Facebook launches Agency Ambassador programme for Africa

First ambassadors to lead digital training and skills development for peers

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 7, 2016/ -- Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) (http://www.Facebook.com) has launched an Agency Ambassador Programme for Africa as part of its drive to equip its agency partners with the skills and information they need to make the most of Facebook as a marketing and advertising platform. Agency Ambassadors have a direct line to Facebook and receive extensive training to help them become their agency’s expert in Facebook’s tools, technologies and solutions.

Delegates representing 32 top media agencies from four countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa) gathered at a three-day summit in Johannesburg from 29 March to 1 April, where a Facebook team from around the world trained them to become Africa’s first Facebook Agency Ambassadors. The collaborative training equipped participants with the resources they need to understand how to drive real business results through digital marketing, and in turn share this knowledge within their organizations. The forum also afforded an opportunity for the agency representatives to provide feedback to Facebook.

The launch of the program follows within a year after the opening of Facebook’s first office in Africa—based in Johannesburg, South Africa— when Facebook committed to supporting and up-skilling businesses across the continent.

“We’re so excited to launch the Facebook Agency Ambassador Program, a first for Africa,” says Nunu Ntshingila, Head of Africa for Facebook. “As media transcends to digital, it's of crucial importance that these Ambassadors are equipped to take their learnings back to their agencies – both digital and traditional - so that they can make the most of the digital opportunity, and ultimately grow brands and businesses.”

The programme incorporates Facebook Blueprint, an education program that trains agencies, partners and marketers on how to use Facebook. Combining online courses, in-person training and certification, Blueprint trains marketers on everything from campaign optimization and how to use video on Facebook to effective ad measurement solutions. The foundation of Blueprint is its eLearning center, which features more than 50 online courses and has tracks organized by category, such as direct response marketing, as well as tracks designed for specific roles, such as digital buying.

According to Elizma Nolte, Head of Business Marketing for Facebook Sub-Saharan Africa, “Our goal with the Agency Ambassador Programme is to empower agencies to help their clients make the most of our platforms. It’s also a way for us to listen to agencies and learn more about what they need in their specific markets, so that we can improve offerings across the Facebook family of services. Facebook is a partnership company at heart, and this kick-off summit is simply the beginning of a long-term partnership with agencies across the continent.”