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Reaching consumers and other target audiences with mainstream marketing messages has become increasingly difficult. The average consumer is bombarded daily with thousands of commercial communications and hundreds of personalized messages in the form of phone calls, e-mails, faxes and memos. Add recent questioning of corporate credibility to this mix and it is easy to see why an outbreak of books, articles and blogs now cast doubt on the efficacy and value of traditional advertising and marketing strategies.
To help companies overcome these communications challenges, Ketchum Influencer Relationship ManagementSM (IRMSM) helps business and organizations identify, connect and manage relationships with the marketing influencers that directly affect buyers’ perceptions and behaviors. Using a proven seven-step approach, extensive expertise in key vertical markets, and the development of a powerful IRM database, this program identifies, prioritizes, benchmarks, targets, reaches, and measures the influencers in the public and private sectors who can make a difference in a target market.
Despite the growing importance of influencers, most marketers and business executives realize that they have limited, if any, processes in place to truly develop, manage and measure their influencers. This is why Ketchum IRM expands the influencer net far beyond traditional influencers, such as media and industry and financial analysts. While these audiences remain critical, research indicates that consumers and buyers increasingly look toward key individuals or small groups with specific knowledge to determine what, where, why and how they should buy, think and act. For these reasons, the Ketchum IRM program has been designed to cover a complete range of marketing influencers and allow organizations to identify and engage the following groups:
Buyer/Key Target Influencers - Individuals who make final purchasing decisions or take final actions leading to a desired change.
Ultimate Influencers - Individuals or small groups most likely to exercise maximum positive influence over buyer/key targets.
Determined Detractors - Individuals or small groups most likely to exercise maximum negative influence over buyer/key targets.
Initial Influencers - Individuals or groups most likely to have the greatest impact on the buyer/key targets, ultimate influencers and determined detractors.
Every organization has its own particular set of marketing influencers to be targeted. Through extensive primary and secondary research, the Ketchum IRM team identifies, evaluates, prioritizes and benchmarks the perceptions and attitudes of the leading influencers in each of these areas. For a leading consumer-electronics company, for example, Ketchum developed and executed an IRM initiative focused on the following influencer targets:
- Elite Media - Reporters at top-tier business publications
- Industry Analysts - Analysts who cover consumer electronics.
- “Gamers” - Video-game and computer-game enthusiasts, developers and publishers
- Digital Music Enthusiasts - Digital music producers, listeners and advocates
- Digital Videographers - Experts who advise consumer users
- Lifestyle/Home Automation Experts - Home-networking gurus
- Computing Experts – Small-business or home workers
- Entertainment Leaders - Agents, publicists, celebrities and insiders
- Lifestyle/Design Specialists - Specialists in high-tech product/interior design
- Determined Detractors – Short-sellers, competitors and non-supportive consumer advocates
Influencing the influencers is not a new concept in the public relations world. Nearly every organization acknowledges the value and appreciates the impact of marketing influencers. Most companies, however, don’t have a formal program in place to develop and manage these critical relationships. This is where Ketchum IRM comes in.
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