By Rob McLoughlin, SVP Consumers Insights, BUZZMEDIA

In a fragmented media environment, where millennials consume content and are exposed to marketing messages in a state of “continuous partial attention,” influencers have never been more important. Influence is a social currency connecting those that have knowledge and topical experience with those that seek it. As information streams grow, consumers increasingly rely on influencers with demonstrated expertise on their passion topics to inform their product choices.

At BUZZMEDIA, we study these dynamics every day to provide insights on the complex relationship between brands, content and consumers. To that end, we have partnered with Translation LLC on research to explore the interplay between influencers and consumers.

This joint study of U.S. millennial consumers will focus on three key areas:

• The Role of Influencers – Measuring consumer awareness of influencers and exploring the nature of the influence they wield throughout the consumer decision journey
• The Relationship Between Brands and Content – Determining how digital advertising and content create influence, quantifying content’s range of influence, and evaluating how ad formats and media help define relationships between consumers and brands
• How Brands Activate Influence – Exploring where consumers turn for information about brands, as well as how brands can leverage influencers, content and advertising to drive consumer action

The joint study, which we will debut in Q4, will include findings based on qualitative and quantitative research conducted among U.S. millennial consumers. We look forward to exploring these new, critically important topics regarding millennials through our partnership with Translation LLC and sharing the results!