The Evolution of Influence in 16 Minutes

April 28, 2012

For brands, influence matters. It really matters. But how does a brand gain influence and develop an audience of influential brand advocates?

Amplify created a short film called FanCulture that explains how the relationship between brands and consumers (i.e., fans) grows and how that relationship evolves into increased influence. The video features branding experts and academics as well as “superfans” of brands. Amplify says that the video is intended to help brands learn how to move from logo to cultural icon by cultivating a powerful relationship with consumers.

The video is also a great example of effective content marketing through online video storytelling. As you watch the video below, consider how you can create similar content related to your brand and business to offer useful, interesting information to consumers, clients, vendors, and so on. That’s what content marketing is all about.

The concept of superfans and brand influence isn’t a new one. The Amplify video talks about brands as diverse as The Beatles to Nike. Regardless of the industry a brand is in or when it debuted, consumers can become emotionally involved in that brand, develop loyalty to it, and ultimately become powerful brand advocates. Their influence can create a form of word-of-mouth marketing that money can’t buy.

As Sheila Shayon wrote on BrandChannel, “Engaging enthusiasts and brand ambassadors should become more than just buying “Likes” on Facebook.” Getting people to like your brand is just the first step. In fact, likes are meaningless if the people who like your brand aren’t emotionally connected to it. Look beyond likes and you’ll see your brand advocates increase and your brand influence grow.

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Susan Gunelius

President & CEO at KeySplash Creative, Inc.

Susan Gunelius is the author of multiple marketing, social media, branding, copywriting, and blogging books, and she is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She also owns Women on Business, a leading blog for business women. She is a featured columnist for Entrepreneur.com, a featured writer for Forbes.com, and the Guide to Blogging for About.com. Additionally, her marketing-related articles have appeared on websites such as MSNBC.com, FoxBusiness.com, WashingtonPost.com, TheStreet.com, SmartMoney.com, TodayShow.com, BusinessWeek.com, Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Small Business, and more. She has nearly 20 years of experience in the marketing field having spent the first decade of her career directing marketing programs for some of the largest companies in the world, including divisions of AT&T and HSBC. Susan also appears at in-person and virtual events where she speaks about marketing, branding, social media, and more (visit www.SusanGunelius.com for more information). You can connect with her on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.