Commentary

ROR: Return on Relationship

According to Ted Rubin, Chief Marketing Officer, Brand Innovators,  “… a Return on Relationship is the value that is accrued by a person or brand due to nurturing a relationship over time…. and this true relationship connection will pass through to the consumer.”

In writing on the findings of Influencer Marketing Research, Rubin says that “43% of marketers are experimenting with influencer marketing, and 28% are involving influencers at the campaign level. The latter reflects a focus on tactical influencer programs vs. long-term influencer relations that live beyond a single campaign.

The goal, however, is to take the best practices of influencer marketing, and move them toward a more meaningful genre of influencer relations—a new discipline that transcends all relationship- driven marketing. Relationships, and the IRM platforms needed to effectively manage them, require new standards and methods for identifying, managing, and measuring influencer engagement” observes Rubin.

“Marketers are starting to think more strategically about the world of influence,” says Rubin. “…Survey results uncover that 71% of brand marketers rate influencer marketing as a strategic or highly strategic marketing category… 55% of B2C companies studied stated that they currently employ ongoing influencer programs. Furthermore, 83% cited a top priorityi to identify and build one-on-one relationships with industry key influencers.” 

“Focus on a long-term approach rooted in a twoway dialogue. It’s often the phases between campaigns and events that allow you to have in-depth conversations, get valuable feedback and really gain a deeper understanding around what matters to your influencers. Investing this time and valuable resources builds credibility. This credibility and trust with an influencer is key to ongoing success.”

“Influence marketing is still young,” notes Rubin, “… and many brands reside in the very early stages of understanding influence. Half of those surveyed report small influencer marketing budgets in comparison to the rest of the marketing mix, allocating less than $100,000 annually.”

“The good news,” concludes Rubin, is that the tide’s about to turn. 55% of marketers plan to spend more next year, and for those companies that already spend more than $250,000 on influencer marketing, that percentage jumps to 67%. The percentage grows further to 77% when examining companies that are currently investing in technology… “ 

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