Patterns of Adaptation: How the communications industry is adapting to generative AI

Yesterday I joined the Unconference on AI at Berghs School of Communication, one of the world’s leading creative industry schools. It was a fascinating chance to hear from professors, students and practitioners trying to figure out how to incorporate AI tools in their work. The pressure is on; according to recent research, it seems likely the communications and marketing […]

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It’s time for a code of ethics for persuasive technology in marketing and communications

Nothing can be more central to who we are as people than the choices we make. And we in the marketing and communications industry make our living affecting those choices. Now, we have access to increasingly powerful persuasive technology – new ways to find, analyse, and persuade people. It is time for a code of […]

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A Four-Dimensional System for Quantifying Social Influence

Influencer marketing and engagement work continues to grow and become more complex. We need a robust framework for assessing (and ideally quantifying) a person’s level of influence. We can do this by breaking influence down into four dimensions: Relevance, Authority, Reach and Accessibility (the RARA system). Together, these dimensions allow a quantifiable, data-driven and robust […]

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Knockout: Facebook positions to take a piece of global Influencer marketing budgets

Image: Wikipedia Over the past few months, Facebook has made three changes to the way influencer marketing works. Together, these changes give Facebook Inc. a very strong position in influencer marketing, and a good shot at eating a big slice of the global influencer marketing money pie. So what have they done? First, they’ve made […]

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Real followers, fake followers, and real influence: fallout from the Devumi exposé

Influencers with millions of followers can command a lot of attention, and with that attention they can bring in a lot of media dollars. So when an article appears like the New York Times’ exposé article on the fake follower economy, it’s bound to shake things up. So is influencer marketing doomed? What’s really going on […]

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Pushing Product, Hurting the Brand? Influencer Marketing’s Surprising Side-Effects

The evidence shows that influencer marketing campaigns can increase discussion around a specific product. But the social web is a complex place, and in complex systems effects propagate in complex ways. Some fascinating research from Inyoung Chae, Andrew Stephen et al. shows that a brand executing product-focused influencer marketing campaigns might expect some side-effects – […]

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