Moving beyond "popularity" - how Intel identifies real brand influencers

In this article, Ekaterina Walter, senior social media strategist at Intel, discusses how the company has made the transition from targeting popular web users to reaching true brand influencers, both online and offline.

Moving beyond "popularity" - how Intel identifies real brand influencers

Sarah Shearman

Many brands are confusing "popularity" with "influence", according to Ekaterina Walter, senior social media strategist at Intel, the microchip manufacturer. Moreover, she said during a panel discussion about "The secret dangers of online influence marketing" at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival, the volume of data now available to marketers means they are struggling to identify true brand advocates.

Walter exposed weaknesses in the popular word-of-mouth marketing model of incentivising "influencers" with perks to spread a brand's message. This trend is attributable, at least in part, to the...

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