A brand ambassador position for a wine or spirits company is one of the more nebulous roles in the beverage industry. Often portrayed on social media as an enviable life of jet-setting and hosting events, a brand ambassador gig might seem like the ultimate goal for bartenders and sommeliers who seek to get off the floor and find a more flexible position.
But what, exactly, does a brand ambassador job entail, and how can beverage professionals land one of these coveted positions? Six brand ambassadors and industry leaders weigh in and explain that there’s a lot more to these jobs than it seems.
What, Exactly, Does a Brand Ambassador Do?
The role of a brand ambassador is innately multifaceted. “A brand ambassador’s role is to personify the excellence of our brands,” explains New York-based Olivia Cerio, the Italian spirits portfolio ambassador for Campari Group. “It’s not quite sales, and it’s not quite marketing; it’s sort of the bridge between the two.” Responsibilities can include engaging with trade, attending industry events, and supporting sales team members by traveling to different markets to educate consumers.
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Valerie Alvarado, the Denver-based agave national brand ambassador for Pernod Ricard USA, sees the role as a bridge between all sectors of a company. “Overall, we mostly focus on education and connecting with trade and consumers to give them the history and stories of our brands,” she says.
But what does this look like in practice? For starters, travel is often central, says Nicolette Diodati, the senior manager of trade advocacy for Pernod Ricard USA in New York City, who oversees all brand ambassadors in the portfolio. Brand ambassadors will frequently visit key markets to support local sales teams through working with top bars, hosting events, and providing education.
When Tim Heuisler, the global small batch brand ambassador for Beam Suntory, isn’t on the road, his days involve working closely with his brand teams to create new assets to introduce to the market. “Some weeks are a standard 9 to 5, and other weeks I’m not sure which time zone I’m in,” he says. Similarly, Alvarado notes that days at home are often spent responding to emails, planning future events, or crafting cocktail recipes
The Skills Required
There’s no clear pathway into a brand ambassador role, but understanding the products—as well as having a fair amount of industry contacts—is key. ”It’s important to have not only a strong network and name in the industry, but knowledge [of the category],” says Alli Torres, the Miami-based brand ambassador for Quintaliza Tequila.
This includes in-depth knowledge of both the brand at hand and its competition, which means doing your research. There’s no substitute for tasting and leaning into key selling points for the product you’re repping, says Torres, and you should be able to identify trends in the market. “Knowing your own flavor profiles and how to articulate and compare them to other brands, is one of the biggest selling points—if you can’t acknowledge what your brand is and isn’t, you’ll be a sitting duck,” she says.
This is why brand ambassadors typically segue into the role from a bartending or bar management position.“Typically, these people already have the knowledge and are very personable since they are actively in hospitality,” says Torres, noting that many potential candidates from behind the bar already serve as informal ambassadors for their establishments.
Having a genuine passion for the product at hand, and industry as a whole, is key for would-be brand ambassadors. “It would be impossible to be a brand ambassador for products that I didn’t genuinely enjoy and care about,” says Heuisler.
There are other important qualities and skills that will set you up for success in a brand ambassador position: Thinking creatively, being a strong public speaker, and feeling comfortable working flexibly, including working odd hours and in different environments while on the road. But it’s also imperative to have a team mindset.
“Being a team player is essential,” says Alvarado. While the role requires taking on a number of solo tasks—including creating presentation decks, managing emails, or handling expenses—the work is ultimately interconnected with various people across different departments and regions. “Your success relies heavily on your relationships with colleagues within your company, distributors, industry contacts, and more,” she adds.
How to Land a Brand Ambassador Job—and Get Paid
Despite the amount of job cuts taking place in the beverage industry, Torres finds that brand ambassadors are more prevalent than ever.
“Any role can have its time run out, but I think ambassadors are more widespread due to the variety of compensation packages offered,” she says, stating that more roles are becoming incentivized with commissions, which poses less of a financial risk to a company.
“Any company who can afford it and recognizes the tremendous benefits of building brand equity with boots on the ground usually seeks to engage a brand ambassador,” says Struck, noting that the roles are less common in wine than in spirits due to slimmer margins.
Brand ambassador opportunities come up in a variety of ways: Alvarado found her ambassador role by word of mouth, while New York-based sommelier Chris Struck was recommended for his brand ambassador role for Alto Adige Wine by an industry colleague, though he subsequently had to apply and interview for it.
“Clients and their agents often look for people who are well connected and well regarded in their field, are in a position to purchase wines from their clients for their restaurants or wine shops (when working part-time ambassador roles), and nowadays, have a strong social media presence and following,” Struck says.
Struck suggests getting a foot in the door through relationships with wine-focused PR and marketing agencies, who frequently look for well-spoken sommeliers to speak on panels or host events. “Then if that goes well, they’ll offer more regular ambassador work,” he says.
Struck notes that many ambassadors—including himself, when he was working at ilili—have full-time jobs in the industry and work their brand ambassador gigs on the side. “The client recognizes that this adds value to your role as their ambassador by keeping you in the thick of the industry, and working the networking muscles needed to do the job for them well,” he explains.
“A handful of part-time employees may yield more positive perks and verve than one or two full-time agents,” adds Torres.
Pay is also a consideration—and figuring out what a brand ambassador can expect to make can be tricky. Compensation will depend on whether the role is part-time or full-time, as well as whether employment is through an agency or with the brand directly, says Cerio. “Compensation varies widely, from a retainer-type scenario to line-item pay for specific deliverables, such as attending events as a representative of a brand and writing pieces for publication in a newsletter,” Struck explains.
LinkedIn job postings offer some insight into brand ambassador salaries. “Compensation transparency has become increasingly common in job postings, making it easier to gauge potential pay,” says Alvarado, noting that recently posted salaries range from $60,000 to $120,000.
She also finds that benefits packages are key. “I had no idea how helpful the benefits packages could be when I moved away from bartending,” says Alvarado, stating that benefits “certainly adds to your compensation in a big way.”
Managing Expectations for the Role
Like any job, it’s often the most glamorous parts of the role that are widely publicized—and more brand ambassadors are quick to point out that there’s a lot more to it. While brand ambassador roles can be exciting and creative, they are also what you make of them.
“Knowing that the role isn’t just what it can look like on social media is important, and, like anything, there is a side that requires unglamorous admin work, as well as the ability to hold yourself accountable to the goals,” says Diodati. For Struck, mastering time management is imperative, as he finds his biggest challenge lies in ensuring that his ambassador work never conflicts in time or interest with his full-time job.
The job is taxing yet rewarding, says Heuisler, who warns against falling into the trap of manicured Instagram accounts. “Don’t let social media fool you; the job is demanding,” he says, emphasizing that having a partner, children, pets, or even plants can make the job even more complicated. “The travel schedule, depending on the position, can be a challenge to living a ‘normal’ life—but who wants to be normal?”
Dispatch
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Vicki Denig is a wine, spirits, and travel journalist based between New York and Paris. Her work regularly appears in Decanter, WineSearcher, Food & Wine, and more. She also works as a content creator / social media manager for a list of prestigious clients, including Beaupierre Wine & Spirits, Corkbuzz, Veritas Imports, and Crurated.
