The key is harnessing the power of social influence in a compelling way that connects authentic story-telling with brand and product interaction. This is a radical departure from the current media and eCommerce environment as consumers seek information when and where they want it vs. proceeding along a predictable purchase path. Mobile is accelerating this behavior leaving many retailers, brands and publishers perplexed about how to capitalize.
It is time for legacy brands and publishers to realize that in order to survive for the long-term they have to learn to embrace the crowd. Build relationships with their audience, empower them and their employees to build their own brands and share content relevant to them… then leverage this to scale content production and to reach consumers on their own terms.
Welcome to the age of influence, where anyone can build an audience, advocate brands, build relationships, effect change and make a difference.