Garden’s unusual challenge of figuring out how to handle the repeated,  vocal  endorsements of Kendra Wilkinson.   As a playmate, Hef girlfriend, star of E!’s Girls Next Door, and “friend” of 730k+ on MySpace, Ms. Wilkinson has a considerable platform for her declarations of Olive Garden love regardless of the feelings the  family-friendly brand may have about her.

The core question posed in this situation is what do you do if you find yourself with a brand ambassador that in no way matches the brand “persona”  imagined in the board room?   What if  they do  not reflect the brand’s core values?   What if they aren’t even using the product in the way you imagined or marketed  it?   As the article repeats, this is a complicated issue, but I think there are a few steps to walk through when any unexpected brand ambassador shows himself - whether or not they  match your  ideal  target.

Stage 1: Acceptance.   Per the solid advice of WOMMA board member Dave Balter, the first thing to do is accept that this is going on and it can’t be stopped.   The quicker you can pass through this stage, the quicker you can get to the good stuff.

Stage 2: Opprtunity Identification.   Maybe this isn’t your dream spokesperson, but is there an opportunity here?   While there are sure to be pros and cons, why not explore?   Does the appearance of a new  ambassador mean that there  are additional untapped market segments for the brand?   Could you engage these new segments without compromising your values or offending your core audience?  

Stage 3: Reimagine Success. Chances are that there is an engagement option  somewhere between ignoring and embracing the rogue ambassador where the pros outweigh  the cons  for the brand.    Success may  not be what you envisioned at the company retreat, but the rogue brand ambassador could show you the promise of a different reality  that might have higher revenues and more word of mouth surrounding it.

How would the  pros and cons weigh out for inviting Kendra to design her own chicken parm-based entree?   Offering to shut down the place to host her birthday?   Or simply inviting  her on a tour of the test kitchens to  be taped for the show?    Maybe some old fashioned “hospitaliano” could go a long way.