1) The document describes a global study of over 8,000 online consumers to understand how social media, TV, and mobile influence purchase decisions.
2) It finds that tapping influential social media users to spread brand messages, optimizing how different media touchpoints work together, and transforming points of influence into calls to action are effective strategies for marketers.
3) Specifically, it shows how targeting the top 10% of social media users who are "super influencers" with large social networks can help spread brand messages widely. Combining TV, social media, and mobile messaging strategically creates synergy that accelerates the purchase process.
Report
Share
Report
Share
1 of 16
Download to read offline
More Related Content
The Age of Social Influencer
1. THE AGE OF
SOCIAL INFLUENCE
HOW MEDIA-EMPOWERED CONSUMERS
ARE HELPING TO DRIVE SALES
2. Methodology
This project was part of Initiative’s Consumer
Connections global research program which now
spans in excess of 50 countries. Our study’s sample
was designed to identify those actively engaged in
social media. As a result we conducted 8014 online
interviews with consumers aged 18-54. Interlocking
age/gender and regional quotas were set to reflect the
national population in each country, the only exceptions
being China where the focus was on Tier 1, Tier 2 and
Tier 3 cities and Canada where the Nunavut, NWT,
Yukon regions were excluded. We used complex
factor analysis to identify drivers of social behavior. This
enabled us to quantify consumers’ social influence and
identify those who are leveraging their superior social
connections to influence purchase decisions.
3. the age of social influence
The importance of social media has been discussed at length
for several years now. We know that in many markets time spent
online has surpassed that of TV and that daily social media usage is
continuing to increase.
We know that the once linear and transaction-centric purchase funnel
is now multi-directional, random and heavily influenced by opinion and
information gathered by consumers. And we know that because of
social media and technology, consumers can now enter the purchase
cycle at various points, and spontaneously influence others as they
travel along the path the purchase.
But do we really understand how marketers can unlock the real value
of all this? Do we know how social media works with other more
established media? And do we know how to harness the power of
social media for real commercial gain?
In order to find answers to some of these crucial questions, Initiative
set out to explore the individual and combined strength of TV, social
and mobile, and how consumer interaction with each has altered the
path to purchase. Specifically, we wanted to investigate:
• How do we produce greater synergy between our siloed
media, social and mobile budgets and tactics that result in a
greater return on investment?
• What are the impact of social, TV and mobile on shopper
decision-making?
• What role does consumer influence play along the path to
purchase?
To do so, we conducted a global online study among 8014 web users
aged 16-54 across eight countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada,
China, Germany, the Netherlands, the US and the UK. We also spoke
one-on-one with a group of super influencers in the US and the UK to
gain a better understanding of social behavior.
4. Media synergy accelerates
the purchase process
For many years, forward-thinking marketers have called for greater
integration between their online and offline touchpoints in the hope of
creating a multiplier effect that drives greater reach and scale. However,
our study found that while the integration of social, TV and mobile
has indeed altered the way consumers make decisions about brands,
it is not because of their ability to simply multiply brand messages.
Increasingly, consumers are becoming the driving force powering what,
when and where brand interactions occur. Based upon our findings,
Initiative believes that by leveraging the consumer’s natural inclination
to engage with media across multiple screens and social media, we
can create a consumer-powered media synergy effect that is both
non-linear and emotional - driving deeper engagement and trust. The
result is an acceleration of the purchase process unobtainable by any
of the three media independently.
We have identified three strategies for marketers that use the combined
power of social, mobile and TV to navigate through the complexity:
Three strategies for marketers
1
TAPPING INTO
2
THE POWER SOURCE
THE SOCIAL OPTIMIZING
TOUCHPOINTS
INFLUENCER TO PRODUCE
SYNERGY
3
TRANSFORMING A
‘POINT OF
INFLUENCE’
INTO A
CALL TO
ACTION
5. 1 Tapping into the power source
– the social influencer
First, marketers must seed messages with consumer influencers who
have the ability to quickly and effortlessly amplify brand messages
across their large social circles. While this is not a new idea, social media
has changed the size of influencers in the population and the speed
with which messages can spread. Back in 1962, sociologist Everett
Rogers popularized the Diffusion of Innovation theory estimating that
only 2.5% of a given population are innovators, being the first to adopt
new innovations and influence others to try them. We identified that
10% of online users have a disproportionate share of influence - we
focused on this group and called them the “Top 10%”. These super
influencers are defined by several key attributes and behaviors: having
higher levels of media consumption, a social predisposition and wide
category shopping; being more likely to research products online and
make recommendations to others.
These social extroverts have significantly larger social circles than
those with lower influence and a higher proportion of their regular
social contacts (every 1-2 weeks) are communicated with online.
Focus your marketing on the most influential
21 TOP
10% 10%
BOTTOM
REGULAR
FACE TO FACE CONTACT
BUT NONE ONLINE 10 INFLUENCERS INFLUENCERS
38
REGULAR
FACE TO FACE CONTACT
PLUS ONLINE 7
46
REGULAR
ONLINE CONTACT
BUT NONE FACE TO FACE 9 Average number of people in my social circle
Base: Web users aged 16-54 years of age
6. TOP BOTTOM
10% 10%
INFLUENCERS INFLUENCERS
DEVICES OWNED
SMARTPHONE LAPTOP TABLET OTHER MOBILE
86% 30% 98% 97% 53% 5% 25% 46%
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ON AND OFFLINE
88% 25% Talk on a smartphone
84% 64% Send or receive email
84% 26% Text on a smartphone/mobile
77% 47% Access a social networking site/microsite
77% 9% Chat using instant messaging services
60% 14% Read an online forum/discussion
58% 2% Send an MMS/picture message on a mobile
58% 27% Socialise with others at home
52% 7% Contribute to an online forum/discussion
52% 12% Socialise with others outside the home
48% 9% Participate in online gaming
38% 2% Video conference 69%
FREQUENCY OF RECOMMENDING
A PRODUCT OR SERVICE ONLINE
30% 31%
25%
22%
9%
5%
2% 2% 1%
1% 1% 1% 1%
More than Once More than Every Every Less often Never
once a day a day once a week 1-2 weeks 3-4 weeks
Base: Web users aged 16-54 years of age
7. The Top 10% are “Media Mavens” who skillfully navigate between
the offline and online media, from reading both printed and digital
magazines and newspapers to accessing the mobile internet – which
72% of them do once a day or more, compared to only 18% of the
Bottom 10%. When it comes to technology, the Top 10% are also
more likely to own smartphones and tablet computers, as well as
use technology as a social tool. The frequency with which the Top
10% use technology such as Skype, instant messenger (IM), mobile
and social networking to supplement face to face conversations is
also higher across the board. Their influence comes from their above
average use of social media, with 79% using it more than once a day
(vs. 29% of the Bottom 10%) and spending on average three hours a
week engaged with it.
But, most importantly to marketers, 99% of these influencers say that
their friends ask their opinion before making an important purchase,
compared to just 13% of the Bottom 10%. They are also extremely
active during the zero moment of truth - more likely to research or
talk about their forthcoming purchase online using social media and
Case study: Stimorol
mobile before making their purchase decision. Compare this to the
Stimorol in Denmark was planning to
“Bottom 10%”– as many as 29% failed to research any products/
launch a new “senses” flavor gum: the
services online before purchasing versus just 1% of the Top 10%. “Mega Mystery Gum”, targeted at 18 –
The Top 10% are more likely to discuss certain types of high 25 year olds. In order to target “social
engagement product categories such as mobile, travel, fashion, music influencers”, IUM Denmark decided to use
Stimorol’s Facebook page as the platform
and even beauty and personal care. Marketers should monitor these
for the campaign. Leveraging Stimorol’s
discussions and create platforms for positive sentiment to be used to association with music, IUM engaged
influence other consumers in the consideration stage. the brand’s Facebook community with a
contest where six Danish cities battled
for the chance to win one of three Mega
By leveraging their influence, marketers can inject a trusted voice into
Mystery club parties, featuring famous
the path to purchase with the ability to influence in real-time. club DJs. This would see social influencers
on Facebook and other social platforms
leading the activity to drive support for their
Implications for marketers city’s bid to win a party. Supported with TV,
radio and PR the campaign saw the Mega
Mystery Gum become the best selling of all
• Don’t ignore social influencers. They can become your Stimorol’s senses flavours and entered the
biggest brand advocates, standing behind your brand top five gums across COOP supermarket
with conviction. Show respect to influencers and they chain.
will respect your brand.
• Engage with social influencers early and often. They
have the power to make or break campaigns. Test brand
messages with them pre-launch and carefully monitor
their feedback during the duration of the campaign.
• nvest in social influence programs – earned media
I
comes at a cost.
8. Optimizing touchpoints
to create synergy 2
Media synergy also demands that marketers re-evaluate how they
perceive media and its role in the purchase process. Too often,
media is relegated to driving awareness, consideration and buzz, but
if planned properly media can make a much bigger impact. When
selectively combined, TV, social and mobile create a dynamic path to
purchase that speeds up the overall decision-making and purchase
process, while making shoppers feel good about their choice.
We discovered that each medium examined in our study was found to
have core strengths (see right). We also found that certain countries
had a greater affinity for social and mobile as a marketing vehicle. For
instance, in Argentina, online users are more likely than other countries
in our study to think social media “helps you share important info
about a brand with others,” (70%), “find out more about a brand that
you are interested in,” (57%) and “provides you with an unbiased and
Case study: Carling trusted recommendation about a product/service or a brand,” (51%).
Carling Black Label wanted to get On the other end of the spectrum, online users in the Netherlands had
consumers to reappraise the brand. The
the least favorable perceptions about social media’s role in marketing.
beer brand signed a five-year sponsorship
deal with South African soccer giants Kaizer Only 24% believe that social media provides unbiased and trusted
Chiefs and Orlando Pirates to leverage the brand recommendations and a little over a third (36%) think it is helpful
fanaticism around football and engage with for sharing brand information.
nearly 90% of its target audience. With the
critical insight that “everybody wants to be
a coach” Carling Black Label organised a When it comes to internet-enabled mobile, Chinese online users
match between the two Soweto giants have a greater affinity for mobile with 77% having personal use of a
and let the fans choose the teams. Driving smartphone compared to 58% of total online users in our study. Their
both awareness and participation would be
mobile usage is also more varied as they use their smartphones in the
critical for the success of the campaign.
Initiative Media used a combination of TV following ways more than once a week: 63% - wifi access, 61% - mp3
and print to call for the “couch coaches” player, 57% - video camera, 41% - instant messaging, 40% - video
to choose players. Social media was then player.
used to encourage interaction between
the fans, and mobile and online advertising
was used to drive people to the brand’s It is no surprise that they also rate mobile more favorably as a vehicle for
Facebook page. Over 10.5 million team interacting with brands. For them, mobile provides basic information
votes were recorded and over 11 million about brands (41%), is a way to find out more about a brand that you
bottle tops were redeemed. Carling Black
are interested in (40%) and share important information about a brand
Label had the highest awareness of
promotions advertising in the beer market with others (38%).
during the campaign.
Media planners and buyers are well versed in the role of media as
a communication vehicle, but now must expand their expertise to
include how different combinations of online and offline media perform
as a point of influence.
9. Media synergy: How touchpoints work together
TV AD
Convincing consumers
of their wants and desires
48%
PROMPTING YOU
TO TRY OR BUY
A BRAND
43%
GIVING YOU
BASIC INFORMATION
ABOUT A BRAND
56%
MAKING YOU
AWARE OF
NEW BRANDS
50%
HELPING YOU SHARE
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
ABOUT A BRAND
WITH OTHERS
46% 37%
36%
INCREASING
THE APPEAL HELPING YOU
FIND OUT MORE
OF THE BRAND ABOUT A BRAND
PROVIDING YOU
WITH A TRUSTED
RECOMMENDATION
ABOUT A BRAND
32%
HELPING YOU 33%
FIND OUT MORE INCREASING YOUR
ABOUT A BRAND LOYALTY TO A
FAVORITE BRAND
MOBILE
Instantly connects
consumers to in-depth
SOCIAL
product information Influences by
leveraging peer
and expert advice
Q: Thinking about the range of different resources - social media, internet enabled mobiles/
smartphones, TV shows and TV ads - which of the tasks shown here are these things good at?
Base: Web users aged 16-54 years of age
10. Social media’s sphere of influence
RESEARCHED
40% OR TALKED
ABOUT ONLINE
BEFORE BUYING
30%
Web users*
20%
RESEARCHED
USING SOCIAL
MEDIA
PURCHASED
10%
THROUGH A
SOCIAL MEDIA
WEBSITE
Mobile phones PC, laptops Travel, flight Household Home Fashion, Beauty or
& services or tablet or hotel appliances entertaining clothing & personal care
computers equipment accessories products
Q: Which of these products/services have you ever...
* Percentage of web users who have shopped for the listed categories in the last two years and used social touchpoints
Base: Web users aged 16-54 years of age
11. 3 Transforming a ‘point of
influence’ into a call to action
Consumers are organically having conversations about brands prior
to purchase, but marketers are not always using these conversations
as a distinct point of influence on the path to purchase. We also found
that these points of influence occur across categories.
Once marketers can establish where their points of influence are for
their category and brands, we think there is an opportunity to create
social environments that transform organic community conversations
into product information portals. Once inside the portal, consumers
seeking brand information should be given the option to obtain more
information, participate in a brand experience that underscores brand
benefits, request a sample or more personalized information or link to
make a purchase.
Case study: Kia
By converting influence into action, marketers can use media more Optima, one of Kia’s core sales vehicles
effectively, and improve the consumer and shopper experience by was relaunching with an upgraded product
providing relevant information and expediting the shopping process. In offering. Optima now had innovative and
futuristic brand attributes, but was more
return, consumers are more likely to share positive experiences about
positioned among mature drivers. We
brands with their communities and hopefully become brand loyal. needed to attract a younger audience and
get people talking about Optima in a new
way. The NBA, with its All-Star game, would
be an ideal platform to engage our social
Implications for marketers influencers. Kia came up with an idea that
would get these key influencers talking
• Build branded platforms and tools that help amplify the and drive the social conversation all the
social curator’s voice. way to Kia’s website. We collaborated with
basketball star Blake Griffin, who agreed to
• Go far beyond the 30-second spot and create additional jump over a Kia Optima during the All Star
game. The conversation on social platforms
content, such as behind the scenes footage, historical
caught fire, driven by our partnership
timelines and cultural associations. These will drive athletes and celebrities who were all
discussions and provide a link to brand discovery. tweeting about the jump. Search and social
worked in tandem and there were overlays
• nlist a team of brand and category relevant social
E on YouTube with a clear “call to action”
influencers to preview new products and campaigns, driving people to the Optima Explore page.
And Kia’s audience certainly heeded the call
stimulate dialogue and disseminate content along the
– Kia saw a 24% increase in sales following
path to purchase. the All-Star weekend.
12. How to create a media synergy
effect for your brands
Find your brand’s Top 10%
In addition to the robust consumer segmentation studies conducted
by many marketers to create clusters of consumers based upon
purchasing behavior, we suggest completing a comprehensive analysis
of social influence. This would be achieved by determining which
consumers have the potential to influence the purchase decisions of
others. Our Influencer Multiplier is a proprietary scoring method that
quantifies the relationship between sociability, purchase behaviour,
and media consumption.
The Influence Multiplier can be used to optimize media plans by
ensuring that the Top 10% are adequately represented within the
consumer audience. Since they are an influential source of category
and brand information, their inclusion allows brand messages to reach
more people in less time. On a global basis, marketers can use the
Influence Multiplier to help prioritize media budgets between markets
based upon the strength of national scores. We have found that
individual market scores vary due to the different media landscapes,
stage of technological development and cultural drivers. Our analysis
suggests that a marketing message is more likely to spread quickly in
markets with a higher Influencer Multiplier score.
13. Create immersive multi-screen
experiences
Marketers can design personal brand experiences by creating
media synergy across multiple screens that provide a meaningful
and actionable brand experience. This can be achieved by carefully
studying the consumer’s media multitasking behavior, their path to
purchase, and understanding their motivations and preferences (eg,
unique content, access and experiences). By leveraging these insights,
a message broadcast to the masses on television can directly create
a personal, customizable, consumer-powered experience in search,
mobile, and social media.
These immersive brand stories are already being told by brands such Case study: F&N
as H&M, Century 21 and GE who are using TV to direct viewers to Soft drink brand F&N in Malaysia had been
a richer online or mobile brand experience, as seen in campaigns synonymous with fun for many years, but
executed during this year’s US Super Bowl. For example, brands that was under attack from Fanta which was
encroaching on its space and growing
made the most of their Super Bowl advertising investment ($3.5m for
market share. In order to regain its territory,
a 30-second TV spot) led with TV with visible calls to action, such Initiative Malaysia tapped into the ‘dance
as a URL or Twitter hashtags. Successful brands intuitively navigated reality’ phenomenon and created a massive
their consumers to other paid media, such as search and mobile, ‘dance mob’ that saw TV and social
working in combination across a full multi-
complementary owned media and earned media touch points. Social
screen experience. The F&N Custom Song
was then used to extend the experience and brand engagement with & Dance was introduced via Malaysia’s first
relevant social response. (IPG Mediabrands Digital Marketing Report outdoor augmented reality screen (utilizing
2012 Super Bowl™) the largest LED screen in the country).
People learned the dance moves and saw
themselves live with the virtual dancers. The
experience then extended across TV – with
Implications for marketers celebrity hosts picking up the dance moves
– online through F&N’s Facebook page
and then amplified with online coverage
• Anticipate online/offline interactions across multiple
by the leading online newspapers. With
screens. Be ready for 24/7 connectivity, immediate 86% of the youth target engaged via
search-and-find, and on-demand delivery. the campaign, F&N saw a massive 18%
increase in spontaneous brand awareness
• Set aside an emerging technology exploration budget and maintained its market-leading position.
to become comfortable with the unknown. Keeping
your finger on the pulse is the only way to stay ahead of
social influencers.
• Forget waiting to discuss must-see TV around the
water cooler, activate Social + TV to give viewers
the opportunity to join in real time discussion and
connections.
14. Integrate everything
Media synergy is not business as usual, it requires new beliefs,
practices and organizational structure. While many have adopted
integrated marketing in theory, nearly 20 years after its conception,
most organizations function in separate silos. To create a media
synergy effect, marketing departments such as brand management,
advertising, media and digital, as well as their accompanying budgets
will need to be integrated. If physical integration of a company’s
marketing departments is not feasible, then an integrated planning
approach with frequent communication among cross-disciplinary
teams is a must.
Integration is also required outside of an advertiser’s marketing
department. Marketing will need to work more closely with other
departments such as customer service or retail/trade to activate,
monitor and respond to conversations occurring at the points of
influence. Additionally, marketers will need to seek new methods
of collaboration among groups of agency, media and technology
partners that may have once seemed unimaginable. Those who are
nimble enough to adapt to new work styles or have the capability to
deploy technology solutions that facilitate integration will win.
Implications for marketers
• Train team members to become “T-shaped” – being
specialized has its limitations. Marketing organizations
need talent with broader communications expertise and
that ability to creatively solve problems.
• Bring the team together to create team respect that
drives collaboration. Encourage an agency exchange
program across partners. Designate time for specialists
in media, advertising, design, digital and public relations
to gain respect for aspects of building connections.
Learn how ideas are originated, cultivated, executed
and optimized.
15. FIVE ESSENTIAL TAKEOUTS
FOR MARKETERS
1 Target the power source. Target the top 10%
of influencers in order to accelerate marketing
effectiveness.
2 Engage with social influencers early and often. They
have the power to make or break campaigns. Test
brand messages with them pre-launch and carefully
monitor their feedback during the duration of the
campaign.
3 Go far beyond the 30-second spot and create
additional content, such as behind the scenes
footage, historical timelines and cultural associations
to drive discussion and provide a link to brand
discovery.
4 Enlist a team of brand and category relevant
social influencers to preview new products and
campaigns, stimulate dialogue and disseminate
content along the path to purchase.
5 Integrate everything. Encourage an agency
exchange program across partners. Designate time
for specialists in all agencies to gain respect for
aspects of building connections.
16. About Initiative
Initiative is a performance-led media communications company.
Initiative believes that all marketing should be performance-driven. Data, analytics, insight and innovation are
central to all our services, and we hold ourselves fully accountable to client business goals. This commitment to
performance is at the heart of Initiative’s unique process and culture.
Owned by the Interpublic Group, Initiative is part of media management group Mediabrands and a partner of Magna,
IPG’s centralized media negotiation entity. Initiative employs more than 2500 talented professionals, working in 89
offices across 71 markets, worldwide.
Initiative’s comprehensive range of performance-led communications services include: research and insight, media
planning and buying, digital communications solutions, content creation, and evaluation and accountability services.
Consumer Connections
Through our Consumer Connections program of research, we are connected to 230,000+ consumers across more
than 50 markets. We interact with these consumers to understand purchase patterns and media behaviors across
continents to bring fresh insight into their lives and the role of the brands they use. The powerful single source data
we gather as part of this programme also informs planning decisions delivering enhanced ROI for our clients.
www.initiative.com