There are several good reasons to replace the terms “influencer” and “influencer marketing” in the marketing vocabulary. What are the best alternatives? I don’t know the answer, however I see signs of a backlash against misuse and abuse of these terms.
What are the issues with the word influencer?
To start, not everyone likes being branded as an influencer. As Evan Quinn so often tells me (and I’m not the only one), many analysts bristle under the “influencer” label.
Then too, there’s the growing confusion around who is an “influencer”. As Duncan Brown so often says, not everyone is an influencer. You can’t transform anybody into an influencer. Finding influencers is just not that easy, even in the wild west of social media.
Finally, as Nick Hayes says, “None of us has ever seen anybody with a business card that says ‘Influencer’.”
By contrast, there are the outstanding examples where the terms are applied appropriately and best practices applied flawlessly. Case in point: Don Bulmer’s program at SAP. Such clearcut instances are more exception than norm.
The right words are out there. If we pay attention, we’ll recognize them when we hear them.
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Here are two great ways to get up to speed on influencer marketing. First up, there’s a new interactive video of Nick Hayes’ recent presentation at the Commonwealth Club, “Marketing Is Broken, Influencers Can Fit It”. Much of the presentation — including the case studies — comes from his book on influencer marketing. And you can purchase the book at a special 50% discount through August 20th.
The interactive video is available through videographer Ron Fredericks, at the Lecturemaker.com blog. You can view the entire video or use the red navigation dots to zero in on key points. I’ve known Ron for years as an industry analyst. We’re honored that he decided to bring Nick’s presentation to a much wider audience via the web.
The special 50% discount on the book, “Influencer Marketing - Who Really Influences Your Customers”, runs through August 20th. You can only get this low price via the book website, InfluencerMarketingBook.com.
The live event took place in late May at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. It was produced by Kevin O’Malley, chairman of the Business and Leadership Forum at the Club and a principal at TechTalk / Studio.
About 60 of us attended the reception and presentation. There was a very good QA session at the end, and Ron has included excerpts of that in the video. Thanks everyone for making it such a special evening.
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Megan over at Bite Communications has written a thoughtful post on influencer marketing. She points out the innate common sense of addressing the rich variety of influencers part of so many purchase decisions. And, she ends the post with a very good question:
“Where do we draw the line between direct influence and a trickle-down effect of traditional comms?”
That’s an important point for everyone in consumer marketing. With the rise of social media and social networks, it’s also becoming an important question for B2B marketers working in press and analyst relations, advertising, events and partnering. We’ll see how both types of marketers answer that question as they reveal their 2010 budgeting priorities.
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A group of about 60 of us converged on the Commonwealth Club in late May for an evening of networking and discussion around influencer marketing. Thanks everyone for making it such a special evening.
A Zoomify photo is available from Ron Fredericks, our videographer for the preso and Q&A. It’s at his LectureMaker blog — “Nick Hayes: Marketing Is Broken It, Influencers Can Fix It”. Click on it to launch the zoom and pan options:
Ron is working with us on the final edits to the video. Will let you know when it’s available.
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You can get a good introduction to influencer marketing at the IABC 2009 World Conference. It’s just around the corner — in terms of timing, it’s next week; in terms of location, it’s here in San Francisco.
This year, Nick will lead a session on influencer marketing. Don’t miss it if you are attending. He takes a 360 degree viewpoint on influencers. Whatever your comms specialty, you’ll find some good ideas to take away.
T3 / Influencer marketing and the rise of decision maker ecosystems
Date: Tuesday, 9 June
Time: 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Track: Strategy & Counsel
The way large-scale business purchases are made has changed. Company structure, corporate governance, the Internet and numerous other factors have led to the rise of decision-maker ecosystems‚ networks of individuals whose opinions shape the eventual purchase decision. These ecosystems play a major role in the success of every sales force, thus marketers need to consider communication strategies that include them.
What you’ll learn:
- How and why purchase decision making has changed
- Types of influencers who make up most decision-maker ecosystems
- How different influencers impact decision-makers
The IABC expects to host 1,600 communication practitioners from 40 countries for this 4-day event. You can discuss the event at the special IABC blog InSession and follow on Twitter using hash tag #IABC09.
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David Campbell, a digital marketing expert and one of Australia’s youngest agency heads, says the adage that word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing has been around a long time. But how do you actually activate it? How can companies and agencies stimulate word of mouth marketing and use influencer marketing? And, what are the implications for traditional advertising? David delves into these questions and more during a recent interview with Nick Hayes.
The 13-minute podcast is available through his site, Love Digital, and at marketingmag.com.au, the online home of Australia’s Marketing Magazine and a vibrant marketing community:
At MarketingMag: “Podcast: Influencer Marketing”
At David’s Digital Love site: LD Out Loud, 21 May 2009, Influencer Marketing with Nick Hayes
You can find out more about Influencer50 services available in Australia by contacting Bernie Reilly, who heads Influencer50 Asia Pacific out of our Sydney office. Or give me a shout.
For more on the Influencer Marketing book referenced during the interview, check out InfluencerMarketingBook.com
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Please join us for what promises to be a lively discussion about what’s wrong with marketing and how an influencer program can fix it. On May 20th, we are hosting a reception and presentation on influencer marketing at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco.
Check out the details below. We’ve reserved complimentary tickets so email me (barbara.french@influencer50.com) or any of us, to get onto the guest list.
“Marketing Is Broken, but Influencers Can Fix It”
Purchasing decisions made within organizations have changed over the past decade, but marketing hasn’t. Today, networks or “ecosystems” of influencers shape enterprise purchase decisions. Hayes draws from work with clients such as IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP and Orange Business Services to show how to identify the diverse individuals who influence decision-makers in a market, how they influence, and how to engage them.
Date: May 20, 2009
Reception: 5:30 PM
Presentation, Q&A: 6:00PM
Where: Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 (directions & parking)
Phone: +1 (415) 597-6700
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Don’t miss Nick’s session at the upcoming IABC 2009 World Conference. This year, the IABC expects to host 1,600 communication practitioners from 40 countries for this event. Four days of learning, camaraderie and inspiration right here in San Francisco.
Details on Nick’s session:
T3 / Influencer marketing and the rise of decision maker ecosystems
Date: Tuesday, 9 June
Time: 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Track: Strategy & Counsel
The way large-scale business purchases are made has changed. Company structure, corporate governance, the Internet and numerous other factors have led to the rise of decision-maker ecosystems‚ networks of individuals whose opinions shape the eventual purchase decision. These ecosystems play a major role in the success of every sales force, thus marketers need to consider communication strategies that include them.
What you’ll learn:
- How and why purchase decision making has changed
- Types of influencers who make up most decision-maker ecosystems
- How different influencers impact decision-makers
Register by 1 May to receive the lowest conference rate. Plus, you can discuss the event at the special IABC blog InSession and follow on Twitter using hash tag #IABC09.
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Can winning industry awards help sell products and services? According to the Influencer Marketing book, the answer is no:
“Industry awards are primarily self-congratulatory ‘feel good’ exercises, which have limited marketing value and all but zero influence on the top decision-makers.”
– Nick Hayes and Duncan Brown
They do credit awards with some value in the early stage of a decision process, such as in response to a Request For Proposal.
Is that the practical extent of the value of an industry award?
I agree with them insofar as few industry awards have the impact of the Oscars. However, that seems more a shortcoming of the typical awards organizer than the nature of awards in general.
Every industry has its awards programs that amount to little more than karaoke. It pays to avoid those. Or, bury them.
Likewise, every industry has its awards programs that do matter.
As with all forms of influence, the trick is knowing which is which.
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One group of influencers is about to undergo sweeping change in the U.S.: government agencies and regulators. Government influence varies greatly by industry. Yet it is present to some extent in virtually all industries.
In the book, Influencer Marketing, Nick and Duncan identify three likely roles for government agencies and regulators:
- proclaimers - those who mandate or “proclaim” how the world will be
- aggregators / communicators - information gatherers and disseminators
- negotiators - determining anything from ethics to environmental requirements
It’s easy to see what they mean. Look at the green tech / clean tech markets. These have become a hot spot for government influence. Many governments are encouraging — if not mandating — rapid adoption. They are raising awareness among consumers and businesses. Some governments are pioneering new standards. Still others are funding R&D, manufacturing, professional training, entire industries, and jobs.
Every new administration in the U.S. federal government brings substantive changes throughout the uppermost layers of government. Sooner or later, the changes trickle down to local governments.
Changes in government influence are headed your way. Be ready for it.
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