Burson-Marsteller Identifies Next Generation of Influencers; Tech-fluentials are the New Chief Opinion Leaders.NEW YORK New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of -- A study released today by leading global public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most agency Burson-Marsteller, has identified a new group of opinion leaders - tech-fluentials. These tech-fluentials are powerful influencers who use high-end technologies to accelerate word-of-mouth marketing and turn their product recommendations into sales. The study revealed that 86 percent of tech-fluentials are asked by family, friends and colleagues for advice and influence these people's product choices. Tech-fluentials are a new breed of influential, technology-driven opinion leaders who seamlessly connect their work and personal lives while transmitting information about companies, brands and products. All-powerful chat rooms, web sites, digital cameras, discussion boards and blogs are the tools of the trade for these influencers who can create or change opinions, establish trends, build buzz for a brand and sway stakeholders Stakeholders All parties that have an interest, financial or otherwise, in a firm-stockholders, creditors, bondholders, employees, customers, management, the community, and the government. . "Tech-fluentials are self-appointed marketers and newsmakers who try products first and actively network to share their information far beyond the scope of their individual contacts," says Dr. Leslie-Gaines Ross, Burson-Marsteller's chief knowledge & research officer worldwide. "Marketers need to go beyond conventional approaches to target and engage tech-fluentials on an ongoing basis. These information activists require more than the tried-and-true communications approaches." Almost all tech-fluentials indicate that quality (98 percent) and function (97 percent) -regardless of price (74 percent) - are the primary factors that influence their technology purchasing decisions. More than three-quarters (76 percent) say they buy technology products based on design and style. Forty-two percent of tech-fluentials purchase a company's products and services after learning about a company's social responsibility programs. Tech-fluentials are fast communicators at home, at work and on the go. --Nine in 10 (92 percent) tech-fluentials have broadband at home and nearly half live in wireless households (43 percent). By contrast, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Pew PEW. A seat in a church separated from all others, with a convenient space to stand therein. 2. It is an incorporeal interest in the real property. And, although a man has the exclusive right to it, yet, it seems, he cannot maintain trespass against a person Internet and American Life Project (2004), 39 percent of U.S. online adults have high-speed access at home and about one percent use wireless technology when connecting to the Internet from home. --Twenty percent of tech-fluentials have smart phones with PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) A handheld computer for managing contacts, appointments and tasks. It typically includes a name and address database, calendar, to-do list and note taker, which are the functions in a personal information manager (see PIM). and e-mail access. According to the Yankee Group (the Yankee Group, Boston, MA, www.yankeegroup.com) A major market research, analysis and consulting firm founded in 1970 by Howard Anderson. It provides general consulting and strategic planning in the computer and communications field. , as of October 2004, less than one percent of the U.S. population use wireless e-mail. --Eight in 10 tech-fluentials use new technologies to solve business problems (83 percent) and believe that cutting-edge technology gives them a key business advantage (78 percent). According to the research sample of 400, tech-fluentials buzz about companies offline and online. --Eighty-one percent talk about their experiences with a company over the phone or in-person. --Fifty-one percent of tech-fluentials give feedback to companies through company web sites and thirty-three percent have their own blogs. Their blogging activity is significantly above technology norms. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project (2004), seven percent of U.S. online adults have created a blog. --Forty-six percent of tech-fluentials post messages on discussion boards and 41 percent use instant messaging Exchanging text messages in real time between two or more people logged into a particular instant messaging (IM) service. Instant messaging is more interactive than e-mail because messages are sent immediately, whereas e-mail messages can be queued up in a mail server for seconds or when relaying information about companies. "Latest communication technologies allow these public opinion leaders to switch gears from observing corporate initiatives to publishing their views within seconds. Every time tech-fluentials speak up, companies have the opportunity to engage in one-to-one communication with them and earn their support," says Idil Cakim, director, knowledge development at Burson-Marsteller. How to Target Tech-Fluentials Adds Cakim, "Reaching tech-fluentials takes more than targeted communications. It involves one-to-one relationship management." Companies can survey their stakeholders to identify their own set of tech-fluentials, invite them to join affinity groups A special interest group. This is a marketing term for a group of people with similar interests. , host online discussion forums soliciting these influencers' opinions and take cues from tech-fluentials' suggestions when creating new products, media plans and social responsibility programs. About the Study The tech-fluentials study is based on Burson-Marsteller's landmark research on e-fluentials(R), a powerful group of online opinion makers. Using its proprietary algorithm, Burson-Marsteller screened WIRED panel members and identified 400 e-fluentials among them. For complete information on e-fluentials, please visit www.efluentials.com. About Burson-Marsteller Burson-Marsteller (www.bm.com), established in 1953, is a leading global public relations and communications consultancy. It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs Those public information, command information, and community relations activities directed toward both the external and internal publics with interest in the Department of Defense. Also called PA. See also command information; community relations; public information. , advertising, and Web-related services. The firm's seamless worldwide network consists of 45 wholly-owned offices and 49 affiliate offices, together operating in 57 countries across six continents Six Continents is a large retail PLC in UK which split into Six Continents Retail known as Mitchells and Butlers plc. The hotels and soft drinks business of Six Continents PLC is now known as InterContinental Hotels Group PLC. . Burson-Marsteller is a part of Young & Rubicam Brands, a subsidiary of WPP Group WPP Group plc (LSE: WPP) (NASDAQ: WPPGY), based in London, United Kingdom, is one of the world's largest communications services groups (and one of the big six advertising holding companies, the others being Omnicom, Interpublic, Publicis, Dentsu and Havas) employing plc (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on : WPPGY), one of the world's leading communications services networks. |
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