Do Influentials Really Influence Anybody?

Francois posts about a couple of new research reports that point to the fact that influenctials might not have as much influence as we believe.

My hunch is that the world of influencing is much more complicated than we think it is. Case in point. I've been watching the company Lululemon and the rise of yoga clothing with interest as an emerging trend. Yet, I thought they only made women's clothing. Recently, two friends, both designers, showed up with very interesting, but different, jackets. I asked both where they had gotten their jackets. They both had discovered Lululemon from their wives and really liked the men's clothing and the brands story. Well, I had to check it out. And, indeed, they were right.

No matter how much advertising Lululemon did I would have never walked in the store without being inspired by my friends.

Influence does work.

Comments

[John Bell]

There is no question that word-of-mouth recommendations are some of the most powerful forms of influence. That's what NPS is all about. I agree that the dymanics are complicated and hard to measure. But I love your lululemon example - that's how it works.