CAN EMPLOYEES TRANSFORM THEIR INSTITUTION’S IMAGE?

In the early 2000s, Apple faced significant challenges: financial struggles, an outdated product line, fierce competition, and the perception of being old-fashioned. Leadership changes under Steve Jobs had begun to turn the tide, but Apple still needed an image overhaul.

Enter Craig Federighi, a software engineer with a knack for dynamic presentations. Federighi's engaging style and humor quickly made him a standout. His ability to blend technical insights with personality not only entertained but also showcased Apple’s innovation in a relatable way. Federighi became a key brand ambassador, drawing attention to Apple’s products and reinforcing its image as both cutting-edge and user-friendly. While a brand's success hinges on the quality of its products and services, the role of brand ambassadors like Federighi cannot be underestimated.

What can NGOs learn from this?

In a crowded marketplace and an increasingly complex fundraising environment, a strong NGO brand is crucial for standing out and securing funding. Employees play a vital role in brand strengthening. At Living Goods , among other strategic actions, we have been striving to achieve this through the Living Goods Brand Ambassador Program—one of the pillars of our communication strategy. Over the past eight weeks, we conducted intensive training in storytelling, public speaking, social media, crisis communication, elevator pitches, confidence building, media interviews, and thought leadership, among others.

Here’s what we have learned so far:

1. Secure personal commitments from selected brand ambassadors: Before the formal training began, we gauged the commitment and interest of nominated candidates. We obtained their written commitment and held introductory meetings at the start of the year. The role of a brand ambassador demands time, dedication, and alignment with the organization's mission. Ensuring their commitment helps mitigate risks such as unexpected departures or disengagement.
2. Involve the C-Suite in selecting brand ambassadors: While every employee is, to some extent, a brand ambassador for the organization, it's crucial to have a dedicated team with clear roles and responsibilities to avoid role confusion and ensure accountability. It’s also crucial that this team has the full backing of the C-Suite. Support from the highest levels of leadership gives ambassadors credibility and authority, reinforcing their role internally and externally.
3. Provide opportunities for brand ambassadors to practice their skills: Mastery comes through practice. To ensure the skills learned are retained and effectively utilized, ambassadors need real-world opportunities to apply them. Encourage participation in conferences, speaking on panels, or engaging in media interviews. These opportunities allow ambassadors to refine their skills and gain confidence.
4. Prepare to demonstrate the ROI of the brand ambassador program: Towards the end of the program, one of the candidates, Priscillah Balirwa , successfully published an op-ed related to Living Goods’ work in a leading Ugandan newspaper. While it was too early to celebrate, this was an encouraging sign that the program was already having some impact. To justify continued investment, it’s crucial to show tangible benefits and outcomes. Metrics like media appearances or placements, social media engagement, or successful representation at key events can be reported back to demonstrate impact.
5. Brand Ambassador program managers must lead from the front: Project managers should attend all training sessions, make necessary adjustments in real-time, and maintain close involvement rather than leaving everything to external consultants. Most training sessions took place on Fridays, and my team and I attended all sessions. Additionally, every Wednesday, my colleague Phionah Katushabe, MA and I met with the consultants to align on how the upcoming session would be run. This hands-on approach helps tailor the program to the specific motivations and communication needs of the organization.
6. Work with experts: The quality of training is largely tied to the expertise of the trainers. Working with seasoned professionals ensures that the training is effective and impactful. Engage proven experts with a strong track record in relevant areas. For example, we benefited from the expertise of Julie Otieno , Stella Kiguta-Ng'ang'a (MPRSK) and Ethan Musolini . We also benefited from the skills of John Sibi-Okumu, OGW a prominent public speaker, linguist, media personality, actor, and playwright whose insights and experience enriched the program. Collaborating with such experts ensures that the training is both comprehensive and aligned with the latest industry standards.

We hope our next Craig Federighi will come from the first cohort of our program, which graduated on August 16, 2024. Coincidentally, this cohort includes some of our techies in the same line of work as Federighi. If you're wondering what tech experts are doing at Living Goods, here’s some context: Living Goods is one of the few organizations in the community health sector that excels in software development to improve the quality of healthcare.

Congratulations to Brand Ambassadors Priscillah Balirwa , Stella Kanyerere , Armand BAMBARA , Martha Maina. APMG. MA. PhD Candidate , Caroline Kahora-Githii , Dr. Rosebellah Amihanda , Tanvir Natt (MBA,TOGAF, PMP, Data Stewardship) , Edward Zzimbe and Brigitte SYAN . Special thanks to the communications team and in particular to Phionah Katushabe, my colleague and co-organizer of the program, our consultants Stella Kiguta, Julie Atieno, and John Sibi-Okumu. I would also like to thank Arik Karani , who recommended several consultants for the program, as well as Liz Jarman , our CEO, who not only supported the program but also attended the graduation ceremony of the first cohort.