When you’re looking for ways to improve your branding and reputation with consumers, some of your most important assets are (literally) sitting right in front of you – your employee ambassadors. Whether it’s the founder of the organization, another member of the leadership team, an employee who leads a certain initiative or program, a frontline team member, etc., it’s important for every company to establish who their brand ambassadors are so you’re prepared when media calls, an internal campaign launches or a crisis hits. A brand ambassador is the proverbial “face” of your organization ‒ the portrayer of your company’s voice; a position of brand empowerment; and an authority on your organization’s mission. 

So, how do you ensure your spokespeople and ambassadors are supporting and enhancing your brand? You train them! At Obsidian, we offer training for those who will likely be tasked with leading the charge when it comes to communicating with the media; having difficult conversations with consumers; handling a crisis; etc. on behalf of their company. Below is a sampling of what your company can expect from OPR’s comprehensive training sessions. 

Ambassador training

An employee brand ambassador promotes a brand and its product or services to their network. Ambassadors may need to speak on behalf of the company during both positive and negative situations, so it’s important they’re prepared to do so. During our ambassador training, we can help employees first pinpoint their own personal brand, asking questions like “what allows you to do your best work?” and “what makes you proud to work at this company?” This can also help you develop a stronger employer brand, as you work out what employees really love about your company. From there, we make sure they’re aware of the brand voice, key messages, possible pitfalls, etc., so that all public communication is aligned and on brand.  

Media training

Communicating with the media is no different than communicating with internal audiences, consumers, funders, partner organizations, etc. Talking to news media is your only chance to manage your own story. If you don’t, it’s probable someone else will. Before the curtain goes up or the camera turns on, make sure your company or organizational spokesperson is prepared to do media interviews the right way – keeping your reputation sparkling and the messages honest and crystal clear.  

During an OPR training session, we go over why media training is important; message formulation; crucial interview tips and reminders; how to answer difficult interview questions; and how to handle media outreach – especially during a crisis.

Crisis preparation and management

There are two ways to deal with a crisis. The right way and the wrong way. Foundational crisis work can be done proactively, easing tensions and allowing for better, more timely responses when a crisis actually occurs. That’s where we come in! Before a crisis training session even begins, our team will develop a comprehensive crisis plan, outlining how to communicate with key audiences; what to do if the media approaches your team unexpectedly; what to say when approached during a crisis; and the roles and responsibilities of your organization’s crisis team. We can even go through a series of potential crisis situations, running through how to put the crisis plan into action during each situation. 

If you’re interested in setting up a training session with our team, please don’t hesitate to give us a call! Our trainings can touch on one or all of the above examples.