Commentary
Klout With A K On Clout With A C
- by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, October 27, 2011
That’s what OMMA Social programming chair and emcee (and Social Insider columnist) Cathy Taylor asked Tim Mahlman, Chief Revenue Officer, Klout to distinguish. Specifically, she asked him to focus on “clout with a C.”
It’s “how advertisers are looking to reach people who do have influence,” Mahlman said, adding, “We turn to the people who are either experts in that field, or who are influencers, and their opinion matters very much to us, and drives change.”
Mahlman said this isn’t new, of course, and he even drew upon his own early career experience, when he had a job out of college helping Clorox to introduce a new product.
“It’s not new that people have been trying to find those people who have influence,” he said, recalling that Clorox specifically targeted “heads of the PTA, heads of the soccer society, heads of all the people who were key to that community.”
The reason, he said, was that, “The brand wanted to get that product in their hands.”
Joe Mandese is the Editor in Chief of MediaPost. You can reach Joe at joe@mediapost.com.
Clout is an interesting theory. Solid statistical research suggests online "clout" has no connection with clout that is true to life.
Further, experience suggests leveraging clout for your product or brand can only succeed in certain select situations.
Too bad it's about the only thing social media advocates want to sell...