The Influentials or One Life at a Time Please

The Influentials: One American in Ten Tells the Other Nine How to Vote, Where to Eat, and What to Buy

Author: Edward B Keller

One American in ten tells the other nine how to vote, where to eat, and what to buy. They are

The Influentials

Who are they? The most influential Americans -- the ones who tell their neighbors what to buy, which politicians to support, and where to vacation -- are not necessarily the people you'd expect. They're not America's most affluent 10 percent or best-educated 10 percent. They're not the "early adopters," always the first to try everything from Franco-Polynesian fusion cooking to digital cameras. They are, however, the 10 percent of Americans most engaged in their local communities...and they wield a huge amount of influence within those communities. They're the campaigners for open-space initiatives. They're church vestrymen and friends of the local public library. They're the Influentials...and whether or not they are familiar to you, they're very well known to the researchers at RoperASW. For decades, these researchers have been on a quest for marketing's holy grail: that elusive but supremely powerful channel known as word of mouth. What they've learned is that even more important than the "word" -- what is said -- is the "mouth" -- who says it. They've identified, studied, and analyzed influence in America since the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (now Exxon) hired Elmo Roper himself to develop a model for identifying opinion leaders, and in The Influentials, they are finally ready to share their results. A few samples:

• Influentials have been the "early majority" -- leading indicators of what Americans will be buying -- for more than five decades, from choosing energy-efficient carsin the 1970s to owning computers in the 1980s to adopting 401(k)s and IRAs in the 1990s to using the Internet and cell phones today.

• Influentials have led the way in social development as well, from the revival of self-reliance (in managing their own health care, investments, and consumption) to mass skepticism about the marketing claims of everything from breakfast food to politicians.

Although America's Influentials have always been powerful, they've never been more important than now. Today, a fragmented market has made it possible for Influentials to opt out of mass-message advertising, which means that a different route must be taken to capture their hearts and minds. The Influentials is a map for that route, a map that explains who these people are, how they exercise influence, and how they can be targeted. The Influentials features a series of rules and guidelines for marketing to Influentials; case studies of products that have prospered because of Influential marketing (and products that have failed because they lacked it); a history of the phenomenon...and why Influentials are more influential today than ever; and profiles of twelve real-life Influentials.

Both an intellectual adventure and a hands-on marketing manual, The Influentials is an extraordinary gold mine of information and analysis that no business can afford to ignore.

Publishers Weekly

There's a group of people, Keller and Berry posit, who are responsible for driving trends, influencing mass opinion and, most importantly, selling a great many products. These are the Influentials, the early adopters who had a digital camera before everyone else and who were the first to fly again after September 11. Like Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point), these authors are keen to point out a common phenomenon and spin it for the edification of marketing executives. Their assertion is that 10% of Americans determine how the rest consume and live by chatting about their likes and dislikes. Keller and Berry spend most of the book bolstering their theory with extensive findings from Roper polls (both authors work for Roper). Following this is a suggested plan of action for capturing Influentials' interest, with suggestions on how to target them, how to sell and even how to treat them in a customer service setting. Being an Influential today is similar to being a Vanderbilt in a bygone era: "[T]he company should invite them in and engage them in a conversation... and keep tabs on them in the weeks that follow." Because its points are so concrete and straightforward, the book should have little trouble finding adherents who want to woo such a powerful consumer base. Keller and Berry's theories are compelling and exceedingly well researched, and should be a boon to anyone looking to promote the next big thing. (Jan. 13) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Veterans of RoperASW, Keller and Berry based their first book on decades of research through the Roper Polls. Their findings suggest that one in ten people affects the way everyone else thinks via word of mouth. Presenting profiles of 12 such "Influentials" along with results of the polls, the authors argue that the most influential people in America are often everyday people, folks in one's own neighborhood who are active in civics, charities, and religious institutions. The premise is that marketers who understand these dynamics can focus their resources on these individuals in order to influence everyone else. Though the authors support their arguments with an impressive array of statistics, provided in minute detail to substantiate the premise, a much more lively discussion of a similar theme can be found in Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point. Clearly targeted toward practicing marketing professionals and business executives, this book is appropriate for libraries with specialized collections, such as those in business schools and advertising/PR agencies.-Stephen Turner, Turner & Assocs., San Francisco Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Soundview Executive Book Summaries

They are the most influential Americans — the ones who tell their neighbors what to buy, which politician to support and where to vacation. They aren't necessarily who you expect. They aren't the richest 10 percent or the best educated 10 percent. They aren't the early adopters who are always the first to try everything. They are, however, the 10 percent of Americans most engaged in their communities — where they wield a huge amount of influence. They're the Influentials. Together they are the best marketing tool around — using word of mouth to create spirals of influence. They have always been powerful, and they've never been more important than now. Today, a fragmented market has made it possible for Influentials to opt-out of mass-message advertising, which means that you must take a different route to reach them.

Influentials are not waiting for a product or service like a relay runner waiting for a baton. They want what they want when they want it. Influentials are more like marathon runners stopping briefly at a water station. If you want to reach them, you must place your water station along their route. These are the rules of their route:

• They use multiple sources of information.
• They put people first. Word-of-mouth is more important than traditional media.
• They believe in sharing what they know.
• They are voracious readers.
• The companies they buy from must practice continuous meaningful improvements or risk being overtaken by competitors who do.
• Buzz is not guaranteed. Influentials want better products and services but don't always have time to keep up with what's new.
• Influentials trust their instincts.

Influentials have played a dual role in the self-reliance movement. They have led the way in adopting many of the new products and services that enhance self-reliance: computers, the Internet, cell phones and self-directed retirement plans. On the other hand, their basic ideas have not changed much at all. Instead, it seems that it is the general public that has changed to become more like the Influentials. In essence, they have become role models for the national agenda.

Some key dynamics worth watching include:

• A different kind of activism: Americans are doing some things more than they were a decade ago. More are volunteering and more are setting up new community groups to address problems.
• Thinking out of the orthodox box: When getting involved, the emphasis seems to be on being effective and relevant. Influentials don't migrate to old interest groups or charities: They may even form their own.
• Return to values: Influentials appreciate their background and strive to preserve traditions and customs. They also see lack of morals as a major societal problem. To that end, they believe that parents and others in the community have a responsibility to guide children, including businesses that cater to children and youth.
• Levels of confidence: Influentials know being self-reliant doesn't mean knowing everything. People bring different levels of confidence to different subjects. But Influentials seek out knowledge to fill the gaps. Businesses must work hard to reach the right level of communication — not so complicated that customers can't follow, not so simple that they are offended.
• Self-improvement and learning: A major component of the self-reliant mind-set is learning.

You must find a way to reach the people whom people turn to when they need ideas and information. There are six rules you should use to reach the Influentials. They are:

1. Be Where the Information Is. Getting good information is integral to Influentials' decision process. They value information; businesses that want their attention should begin with offering them good, high-quality information. Place the information in media that are rich in information because that's where Influentials migrate.
2. When Critics Come Knocking, Invite Them In. When someone comes to you with a complaint, he or she is probably an Influential. When a call comes into a consumer complaint center, companies should assume it's from an Influential. Don't shy away from their criticism: Engage it and assess its merit with the individual making the call. Keep tabs on Influential criticism.
3. Get Out Into the Community. One of the best ways to win Influential favor is to become active in a cause that will produce tangible benefits in peoples' lives. Build sports fields, sponsor Girl Scout activities and create or maintain parks. In surveys, Influentials say they would welcome more locally cause-related marketing. They prefer programs with tangible results over softer, feel-good campaigns. While cause-marketing campaigns can't make up for a poor product, they can tip the scale in your favor when price and quality are equal. Influentials are willing to switch brands for a good cause.
4. Make It Easier and Then Make It Easier Still. When Influentials talk about brands, they usually do so in terms of how easy the brand has made their life. Saving money, getting good value for the dollar, and making life easier are the main focus when Influentials go shopping. They are, however, willing to pay extra for making life easier. They aren't impulse buyers either, don't care about "prestigious" brands and often buy brands they know and trust. Your marketing must convey the practical benefits of your products or services.
5. Know the 'Exceptions' and Keep Up With Them. Influentials are utilitarians in many areas, but they make "exceptions to the rule." Their homes are one as are automobiles. They also indulge in travel and personal health. Another frequent exception to the rule that products must be good quality and at a fair price is their penchant to shop locally.
6. Be A Brand and Tell the World. Influentials are skeptical of marketing and demanding of businesses, but they hold a high opinion of brands. They often believe a particular brand is worth paying more for. Don't be afraid to market your brand to Influentials. They likely will stick with it once they're sold on its quality and other benefits.

Copyright © 2003 Soundview Executive Book Summaries

Table of Contents:

	Introduction	1
1.	Who Are the Influentials?	27
	Demographics Are Not Influence
	Shared Characteristics and Diversity
	The Activists
	Profile: Isabel Milano
	People Who Are Connected
	People with Impact
	Profile: Larry Lee
	People with Active Minds
	A Product That Works: The Cell Phone
	Trendsetters
	A Product That Can Wait: E-Books
	Case Study: The Entrepreneurial Wave
	Are Influentials Born or Made?
2.	The Influential Personality	79
	A Clear Sense That "This Matters"
	Aspirations: The American Dream, the Good Life, and Life's Necessities
	Belief in Growth and Change
	Profile: Shelley Miller
	Balancing Community and Self
	Values: Family and Engagement First
	Where They Are Satisfied and What They're Working On
	Profile: Rick White
	Case Study: Green Marketing--the Influential Balance
	An Idea That Works: The Integrated Home
	Idiosyncrasy
3.	The Influence Spiral: How Influentials Get and Spread Ideas	123
	The Spiral of Influence
	Profile: Sophie Glovier
	The Water Station
	Multiple Sources of Information
	Nothing Beats Word of Mouth
	If You Get It, Share It
	Continuous Provement
	Case Study: Influential "Inflection Points" and "Plateaus"
	Media: In the Beginning Was the Word
	But They Use Other Sources, Too
	Profile: Teresa Graham
	An Idea That Works but Should Work Better: E-Commerce
	They Trust Their Instincts
4.	The Message of Influentials: The Age of Autonomy and the Rise of Self-Reliance	173
	The Self-Reliance Movement
	The New Century: The Changes Come to the Surface
	Older, More Educated, and More Adept
	The Role of Influentials
	Opportunities and Challenges
	A Different Kind of Activism
	Thinking Out of the Orthodox Box
	Profile: Mike Williams
	Return to Values
	Different Levels of Confidence
	"The Best Places to Have Money"
	Implications for Government and Institutions
	Self-Improvement and Learning
	Profile: David Pendergrass
	A Time for Building Up
5.	The Influential Vision: Seven Trends for the Future	227
	A Window onto the Future
	The Legacies Agenda
	Profile: Leonard Pitt
	Global Connections
	High Pace, High Peace
	A PC-Centered World
	Living Longer Stronger
	Profile: Walter Arrowsmith
	No Big Brothers
	The Limits of Convenience
6.	Developing an Influential Strategy: Six Rules for Getting into the Conversation	279
	"Mission Control: We've Got a Problem"
1.	Be Where the Information Is
2.	When Critics Come Knocking, Invite Them In
3.	Get Out into the Community
4.	Make It Easier--Then Make It Easier Still
	A Product That Works: Debit Cards
	Profile: Tim Draper
5.	Know "The Exceptions"--and Keep Up with Them
6.	Be a Brand, and Tell the World
	Profile: Sarah Vokes
	The Good News--and Your Challenge
	Notes on Methodology	339
	Acknowledgments	341
	Index	345

New interesting book: Cases and Materials on Corporations Including Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies or American Made

One Life at a Time, Please

Author: Edward Abbey

From stories about cattlemen, fellow critics, his beloved desert, cities, and technocrats to thoughts on sin and redemption, this is one of our most treasured writers at the height of his powers.

Library Journal

In this collection of previously published essays, Abbey writes on topics as diverse as immigration law, the nature of femininity, and the philosophy of Emerson. The book is divided into three sections: Politics, Travel, and Books and Art. Marvelous portraits of the Rio Grande and the Salmon rivers showcase Abbey's ability to evoke a feeling for the majesty of these places. His political essays are lively and provocative; those discussing books and art reveal him as one who has thought deeply about his craft. An original writer with strong convictions whose latest book is recommended for most collections. -- Randy Dykhuis, Grand Rapids P.L., Mich.