The Learning Brand Ambassador is in da house
Gramps used to say that “the world isn’t the same anymore” – these days this is even more true, especially in the way we buy and sell. In exploring the acquisition of a new car, TV or microwave, I’m not dependent on a product brochure or salesperson to inform me anymore. Instead, I navigate online, at my leisure, to product tests, reviews and recommendations, before eventually transacting, again mostly online.
This means that the rules of commercial engagement have shifted dramatically, especially in the field of education and education-related marketing. The traditional approach of A→B product marketing communication simply doesn't cut it anymore. We've entered the Data-rich era of the 4th Industrial Revolution, where anyone and everyone is active, in good and sometimes, unfortunately, not-so-good faith. The implication is that authentic interactions and trust-building are key to successful commercial engagement for learning & education.
This introduces the concept of Learning Brand Ambassadors
A Learning Brand Ambassador is a person in your customer-base that has a well-developed virtual communication platform with authentic, trustworthy and impactful connection that is relevant to an engaged target audience – talking their walk in a virtuous cycle. The Learning Brand Ambassador differs significantly from a social media Influencer, especially from the perspective of the intent of the Learning Brand Ambassador not related to personal monetary gain.
Why Learning Brand Ambassadors matter
- Selling Isn't Buying Anymore: Traditional marketing is a one-way A→B communication street that is fraught with participant bias and predisposition – reminiscent of the Wild Western snake-oil salesmen. Fortunately, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has democratized and transformed customer engagement into a collection of multi-channel B↔B'-communication synapses.
- Learning Is Buying: Learners are psychologically "buying" into the learning experience as an essential prerequisite to learning. My strong recollection of my alma mater as well as its teachers and professors implies that generally, a strong bond is formed between learners and their educators and learning institutions. The implication is a learning process psychology that organically creates authentic ambassadors.
- Branded Learning Sells: Brand-embedded learning fosters familiarity and association of the brand with a learning discipline - Learners trust brands they've bonded with. The result is authentic and trustworthy Learning Brand Ambassadors!
Generation Examples
Let's consider a look at some examples of Learning Brand Ambassador generation:
- The Centre for Business Mathematics and Informatics at North-West University equips Actuaries, QRM's, and Data Scientists with SAS embedded for computational learning deliverables. These graduates become "home-grown" Learning Brand Ambassadors for NWU and SAS.
- Through the SAS Analytics Leadership Program, the International Institute for Analytics trains executives to understand, apply and leverage analytics strategies using SAS as the underpinning technology. These executives, armed with their newfound knowledge, act as Learning Brand Ambassadors, guiding their organizations' strategic analytics thinking with an underpinning of SAS.
It's time to recognize that learning and authentic, trustworthy branding are inseparable in today's world. As we embrace this shift, let's harness the power of Learning Brand Ambassadors to shape the future of education and market engagement.
