Depending on how long you’ve been here and whether or not you enjoy free giveaways, chances are you’ve known one, been one or attended an event run by some of Penn State’s brand ambassadors. With companies ranging from major television networks like NBC to Chipotle to Amazon, brands are taking advantage of this opportunity. Companies realize that they can’t be everywhere and with college students well on their way to becoming full time consumers, there’s no better place to build a little brand awareness – and that’s where their ambassadors come in. We got the chance to interview two of these ambitious student reps and find out more about their experiences so far.
HC: What exactly is a brand ambassador and what brand do you represent?
A brand ambassador is someone who represents and promotes a specific brand or company. This year we are the brand ambassadors for Amazon Student. We’ll be throwing events and giving out free Amazon goods to get the word out and create brand awareness for them. Amazon Student is a program that offers college students an Amazon Prime membership for half the price with their .edu email. With a membership, students will get 2-day free shipping, online streaming of a large collection of videos, movies and music and a 6-month free trial!
HC: How did you go about becoming a brand ambassador?
Jessica: I put up my resume on a website called thecampusrep.com and received an email about the Amazon Student brand ambassador position. I applied for the position, interviewed and became one of the four brand ambassadors for their pilot program at Penn State last year.
Alex: Jess is actually my roommate this year and told me about the opportunity so I went ahead and applied. A couple weeks later I got an email asking about an interview and got the job! It’s nice to work with Jess because not only do we get to be friends but also co-workers who can easily bounce ideas off of each other.
HC: What are some of your duties/obligations?
We’re required to throw several events throughout the semester and give out cool Amazon goodies. Look out for our events downtown – word on the street is we’ll be giving out a free Kindle some time this year.
HC: Would you recommend the opportunity to other students?
Yes, definitely! It’s a great resume booster, teaches you so much about social media and organizing events and gives you great experience in logistical planning. There are so many different brand ambassador positions available to students, and they’re all an awesome opportunity.
HC: What do you hope to accomplish with this position?
We hope to create brand awareness of Amazon Student and personally grow professional skills through this experience.
HC: How should students interested in learning more about Amazon Student go about contacting you?
You can always reach us at our emails, hec5078@psu.edu or acc5424@psu.edu, for anyone who’d like more information on Amazon Student and its benefits. Or you can check out this link for more information and to sign-up. Also, follow us on Twitter @AmazonPennState for updates on all our events and giveaways!
HC: What are you most looking forward to this school year at Penn State?
We’ve been counting down the days until football season starts. We’re looking forward to the tailgates and the games!