Who is your brand ambassador? – Part Deux

The marketers at Procter & Gamble sure are having a good time.

In what seems to be a joke on the Old Spice Brand, they used Fabio as its brand ambassador.  On July 22, 2011, brandchannel’s site reported in its post, “P&G Trims Fabio’s Stint as the New Old Spice Guy,” that Isaiah Mustafa would return as the Old Spice Guy.

This was a brilliantly executed promotion campaign, as the Procter & Gamble brand team used Fabio to further develop loyalty from its current customer base.  Customers of Old Spice clamored for the return of Isaiah Mustafa: the one who best represents the Old Spice brand.

While this string of events is pretty funny, there are significant implications for your own career advancement.  It is very important to know how your customers (within your respective organizations and industries) perceive your own brand ambassadors.  If you have someone talking about your accomplishments who is not respected, then your message is not getting across.  The lesson here is to ensure both message and messenger are aligned.