By Rob McLoughlin

Advertising Week in New York City has come to a close.  Last week, BUZZMEDIA had the chance to interact with some of the other top minds in advertising, marketing and media to discuss global trends, major brand successes, and business drivers that shape our industry.

On Wednesday, we hosted a roundtable discussion that focused on the topic of maximizing influence.  We were joined by TV personality LaLa Anthony, George Haynes of KIA USA, and Jack Bamberger of MEC Digital to discuss how brands and personalities leverage their influence to build relationships with consumers.

We discussed the difference between limited influence and meaningful influence.  Knowing a tweet or post might be seen by a lot of eyeballs is one thing, but influencing purchasing decisions and behavior requires a more sophisticated approach.  LaLa, who boasts a cool 1.9 million Twitter followers, recognizes her influence comes from her trust and relatability factor.  Millennial audiences, in particular, are loyal and extremely savvy – they know when they are being advertised to and, more often than not, reject overtly sales-y messages.  LaLa shared that the costs would outweigh the benefits if she tweeted on behalf of a brand she doesn’t truly believe in.  Her fans “know” her and would recognize if she wasn’t being authentic.  In the end, it would only alienate LaLa’s audience and diminish her position as a trusted source.

For brands like KIA and agencies like MEC Digital, the same applies.  Haynes and Bamberger acknowledged social media has given everyone a platform and a megaphone.  While they know that they have limited control over the online conversation, there is a way for brands to help direct and influence consumer sentiment.  Success begins with first understanding the general sentiment toward their brand then sharing messages to either counter or further align with these messages, laying the groundwork for trust, relatability, and, ultimately, influence.

Key takeaway: Authenticity is essential to influence.  A brand needs to be true to its vision and transparent in its communication to earn the trust and relatability that result in meaningful influence.

Thanks to all those that attended the panel.  We’ll see you next year, Advertising Week!