Evangelism and spokesmanship – powerful yet different communication tools
Very popular in the United States, evangelism is still in its infancy in France. It’s often confused with spokesmanship, a very different, but no less interesting, communications tool. Let’s take a look at the concepts and what they imply.
Evangelism was born at Apple with Guy Kawasaki. This enthusiastic user, who to this day only uses Apple products, is the true creator of this function. In the United States, religion is omnipresent, so it’s no coincidence that the term is derived from it.
What’s an evangelist’s job?
The technology evangelist is first and foremost a user. Convinced by the use of the product (hardware or software), he carries the “good word”, convincing his peers of the benefits of choosing the technology he loves.
The fact that the evangelist is a user is crucial. He can only convince people because he’s a user “like any other” – he knows the customer’s problems. What’s more, since he’s not linked to the brand (he’s not an employee), he’s all the more credible. A priori, he has no interest in defending this brand more than another.
Finding a brand evangelist is therefore a laborious task. You have to find the right person among your users. You’ll need to motivate them to fulfil their role, but you won’t be able to control them completely. The person’s contacts within the company will therefore play a key role in the quality of the relationship.
This definition may come as a surprise to some of you. Indeed, many people see evangelists as the company’s media beacons. We think of Steve Jobs for Apple, not Guy Kawasaki. Steve Jobs was a spokesman, not an evangelist.
But what about the spokesperson?
The spokesperson is usually a charismatic person with a corporate background.
His or her position makes what he or she says “gospel”, to use ecclesiastical terminology.
As in politics, where the spokesperson is part of the government, here he or she is part of the company.
As speaking is not the most natural thing for everyone, the spokesperson will need a personalized follow-up, as well as a team to write up his or her speeches.
A very different job, but an indispensable line of communication for the company.
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