Brand Ambassador or Brand Liability?
In recent years, the word influencer has become part of everyday language. Influencers are popping up across all industries like mushrooms after the rain and new ones appear daily. In marketing, it sometimes feels like if a brand doesn’t work with an influencer, it might as well not exist. But there’s a catch: many influencers promote multiple competing brands at the same time, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of these partnerships. As a result, audiences often fail to associate them with any one brand.
That’s where brand ambassadors come in. Not the kind who post once for a fee and move on to the next client, but those who genuinely believe in a brand and maintain a long-term connection with it. While influencers are great for reach, ambassadors bring trust—and no brand can survive today without trust. A well-structured brand ambassador program can be a valuable addition to your communication strategy—if you know how to set it up and what pitfalls to avoid.
In this article, we’ll break down what brand ambassadorship really involves and how it differs from influencer marketing. We’ll explore why this approach can be a great move for brands and also what can go wrong. Many companies tend to overlook their most important audience: loyal customers. It’s true that in brand awareness campaigns, they’re not the first priority. But they’re often the ones with the greatest potential to become true brand ambassadors.
What Does Brand Ambassadorship Involve?
A brand ambassador is typically someone who knows the brand well, has firsthand experience with it, and supports it even outside of paid campaigns. They use the brand’s products or services regularly, understand them in depth, and can speak about them with genuine authenticity. The role itself can take many forms — sometimes it’s a celebrity, other times a loyal customer. What matters most is that the partnership isn’t random but built on a relationship that benefits both sides.
Unlike influencers, ambassadors usually represent only one brand within a given category. Their goal isn’t broad reach, it’s depth. Ambassadors have a stronger bond with the brand and often participate in a wider range of activities—from product testing to providing internal feedback.
The key difference lies in the overall approach: influencers function as a marketing channel, while ambassadors are part of the community. An influencer speaks to the audience; an ambassador speaks from within it. And audiences are becoming increasingly skilled at telling the difference between what’s real and what’s staged.
Some examples? Internationally, think George Clooney and his long-term partnership with Nespresso, Serena Williams for Nike, or Zendaya for Lancôme. In the Czech Republic, examples include Lukáš Krpálek for Under Armour or Klára Vytisková, who has worked with several local design brands.
Audiences expect brands to be meaningful and authentic—and if they sense that an ambassador is just "playing a part," the effect is lost. That’s exactly why this model is becoming more sought-after—not because it offers greater reach than influencer marketing, but because its impact tends to be deeper and longer-lasting.
Photo by Collabstr on Unsplash
Why It (Can) Work
Let’s take a look at some of the key benefits a brand ambassador program can offer.
One of the biggest advantages is the previously mentioned authenticity. People are more likely to trust someone who genuinely knows and uses a brand long term. An ambassador with a strong personal story can feel far more authentic than any claim made in an ad campaign.
But it’s important not to overlook another key benefit: reach. Especially when an ambassador is part of a specific community or has their own follower base. Ambassadors often connect the brand with people who would be difficult to reach through traditional advertising—spreading brand awareness in an organic, hard-to-replicate way.
The third major benefit? Longevity. While a one-off influencer partnership can fade quickly, an ambassador stays with the brand longer—building it consistently across seasons and media.
As the platform MarketingWeek notes, ambassadors aren't a commodity—they’re a indicator. If a brand naturally attracts people who genuinely want to represent it, that’s a sign it’s doing something right. In that sense, ambassadors aren’t just “the face” of a campaign—they’re a real asset.
What If It Doesn’t Work Out?
It all sounds great in theory—a brand finds someone who truly loves it, and that person spreads the word. But reality is often more complicated. If a brand ambassador program is poorly executed, it can do more harm than good.
One of the most common and critical mistakes is choosing the wrong ambassador. And it’s not just about someone who doesn’t “fit the feed.” The real issue arises when the ambassador doesn’t align with the brand’s values or when their public image invites unnecessary controversy. Consistency and trust are key. If the ambassador is seen as just another hired face rather than a genuine fan, both authenticity and the impact of the partnership go out the window.
Another frequent problem is short-term campaigns without deeper connection. Brand ambassadors aren’t influencers for one-off Instagram stories. Worse yet is when those stories are followed by similar ones for other brands—especially if the ambassador is representing multiple brands at the same time. Some people “influence” across dozens of campaigns, but when the same face shows up in four different ads within a month, credibility and exclusivity suffer. Even more so on a small market like ours.
That’s why brands need full awareness of who else their ambassadors are working with. This ties into another common pitfall: a lack of control over communication. Yes, authenticity means letting ambassadors speak in their own voice. But if a brand doesn’t monitor how that voice reflects on them, things can easily go sideways. Without clear guidelines and expectations, messaging can become inconsistent or even damaging to the brand.
And finally, there’s one major issue that doesn’t get discussed enough: the absence of strategy. Launching an ambassador program without clear goals, measurable KPIs, or a solid plan is a recipe for failure. Ambassadors need to be meaningfully involved. It’s not enough to pick someone, send them a product, and hope for miracles.
Photo by Franck on Unsplash
When It Works—And When It Really Doesn’t
As with most things in marketing, the best way to illustrate a point is through real-world examples. Here are two stories with the same goal, but dramatically different outcomes.
Serena Williams x Nike
Serena Williams is an American tennis legend. She stands for strength, perseverance, and breaking boundaries—all values that Nike has consistently promoted and communicated over the years. Their partnership spans more than 20 years, and it’s not just about ad spots with catchy slogans. Together, they create powerful narratives that resonate—like the “Never Done Evolving” campaign, in which Nike used AI and machine learning to simulate a match between 17-year-old Serena from 1999 and 35-year-old Serena from 2017. The campaign highlights her evolution as an athlete and showcases how her game has developed over time.
Nike doesn’t partner with Serena just because she’s famous, but because together, they tell a story that makes sense for both sides. Authenticity, longevity, and a natural brand connection. This is what it’s supposed to look like.
Gal Gadot x Huawei
On the flip side, there’s the infamous case where a brand-ambassador partnership went spectacularly wrong. Actress Gal Gadot, serving as a brand ambassador for Huawei, promoted the new Mate 10 Pro on her Twitter account. The problem? Observant followers quickly noticed that the tweet had been posted from an iPhone.
The incident spread rapidly across social media, drawing ridicule and criticism. Gadot later stated that the post had been published by a member of her team, not by her personally. Still, the digital footprint remained and the situation highlighted the critical importance of maintaining control over ambassador communications.
Brand Ambassador or Brand Liability?
Working with a brand ambassador can be a powerful tool but only in the hands of a brand that knows what it’s doing. Otherwise, it’s just another fleeting social media collaboration that no one remembers a week later. A successful ambassador program requires strategy, long-term commitment, and most importantly, a carefully chosen face—someone who genuinely believes in the brand and can represent it with authenticity and credibility.
As mentioned earlier, ambassadors are a signal—evidence that your brand is doing something right. When you attract people who genuinely want to represent your brand, the audience is far more likely to respond positively. If your brand has a clear vision, it naturally draws in people who resonate with it. Not because they’re paid to, but because they see themselves in its philosophy. These are people who would use your product even without a campaign and that’s exactly why their support feels so real and resonates more deeply than typical influencer endorsements.
To make it work, you need to build relationships with ambassadors—give them space, but also set clear boundaries. Ideally, you want a long-term partnership, because only time will show whether the collaboration holds up beyond seasonal campaigns. An ambassador relationship can’t rest on a name alone. It has to be built on shared values, audience alignment, and real-life relevance. Otherwise, it might go viral—for all the wrong reasons.
Still convinced brand ambassadorship is right for your brand? Then we wish you the best of luck.
But if you're just looking for a “quick promo,” you might want to think twice. Without a solid strategy, long-term vision, and the right match, you risk damaging trust rather than building it. In that case, classic advertising—or a well-structured influencer campaign—might be a better fit.
Podcast: Is It Worth It for Every Brand?
Podcasts have become a popular audio format offering listeners a wide range of engaging topics. Brands have joined in too, using podcasts to connect with their target audience and build community. But is this format suitable for every brand? In this article, we’ll explore the advantages and challenges of podcasting in online marketing—and find out who stands to benefit and who might want to think twice.
Let’s start with a few numbers…
So what does the podcast landscape look like in the Czech Republic? Podcasts are becoming an increasingly popular medium. According to a 2023 study by Czech Radio, more than half of internet users aged 15 to 70 (54%) listen to podcasts regularly—one of the highest rates in Europe. These figures suggest that this format isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
When it comes to listener demographics, the largest share belongs to young people aged 15–24, with up to 72% of them regularly tuning into podcasts. Interest gradually declines with age, but even in the 45+ age group, over 40% still listen. Podcasts are also especially popular among men, university-educated individuals, and those living in larger cities with higher incomes.
Although podcasts have been around for some time, recent years have seen a rapid increase in new listeners. In 2023 alone, around 20% of all podcast users were new listeners. This growth is likely to continue, driven by the increasing accessibility of smartphones, mobile internet, and the availability of podcasts across platforms.
For brands, this represents a major opportunity. While younger generations still make up the core listener base, podcasts are becoming increasingly relevant to a broader audience. This opens the door not only for creative and thematic links between podcasts and purchase opportunities but also for building strong, long-term relationships with listeners. The key is offering valuable content that connects meaningfully with a brand’s products or services—otherwise, there’s a risk the podcast won’t be effective, especially for brands with a lower level of spontaneous purchase behavior.
Looking ahead, the growth of podcasting is expected to continue—making it a chance for brands to reach wider audiences, boost visibility, and strengthen customer loyalty. That’s why it’s essential for brands to focus on high-quality content that aligns with the needs and expectations of their target audience and use this format to build a strong and engaged community.
Photo by Jonathan Farber on Unsplash
How Can Podcasts Benefit Brands?
Thanks to their flexibility, personal connection, and long-term content value, podcasts can be a powerful tool for brands to build lasting relationships with their audience. So what are the main advantages podcasting offers?
Strong reach within the target group at a reasonable cost is a key factor for many brands. Podcasts have the ability to reach highly targeted and engaged audiences. This goes hand in hand with authentic connection—the tone of voice and storytelling format can create a strong emotional bond, something that visual content on social media or blog posts often can't replicate. Podcasts also allow brands to prioritize key themes and steer the direction of their brand narrative.
Another advantage is higher engagement. Podcasts tend to attract active listeners who deliberately choose what to listen to. This increases the chances of interaction and positive feedback. Contributing to this is the non-intrusive nature of the content—unlike traditional advertising, podcasts offer value-driven content rather than overt sales pitches, which helps build trust in the brand. Their accessibility and flexibility also mean listeners can tune in anytime, anywhere—during commutes, chores, or workouts.
Podcasts also provide a variety of monetization and advertising opportunities. Brands can promote products or services within episodes, often in a way that feels far more natural and integrated than in other digital media. With multiple formats available, every brand can find an approach that suits its message and tone.
Finally, it’s important to mention the long-term shelf life of podcast content. Each episode remains accessible after it’s published, which means it can continue attracting new listeners and delivering value long after its initial release.
What’s the Catch?
While podcasting offers many benefits, there are also challenges that brands should carefully consider before making it part of their online marketing strategy.
Production and time demands can be an issue, especially if the brand lacks internal resources or external partners to create high-quality content. Beyond recording and editing, podcasting also requires consistent publishing—which means planning, coordination, and time. This isn’t a one-time investment, and for brands with limited budgets or small teams, it can become a significant obstacle.
There’s also no immediate return on investment. Podcasting is a long-term strategy that takes time to build an audience and earn listener trust. This process can take several months. So if a brand’s marketing goals are short-term, launching a podcast likely isn’t the right move.
Measuring effectiveness and ROI can also be more difficult. Unlike PPC or other digital channels where conversions and direct outcomes are easily tracked, podcasts offer limited insight. While listens and engagement can be measured, the link between listening and actual purchase isn’t always clear or consistent.
With podcasts gaining in popularity, competition is intensifying. As more brands launch their own shows, it’s harder to capture and retain audience attention. If the content isn’t high-quality, unique, or relevant, it risks being lost in a sea of similar offerings. Standing out requires not only great content but also targeted promotion and a smart distribution strategy.
Lastly, if a brand doesn’t have a clearly defined way to link podcast content to specific buying situations, its show may have little impact on conversions. This is especially relevant for brands selling impulse-driven products, like those in the FMCG sector, where purchase decisions are often quick and emotional—not driven by in-depth content consumption.
…So Is Starting a Podcast a Good Idea?
If you’re a small brand, launching your own podcast might not be the best move—at least not yet. Especially in local markets like the Czech Republic, where established shows dominate with real-life stories, educational content, or news, breaking into the top ranks is extremely difficult. Even for large brands, podcasts are not an automatic path to success. If they fail to produce high-quality content that meaningfully connects their products or services to topics people truly care about, their podcasts can easily fade into obscurity.
That said, you shouldn’t ignore podcasting altogether. Podcast advertising is worth considering. A study by ARN Neurolab titled "Intimacy Never Sounded So Good" showed that podcast ads are perceived as up to 30% more trustworthy than ads on social media.
Instead of building a podcast from scratch, a more effective strategy may be to partner with already established and popular shows as a platform for promoting your products or services. For brands with limited budgets or short-term campaign goals, podcast ads offer an attractive alternative to traditional digital ad formats.
Twitch as the Unexpected Player: Why Your Brand Should Pay Attention
The platform Twitch.tv—unlike the typical social media channels most of us use daily—has its own cultural nuances and is defined by the type of content it hosts. Twitch focuses primarily on live streaming, meaning real-time broadcasts delivered straight to viewers’ screens. So-called “streamers” create media content and distribute it online using streaming technology and software for audiences who actively seek out that kind of content.
Once upon a time, there was a guy named Justin...
Twitch.tv—originally known as Justin.tv—was created as a platform for sharing one’s personal daily life via live stream. The idea came from its founder, Justin Kan (yes, he really named the network after himself), who decided to literally strap a camera to his head and document his life in real time—24 hours a day, 7 days a week—for anyone to watch.
In 2007, the only active channel on the platform belonged to Justin himself—no one else could register. But before long, the digital curtain dropped, and countless user-created channels emerged, with people streaming and generating user-generated content (you can read more about UGC on our blog too ).
Today, Twitch.tv is the most successful live-streaming platform in the world, holding a 73% market share. In 2023 alone, viewers watched a total of 21.4 billion hours of live content, with 240 million unique monthly visitors. In the Czech Republic, the numbers are smaller but still notable—with around 45,000 unique viewers each month. Statistics show that 3 billion people globally play video games—that's about 40% of the world's population. With such a massive audience, it's no surprise that brands are eager to claim a share of attention for their campaigns on a platform primarily built for gamers.
How Twitch.tv Hits the Target Audience
What does marketing look like on Twitch? One obvious answer is unskippable ads—the kind we all love to hate. On Twitch, these often appear right in the middle of live streams, where the platform’s algorithm serves tailored ads that viewers must sit through in order to continue watching their chosen content.
What makes these ads clever is how precisely they can target specific audiences. For example, if you’re watching a cooking stream, it’s very likely you’ll see an ad for a new frying pan. Watching a gaming stream? A promo for the latest gaming PC probably isn’t far off. This contextual relevance increases the chance that the ad actually resonates with the viewer.
Beyond that, Twitch also features banner ads, affiliate programs, and influencer sponsorships—just like other social platforms. However, if you want to advertise on Twitch using traditional ad formats, you’ll need access to Amazon DPS (Demand-Side Platform). Unfortunately, this service isn’t available on the Czech market, meaning you can’t launch campaigns directly. Instead, brands must reach out to Twitch and arrange a private media deal.
Advertising Here Is One of a Kind
But what exactly makes Twitch.tv such a uniquely attractive platform for marketers? We’ve touched on it already—but let’s take a closer look.
Every streamer builds their own community of viewers, who tune in based on shared interests—whether it’s cooking, art, or the most dominant reason Twitch exists: gaming. Each streamer maintains direct contact with a niche audience that likely shares their passions. Unlike traditional television or pre-recorded YouTube videos, Twitch viewers can interact with streamers in real time—no need to wait for a reply in the comments. This level of interaction significantly boosts user engagement.
It’s like imagining Rey Koranteng and Lucie Borhyová reading and reacting to live viewer opinions while presenting the evening news on TV Nova. On Twitch, this kind of dynamic interaction is not only possible—it’s essential. And it’s exactly what sets Twitch apart from other social media platforms.
For marketers, the Twitch community presents a valuable opportunity to connect with Gen Z: 41% of users are between 16–25 years old, and another 32% fall into the 25–34 bracket—making up a combined 72%. This rare mix of live content, audience engagement, and demographic focus offers brands a distinct environment where they can truly stand out.
Source: Streams Charts
Take Off the Rose-Colored Glasses
High engagement, a reachable target audience, and strong appeal to younger generations can make brands feel like Twitch.tv is the perfect place to invest their marketing efforts and make a breakthrough. But even here, there are barriers worth considering before integrating this unconventional platform into your strategy.
Brands often have to work directly with streamers to create sponsored content, due to the platform’s targeting limitations—which rely more on the personality of the streamer than on the specific content being viewed. This approach can be more expensive, time-consuming, and produce highly variable results depending on the streamer’s influence and authenticity.
Twitch users are also generally more resistant to traditional advertising formats. Since the platform is built on long-form, live content, ads can feel disruptive. Many viewers subscribe to Twitch Prime or individual streamers specifically to avoid ads altogether. And because viewers are engaged in real-time content, they’re less likely to click away to explore promoted products or services. As a result, while impressions may be high, click-through and conversion rates can remain low.
Finally, it’s crucial to remember that the majority of advertising on Twitch doesn’t come from traditional placements—but from influencer partnerships. This dynamic requires a different mindset, creative strategy, and long-term brand collaboration to be effective.
A Creative Approach to Campaigns
If a brand decides to launch a campaign involving influencer partnerships, the approach is typically more creative than traditional collaborations. It considers the communities the brand wants to engage with—and how to best connect across different streamers. These partnerships are especially common among gaming companies, tech brands, supplement providers, and energy drink labels.
Brands can leverage branded extensions, product placements, event sponsorships, or even organize their own tournaments and community challenges. On-screen banners and custom overlays with distinctive brand elements can be seamlessly integrated into the content being streamed.
Unlike paid ads, these collaborations offer continuous brand exposure throughout the stream—not just a fleeting 10-second spot—making them more immersive and impactful for engaged viewers.
Red Bull’s product placement in the form of a mini-fridge and drinks, prominently displayed in the commentator studio of a prestigious Valorant esports tournament.
DHL banners appearing at the bottom of the stream during the global ESL Pro League tournament in CS2. You can also spot 1xBET as the official betting partner.
A gaming show and World of Warcraft quiz hosted by SecretLab during the Race to World First event, where player guilds compete against each other. Other partners included Alienware and Monster Energy. Banners from Coinbase were visible, along with product placement—chairs, laptops, and energy drink cans featured in the background.
Louis Vuitton, Red Bull, Spotify, Coca-Cola... and Komerční banka?
One place we can look for inspiration is past events that have involved brands—both global and local. Before we dive into the Czech scene, let’s take a look at some of the major campaigns that made waves on Twitch.tv.
Twitch.tv hosts a wide variety of tournaments each year. One of the biggest is the League of Legends World Championship, organized by Riot Games. Among its most notable sponsors are luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Mercedes-Benz, and even Tiffany & Co.—a clear sign that high-end labels are ready to invest in gaming culture when the audience and cultural fit are right.
The League of Legends World Championship tournament recorded 205 million viewers worldwide and 6 billion hours watched in a single year.
Amazon Prime Gaming was the most-mentioned sponsor of the tournament, appearing over 35,000 times in chat. Viewers could earn limited in-game items and merchandise each day of the event simply by typing “!prime” to enter a giveaway. Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. created buzz around the League of Legends finals by designing the championship trophies for the winners.
At the top of the individual streamer rankings stands Spanish creator Ibai Llanos Garatea, who has hosted the amateur boxing event La Velada del Año annually since 2021 on his Twitch channel. The third edition launched with major sponsorship from Red Bull, Spotify, and Coca-Cola. By Twitch standards, the event was a massive success—watched by 3.7 million Spanish-speaking viewers simultaneously, alongside a live audience in a 70,000-seat arena. While these numbers may seem modest compared to global broadcast events, they highlight the growing strength of the community and reveal promising potential for the platform’s future.
For brands, Ibai is an ideal Twitch partner thanks to his exceptional ability to involve his entire community and produce viral, high-quality studio-level streams—a true money-maker. You can check out his well-edited behind-the-scenes documentary in your free time here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUPUp2QSDDg
You may have also heard the term “cinkačka” here in the Czech Republic as part of a campaign by Komerční banka and Mastercard, titled Cinkačka IRL. In collaboration with six Czech streamers, the brands organized a tournament combining online and offline games, where streamers competed to win prizes worth CZK 300,000 for their viewers.
The only condition for viewers to be eligible to win was to download the KB+ app and open an account with a debit card.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwBnlVaStOo&t=5s
Conclusion
Marketing on Twitch.tv offers brands a unique opportunity to reach a specific and loyal community—but it also requires an understanding of the platform’s distinctive dynamics. For brands, it’s essential to approach Twitch as a space for creating meaningful viewer experiences with added value, where collaborations with the right influencers can lead to higher engagement and better results.
If you’re considering investing in this platform, it’s important to take its specifics into account—and remember that success here depends on your ability to engage with audiences in real-time…
Or leave it to us—and we’ll help you make it happen.
JINGLE: The Secret Weapon Everyone Forgets
There are many tools available to compete in the digital marketing arena. Every brand should define itself through a set of distinctive elements that shape its identity—such as its logo, fonts, colors, and more. One of these elements, though often overlooked, is the jingle.
A jingle, or advertising tune, is a short, catchy melody commonly used in radio, television, or online. An ideal jingle is memorable, rhythmic, and sonorous—so that the brand or product instantly comes to mind whenever the tune is heard by a potential customer.
So what are the characteristics of a jingle that guarantees success?
An unforgettable and catchy melody is always a safe bet. If it carries an upbeat and energetic tone, the audience is likely to respond positively. Instrumentation—or the choice of musical instruments—can further emphasize the uniqueness of the jingle. Complex musical arrangements aren’t always necessary; sometimes just a few distinct notes, paired with well-chosen sound effects, are enough to make it stand out.
If a jingle is paired with a simple and memorable line or slogan that reinforces the brand’s core message or positioning, the effect can be powerful. A perfect example is McDonald’s iconic jingle with the line: I’m lovin’ it. Incorporating the brand name, logo, or other distinctive elements into the lyrics can be just as effective. A clear and compelling call to action (CTA) can also work well, directly encouraging the audience to take specific steps—such as making a purchase or visiting a website.
The overall tone of the jingle should match the brand's image and resonate with the target audience. The mood can be upbeat, fun, emotional, or humorous. Opting for a sad or melancholic jingle is generally a poor choice—while it might be original, associating the brand with negative emotions is rarely advisable. Jingles have been a staple of advertising across media for decades, which gives them a strong nostalgic appeal today. Many consumers fondly recall jingles from their childhood. Hitting the “right note” can create a powerful emotional connection between the listener and the brand. Nostalgia can be used to craft jingles that evoke familiarity and comfort—leading to more positive brand associations.
As for jingle length, there’s no fixed rule or formula for success. The key is brevity and memorability. Some musical ideas need just a few seconds to evoke the desired emotion; others may take up to a minute. The ideal length typically depends on the planned use of the jingle. Imagine if the Netflix intro lasted 16 seconds and played before every episode on the platform—it would likely become irritating after 20 episodes.
That’s why a jingle must adapt to the specific marketing channel. If it’s intended for broader use, it should be flexible. Netflix, for instance, commissioned a special version of its intro for feature films in theaters. The result is a 16-second orchestral version composed by Hans Zimmer—dramatic and cinematic, designed specifically for the big screen.
The Jingle as a Winner
So what gives jingles an edge over other brand elements? You’ve probably experienced this many times—a song gets stuck in your head, and it pops up again during random moments. That’s exactly the purpose of a jingle. Because they’re short and distinctive, they’re much easier to recall in connection with a brand.
One of the main goals of advertising is to leave a lasting impression on the consumer. Jingles are incredibly effective in achieving this due to their innate memorability. They rely on repetition, rhyme, and melody to create a catchy tune that’s hard to forget. A well-crafted jingle can linger in the listener’s mind long after the ad has ended.
Another strength lies in their uniqueness. Unlike most brand elements—which are primarily visual—jingles use sound to set the brand apart, even in an oversaturated market. Of course, there are limits: you can’t exactly play a three-second jingle on a city billboard 24/7. But otherwise, jingles are highly versatile and can be widely used across various digital channels.
And perhaps the best part? Unlike a logo—which has fixed rules like moodboards, fonts, and color guidelines—a jingle can evolve and adapt to different marketing campaigns. This provides flexibility and cost-effectiveness in brand communication. A great example is Hyundai’s jingle: the melody stays consistent, but its execution changes from campaign to campaign. Each version feels fresh, yet the core remains recognizable.
Conclusion
Jingles remain a powerful marketing tool thanks to their ability to create emotional connections, enhance memorability, strengthen brand identity, adapt across platforms, and evoke nostalgia. Still, it’s important to weigh both the advantages and potential limitations of jingles when planning advertising campaigns. A well-crafted and strategically used jingle can have a significant impact on brand awareness and long-term success.
The Power of Community: How UGC Influences Marketing Communication
UGC, or User-Generated Content, is becoming increasingly important, placing customers in the spotlight as they connect their personal stories with a brand. Whether it's by sharing a photo of a new product or posting a review, they create content that goes far beyond being a modern trend. According to AdWeek studies, 85% of users trust brands and products more because of UGC.¹ However, behind the façade of authenticity, there is often a filtered reality—and sometimes even misinformation.
UGC is growing rapidly—but why?
We’re sharing more and more of our lives online—and brands are well aware of it. Thanks to accessible technology, it’s easier than ever before, as proven by the 4.2 billion active social media users worldwide.¹ That’s why this form of advertising appears across all major platforms—Instagram, TikTok, Meta, X, and many others. User-generated content is also featured on the brands’ own profiles, where companies repost it to encourage their customers’ creativity—in effect, gaining free advertising. UGC is perceived positively for its authenticity and credibility, especially when compared to traditional advertising. According to a Gartner report, up to 84% of Millennials are influenced by UGC during their purchase decisions. These campaigns prompt engagement, and users naturally help spread the content further, bringing companies (at best) significant benefits. But, as with anything that seems too good to be true, it’s important to stay cautious and keep your eyes open.
The Dark Side of UGC
Even UGC isn’t immune to doubt. Despite its clear advantages, it’s important to acknowledge the darker side of this modern form of advertising. A key factor is the content creators themselves—their output can often be inconsistent or lack professionalism. Poor-quality content may misrepresent the brand and create the wrong impression, ultimately devaluing the brand in the eyes of consumers.
Brands face the risk that users will promote their products in subpar quality, with inappropriate messaging, or even with spelling and grammar mistakes. The greatest threat, however, comes from misleading or false information. With limited moderation capabilities, misinformation can harm a brand’s reputation—and according to research from MIT, false information is 70% more likely to be reshared than the truth. Fake reviews—whether overly positive or negative—undermine the credibility and authenticity that make UGC appealing in the first place. For many users, trust is more important than popularity. We can debate who should be held accountable for harmful content, but speculation alone won’t protect a brand’s reputation. Brands must maintain a healthy distance from disinformation and, through their own authenticity, champion the truth.
Successful UGC Campaigns
To better understand UGC in practice, we've prepared examples of both successful and failed campaigns that chose to harness the power of the crowd. So, what’s the formula for successfully sparked UGC? For years, we’ve seen a recurring set of campaigns that continue to receive positive feedback from across the globe.
One of the best examples of a successful UGC campaign is the GoPro Awards. This prestigious program rewards the best footage captured with GoPro cameras and encourages users to share their most exciting experiences by submitting photos and videos across various categories, with a chance to win cash prizes and other rewards. Each year, GoPro distributes up to 5 million dollars through this initiative. Through the campaign, GoPro not only promotes its brand and products but also fosters a strong community where users inspire one another and share their experiences. The high-quality user content is used in GoPro’s marketing materials and social media, significantly boosting the brand’s visibility and credibility. The most iconic contribution to this campaign is a video by Richard Leonard, shared on GoPro’s official channel, which quickly went viral worldwide.
Another standout example of UGC’s power is the BeReal app, which is built on users’ desire to share and view content that is authentic and rooted in everyday life, rather than perfectly curated studio photos. Once a day, at a random moment, the app prompts users to capture and share their current reality within two minutes—no filters, no post-production, just real life. In 2023, BeReal launched a unique campaign by projecting the best and funniest user photos from around the world onto massive billboards in New York’s Times Square. The campaign gave users the chance to be part of something bigger and celebrated the creativity and diversity of its global community. It successfully captured attention and strengthened both the BeReal brand and the sense of belonging among its users.
Unsuccessful UGC Campaigns
Now that we’ve mastered how to identify a successful UGC campaign, it’s time to learn from the mistakes of others by looking at companies that didn’t enjoy the same success—and instead sparked controversies that proved difficult to recover from.
One example of an unsuccessful UGC campaign is McDonald’s #McDStories. In 2012, the company launched an ambitious Twitter campaign aimed at encouraging customers to share positive stories and experiences related to McDonald’s. However, Twitter—already a risky platform due to its lack of content filtering—quickly turned the campaign upside down. What was meant to be a feel-good initiative spiraled into a PR disaster, as users flooded the hashtag with negative, sarcastic, and critical posts. Instead of sharing positive stories under the #McDStories hashtag, users began posting negative reviews. They complained about food quality and highlighted the brand’s darker sides. While the campaign did go viral, it completely backfired—rather than strengthening the brand, McDonald’s became the butt of online jokes. Their iconic clown mascot unintentionally became the perfect symbol of how the brand was perceived on Twitter—only this time, the clown turned into an entire circus. Despite efforts to quickly pull the campaign, the damage had already been done—and it was irreversible.
#McDStories is a textbook example of how a UGC campaign can spiral out of control if not carefully planned. McDonald’s expected users to act as brand ambassadors and share only positive experiences—but these unrealistic expectations led to a public relations disaster.
Another failed campaign was Starbucks’ Christmas-themed #SpreadTheCheer in the UK, aimed at encouraging festive spirit and positive vibes. Much like McDonald’s, this forced positivity quickly backfired. Users hijacked the hashtag to express frustration toward the company, accusing it of exploiting holiday sentiment for profit while allegedly failing to uphold basic labor standards and avoiding taxes. What made matters worse for the #SpreadTheCheer campaign was that tweets using the hashtag were publicly displayed at London’s Natural History Museum. The negative feedback didn’t remain confined to social media—it was amplified both in the virtual world and in the real one.
How Are Leads Generated?
So how do you go about it? To build a community and increase brand awareness, a company needs to generate effective leads that reach potential new customers while boosting engagement within its existing audience. When executed successfully, brands can benefit in many ways—such as increased visibility, trust-building, stronger engagement, and higher conversions.
According to research, 93%¹ of brands have gained new customers through UGC, and reported a 28%² increase in engagement compared to traditional branded content—which is viewed up to 10 times less than UGC.³
There are many effective ways to encourage user-generated content, but each comes with its own cultural specifics and factors that need to be carefully considered.
- Hashtags – By creating unique hashtags, brands make it easier for users to share relevant content. Hashtags also allow companies to track the impact of new products on the market. Customers can be encouraged to keep posting under the hashtag with the promise that their content might be featured on the brand’s official account. Hashtags can also be used to organize contests, offering prizes for the best submission. Running a contest motivates users to generate UGC and provides brands with quality content for future marketing campaigns. Influencers can also be involved, using the hashtag and encouraging their audiences to participate. However, don’t forget to include a clear and compelling call to action—users need to know the hashtag exists and have a reason to use it in their posts.
- Giveaways – People love free stuff—and they’re eager to participate in contests that offer something in return. Brands can organize giveaways offering products, experiences, cash, or other incentives. It’s up to you how the giveaway is structured. You can ask followers to share a post, tag friends, use a hashtag in their own content, follow the brand’s account, create content—or combine these actions.
- Content Creation & Voting – Take inspiration from campaigns like GoPro Awards and invite your users to upload their best photos, videos, or experiences with your brand or product—and reward the most compelling ones. You can select the winners yourself or let the community vote for their favorite submission. This way, you step outside your own bubble and gain broader insight—something that’s often needed to avoid ending up like the unsuccessful McDonald’s and Starbucks campaigns.
- Reposting User Content – By actively reposting content created by customers, brands encourage others to participate and create their own. This not only strengthens community ties but also increases brand visibility. Tagging users builds relationships—and customers are genuinely happy when their photo is shared with a wider audience. :)
- Ratings & Reviews – Let your customers rate your product and share their reviews publicly. You’ll gain valuable feedback that you can act on—and reviews themselves are a form of UGC that can be reused in marketing campaigns. Both Gen Z and Millennials find UGC up to 50% more trustworthy than traditional ads.
- Trends – UGC content is especially prevalent on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, where Gen Z dominates. For targeting Millennials, a mix of TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Meta, and Twitter is more effective, according to research by The Manifest. Later Social highlights trending UGC formats such as unboxing videos, reviews, tutorials, and showcasing authentic experiences.
Choosing the Right Metrics
So which metrics should you focus on to determine whether your UGC campaign was truly successful? Common key performance indicators (KPIs) for engagement include likes, shares, comments, click-throughs, and social media growth. If you're aiming to measure conversions, look at the actions directly generated by UGC posts—such as influencer discount codes or affiliate links. Additionally, track the lifetime value of customers who were exposed to user-generated content, as this can reveal the long-term impact of your UGC strategy.
Distinctive Brand Assets: The Shortcut to Building a Strong Brand on Social Media
In the oversaturated environment of social media, brands compete for attention and a place in consumers’ minds. The winner is the one who secures more neural connections and builds higher mental availability. That’s why it’s not so much about being different, but about standing out and being distinctive. Distinctiveness over differentiation. And in this regard, distinctive brand assets play a key role. Let’s take a look at how to work with them in your social media communication.
A shortcut into the customer’s mind
Distinctive brand assets help a brand make its way into the customer’s mind. Their primary function is to evoke the brand name, enable instant recognition, and enhance memorability. Every time you use these assets in your communication, it becomes easier for the customer to associate the message with your brand. And that is essential for building mental availability.
Core distinctive brand assets include the brand name, logo, font, color palette, tagline, brand face, jingle, music track, and symbolic shapes. For a brand aiming to go beyond social media, it’s important to have a broad set of distinctive brand assets ready to use across different media channels – for instance, a character or logo won’t help in a radio ad; you need a jingle.
Source: Building Distinctive Brand Assets (Jenni Romaniuk)
How to build strong distinctive brand assets
Let’s say you already have a set of brand elements. How do you turn them into truly strong representatives of your brand—ones that can stand on their own and support mental availability (and ultimately, sales)? You need to showcase your assets alongside your brand name, to as many category buyers as possible, consistently and with strong visibility. Let’s break it down:
- Broad reach among category buyers – Just like brands themselves, distinctive brand assets are built by showing them regularly to as many customers in your category as possible. Use brand-building platforms with broad reach to achieve this.
- Prominent execution – This is about how your brand assets are placed and presented within specific social media formats. Make sure your elements are prominent, clearly visible, and positioned near the brand name in all communications.
- Consistency – This is key to embedding assets in customers’ memory. Use your distinctive brand assets consistently across all formats and every touchpoint to strengthen mental connections. Avoid trying to be original every time.
Core distinctive brand assets of McDonald’s
Using established distinctive brand assets of McDonald’s on social media. Even a product can function as a distinctive brand asset—if it is well-known enough.
Two characteristics of strong distinctive brand assets
After a few months of consistently building your distinctive brand assets, it’s time for the first measurement. You need objective data on the current strength and potential of your assets to know whether you're on the right track. We recommend using Jenni Romaniuk’s practical framework (from the publication Building Distinctive Brand Assets), which works with two key variables: fame and uniqueness.
Fame refers to how well a specific distinctive brand asset is known. It indicates what percentage of people who buy in your category associate a given brand asset with your brand. For example, a fame score of 45% means that 45% of category buyers link that particular asset to your brand. However, they might also associate it with a competitor at the same time. You can build fame for your distinctive brand assets through the practices mentioned above—linking the asset to your brand name, ensuring broad reach among your target audience, and executing with high visual prominence.
Uniqueness, on the other hand, refers to whether a specific asset is perceived as unique to your brand and not confused with any similar asset from competing brands. A high uniqueness score means your brand is one of the few that comes to mind when consumers encounter that particular brand asset. For instance, a uniqueness score of 60% indicates that 60% of all mental associations with that asset belong to your brand, while 40% are linked to a competitor. Unfortunately, uniqueness tends to lie outside a brand’s direct control, as it largely depends on what competing brands are doing with their own distinctive brand assets.
Distinctive assets grid
By combining different scores of Fame and Uniqueness, you get a four-quadrant matrix known as the Distinctive Asset Grid. This framework maps how your current distinctive brand assets are performing and predicts their potential. It helps guide strategic decisions about whether it’s worth continuing to invest in your existing assets or whether it would be more effective for the brand to develop new ones.
Source: Ehrenberg-Bass Institute
Ideally, you want to be in the top right quadrant of the grid—Use or Lose—where both Fame and Uniqueness are above 50%. If you're approaching 100% on both variables, you've built strong distinctive brand assets that can often serve as a substitute for the brand name in large parts of your communication. But don’t forget: you also need to continuously build these assets for new buyers entering your category. If your assets sit just above the 50% mark, it's important to keep focusing on growing Fame—by consistently using the assets alongside your brand name.
Another interesting quadrant that signals strong potential for your distinctive brand assets is the bottom right—Invest Potential—where Uniqueness is above 50%, but Fame is still below 50%. This means consumers largely associate your brand assets exclusively with your brand and don’t confuse them with competitors—good job! Now the focus should shift to increasing Fame by reaching as many category buyers as possible. In practice, this means placing your distinctive brand assets near the brand name in all your communications. In video formats, ideally show them right at the beginning and repeatedly throughout. Sure, it might sometimes feel a bit forced—but memory structures are only built through consistent repetition of the same elements, over and over again.
On the other hand, the bottom left quadrant—Avoid Solo Use—should raise concern. Here, Fame is above 50%, but Uniqueness is below 50%. While your brand assets may be widely recognized, their impact is diluted because competitors benefit from similar associations. These are typically generic assets tied to the category itself—like soft blue shapes for yogurts, red for ketchup, or bird silhouettes for airlines. If your brand holds a smaller market share than competitors using similar distinctive brand assets, it’s usually better to stop relying on those assets and start developing new, more unique ones.
If you're a new brand and you fall into the bottom left quadrant—Ignore or Test—there’s no need to panic. Low Fame and Uniqueness scores may simply reflect that not enough people know you yet—let alone recognise your distinctive brand assets. However, if you've been on the market for some time, use your assets consistently in communication, and are reaching a large share of category buyers, then you've likely chosen the wrong assets. Not every asset has the potential to be memorable—they may be too subtle or overly sophisticated. This is where a creative (or neuroscience-savvy) expert comes in to help design new, memorable distinctive brand assets.
We’ve defined distinctive brand assets for Wobenzym, Strike TV, and Yolab. Shall we create yours too?
Social media hygiene
A large number of companies are trying to use social networks to promote brand building. In the long run, however, they are still making the same textbook mistakes that cost them both time and money. With regard to the current situation and the impending recession, comes the ideal time for the hygiene of the social networks, and the search for unnecessary costs and inefficient practices.
Social media
Recently, we have reviewed several audits of the social networks, that were primarily about the evaluation of the work with content on Facebook and Instagram – from creative through optimization to efficiency, which is in the current period more than required. In addition to the classic mistakes, which, even today, appear over and over, we came across one more interesting fact, which we hadn't encountered before, at least not on this scale. Indeed, there was a large imbalance between the amount of content produced and its delivery to the target group. An error that was beautifully rendered in the long-term data analysis.
The pages posted hundreds of posts a year. Most of the contributions were optimized for interaction, being promoted with a very low amount. Part of the contributions did not promote at all for sure, and it relied only on an organic reach. The result of this effort was that each post got on average only to the lower units of thousands of users. For better context, I note that the target group always covered a large portion of the Czech population, and the brands strived for the social networks primarily to promote brand awareness.
What is the point of trying to build a brand on social media if the brand speaks to barely 1% of the target audience? And how does it then affect the budget and time spent by an internal specialist or an external agency? There is an unnecessary waste of a marketing budget that could either be used more efficiently on a given platform or invested into another communication channel.
Since most companies use social networks primarily to build brand awareness, I've put together some simple tips to think about when trying to build a brand on social networks.
Advertising is not for free
It is estimated that there are more than 60 million business profiles on Facebook, which already creates a very competitive environment. Thus, on the platform, the amount of contributions is constantly growing, while the degree of interest (interaction) with them decreases sharply. In 2018, Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook would continue to limit organic reach on corporate pages. Brands are increasingly being pushed towards using of paid content, and for many of them "reasonable" organic reach becomes unattainable. Often relatively large resources are spent on preparing eye-catching creatives that are seeded on the social networks without promoting or with only minimal support, and reach is only to several thousands of users.
You don't build the brand with the page fans
According to the study of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute (one of the largest drivers of the world of marketing last years), ion which he participated even Byron Sharp, the fans of brand pages are by a large part their most loyal customers. By doing so, the study pointed to the inefficiency of targeting the page's own fans in order to build a brand. In this case, it will always be more interesting to expand the reach, spreading out to new audiences.
Save Microtargeting for activation campaigns
Accurate targeting options are one of the key advantages in online advertising, but like everywhere else, everything must be in balance. Exaggerated microtargeting and personalized creatives for microsegments can also have negative consequences from the point of view of brand building. For brands, that gradually build their brand, there should be something like a common awareness – all potential customers should understand the single idea of the brand, what it means, what it costs.
But microtargeting is the opposite. If serve an individually personalized content to everyone and so build different associations with micro-audiences, the brand as a whole actually starts to fall apart. On the other hand, microtargeting definitely has its place in the activation and performance campaigns, where it may in short term increase performance in the form of sales. You can read more about why personalization harms brand building here.
No one gives likes to TV advertisement or billboard, and yet works
The last point I would like to mention is that many brands still use level of enthusiasm as one of the main KPIs in social networks. Meanwhile, Facebook itself discourages from using its Engagement optimization purpose, and demonstrates it with the results of research by Nielsen conducted on 478 global online campaigns.
The research did not prove a significant correlation between engagement and brand metrics. In addition, optimization of the ads for this purpose makes the reach of target group considerably more expensive, because the advertising system must, in a more complicated way, choose among a smaller number of users, so-called clickers, which are still targeted by a large number of incorrigible advertisers.
Long story short:
Do not rely on organic reach and promote posts sufficiently. The costly creatives to be seen by a hundredth of a target group are inefficient. To do this, balance out the amount of posts so that you can allocate enough media support for them.
Fans are most likely your loyal customers. With them, you no longer need to invest in brand building.
Build a unified association within a segment or category. Keep the Microtargeting for activation.
Set the right KPIs. Likes, shares, comments look nice, but they do not help the brand growth. In addition, optimization for engagement makes your target group's reach more expensive.
But nothing is simply black and white, and definitely there will find a brand or page which, by the nature of their business, generate such an entertaining or useful content that they can get organically to a large number of people or pages that were established just for the purpose of communication with your customers and fans are so very precious, as well as microsegment for the brand with a narrow target group. However, for most brands, that generate an average ad with an average budget for a relatively large audience, these tips are valid, and it is certainly not off-topic from time to time to reflect, and to confront yourself with the state of the page, for which you have responsibility.