Influentials are the 10 percent of the population who tell the other 90 percent what to do — what brand of toothpaste to buy, what diet to try, what new diagnostic test or drug to ask their doctor about. And yet, influentials are not necessarily the academic, business or association VIPs. Influentials are often the "go-to" people on the community board, the organizer of a letter-writing campaign or the president of the PTA. In this presentation, you'll learn the impact of these influentials on health care legislation at the state and federal level. You'll also learn how to recruit these movers and shakers and put them to work to sway public opinion, or generate results in fund-raising, advocacy and issue awareness.

1. The Influentials
Missed Opportunity or Marketing Genius?
Joseph LaMountain
Vice President, Reingold Inc.
Adjunct Faculty, Georgetown University

2. Session Overview
Learning Objectives:
Who are the Influentials?
What makes them special?
Why are they important?
Where can you find them?
When should you engage them in
your campaigns?
How can you use them in your
marketing and communications?

3. Session Overview
I. Introductions
II. Communication Landscape
III. The Influentials
IV. Case Study: NPAF
President’s Council
V. Future Applications
VI. Discussion

4. Communications Landscape

5. Communications is not new…
What’s the oldest
form of
communications by
the earliest
humans?
How did people
communicate with
one another?

6. Body Language/Gesturing

7. Communications is not new…

8. Why Do We Talk to One Another?
Man is a social
animal. The
tendency to form
social unions beyond
reproduction is
biologically encoded.
We seek friends as
well as mates and
partners.
Evolutionary benefit to those who find social relationships
helpful. Promotes genetic selection of people with
genetic trait (though loners can survive).

9. Language facilitates social movements

10. Christianity = Grassroots
How did Christianity (or
Judaism or Islam) spread?
Mark 16:15 - He said “Go ye
into the world and preach
the gospel to every
creature.”
Those who spread the
gospel were known as
evangelists.
This is origin of term “brand
evangelist” used today.
St. Paul as an example…

11. Paul’s Missionary Travels

12. Christianity’s Success…
Impressive given available tools
Key grassroots elements in the
history of Christianity:
Fills psychological need
(Cialdini)
Interesting and appealing
message (be saved)
A specific call to action
(convert/baptism and spread
word to others).
But there’s more....

13. 3 Reasons Paul Succeeded
1. Reached out to small
groups: synagogues, workers
guilds and clubs (Gladwell).
2. Focus on cities and
“connectors,” who know a lot
of people (Gladwell).
3. Used a logo for visual
representation.
Described by pagan
opponents as a “contagion”
(Gladwell, again).

14. Who are modern evangelists?

15. Who are modern evangelists
Church of Latter Day
Saints sends young
members on missions
worldwide to convert
people.
Organizations like
Greenpeace, US PIRG and
other send young believers
door-to-door for
solicitations and support.
Other examples?

16. Clipboard Wielding Hippies
Ad Age Columnist:
Canvassing is annoying, a
waste of time. Focus on
social media instead.
New York Times:
Distributing brochures in
newsworthy (who knew)
Does canvassing work?
Can social media replace
more traditional forms of
communication?

17. An Insider’s Perspective…
Target Analytics White Paper:
Street canvassers recruiting
monthly donors
#1 fundraising method in
Australia and the UK
Greenpeace, WWF and
UNICEF raise most money
internationally this way.
84% of recurring donors are
new to the organization
High Value = High Touch

18. Are there other ways to evangelize?

19. Evangelists and…Tattoos?
Evangelism doesn’t
always mean going door-
to-door.
People can become
evangelicals in other ways
for a cause, candidate or
company.
What about tattoos?
How did Obama
evangelists show their
support?

20. Tattoos as Evangelism
This is one reason why strong logo and brand identity are key!

21. Yesterday’s News...
How are
tattoos a
form of
influence?
Why would
someone
pay a person
to get one?
Does it
matter if you
get paid to
do it?

22. Obama-vangelists
Obama/brand = Center of
their social network.
How can you get supporters
to do something similar?
Will people become
evangelists for your cause?

23. The start of mass communications

24. 15th C Tech Revolution
1439: Guttenberg invents
the printing press and
changes communications
Information flows more freely
and widely. You don’t need
to speak face to face with
someone.
Information is now
permanent, longer lasting
than oral tradition. Allows
message to seep in.

25. It’s No Coincidence…
Within 100 years of printing
press invention, you have
Protestant Reformation.
Would Reformation happen
w/o printing press?
Tech will always change the
way we communicate.
What does future hold?
Modern analogue to
Protestant Reformation?

26. A Modern Analogue?
Social unrest in Middle East
facilitated through online.
Religion involved too.
Twitter, Facebook = The
New Printing Press.
Harder to political leaders
to censor than books and
printed materials.
Information flows more
freely.
Offline component too.

27. American & French Revolutions
Communications breed
revolutions and movements.
More people are literate.
Written materials are key.
“Most readily adopted by
partisans in a political or social
crisis” in France
Common Sense - Biggest
selling book in US history.
“The most incendiary and
popular pamphlet of the entire
revolutionary era”

28. It’s More than Just Words

29. Songs of the Revolution
Music/singing was
fundamental to the Fr and
Amer Revolutions
Thousands of hymns and
songs created. Star Spangled
Banner and La Marsellaise.
Circulated political information,
easier to remember than
treatises or pamphlets.
A group activity, it helped unify
the peasants and affirm their
solidarity

30. Songs still influence...
“Yes We Can” by will.i.am
and “Crush on Obama” by
Obama Girl
Don’t Stop by Fleetwood
Mac for Clinton 1992
How is music used by
politicians today? By
companies seeking to sell
their products?
What was the role of music
in the US Antiwar
movement?

31. What about Pussy Riot?

32. What about Pussy Riot?

33. Back to Our History Lesson…

34. Another example....
Lyman Beecher, early 19th
century minister.
“Built his own evangelical
army” in support of his social
causes (e.g. abolition,
temperance).
“Cheap mass-produced
newspapers and tracts...and
a coordinated distribution
system of ministers and lay
volunteers.”

35. But Personal Still Persuades
Copperheads were Northern
opponents of Civil War
“Ginned up” opposition to
Lincoln. Newspapers and
major communications tool.
“Soldiers began to flood the
home front with letters
explaining why Lincoln should
be reelected.” He was.
Why were soldiers letters more
influential than newspapers?

36. 19th Century Technology
The Victorian Internet:
Tom Standage
First online
communications tool.
Allowed for first-time
ever instantaneous
communications
“As perplexing,
controversial, and
revolutionary as the
Internet is today.”

37. Downton Abbey and Technology

38. The Changing Landscape
From 1900-2000 was a
major transformation of
communications
How have Candidates,
Companies & Causes
changed the way they
communicate?
What do they still do the
same as in 1900?
What’s the result of all
these changes in
communications?

39. In 1980…7 TV channels in
NYC burbs, no internet,
VCR/DVD, email, etc…
1990 my 5 person department
shared a PC. Whole office
shared 1 fax machine.
In 2000, no social media and
way to connect with friends
and colleagues online
Reductive: Now we’re moving
to image-based social media:
Instagram, Pinterest
The Information Age

40. Technology Revolution
Information Age - 20th C.
has seen great change
Instant and widespread
ability to reach people, but
harder to do so.
What changes since since
1900? How does it change
how we communicate?
Technology depersonalizes
communications. They have
less impact.

41. One thing hasn’t changed…

42. Communications is not new…

43. Body Language/Gesturing

44. Harder and harder…
We are swimming in
messages (3K a day)
Much more difficult to reach
people using traditional
vehicles (mass media)
Social media and internet
reduce barriers, but they also
increase volume
How do you reach someone?
By going back to personal
communications!

45. Lots of competition!
Each US Rep receives an
average of 10K emails
every week.
5,000 bills are introduced
in a typical session of
Congress.
Capitol Hill (and everyone
else) is drowning in
information
Personal conversations
cut through that clutter

46. Highly personal contacts, like
shaking hands, phone banks,
canvassing.
Working with groups:
businesses, social clubs,
houses of worship, unions
Clear call to action: Vote!
They also use lots of paper
(signs, flyers, buttons,
postcards)
Obama 08 & 12 Case Study
Politicians Excel at Personal

47. Ground Game GOTV
Obama has 900+ people on
payroll, Romney has ~400. DNC
had 292 staffers and RNC 208.
The Obama campaign says its
size gives it a sheer manpower
advantage, presumably reaching
more potential voters.
Republicans say their smaller
staff is reaching big results:
84,000 volunteers made over 30
million voter contacts (350 each).
Obama campaign has 1.5M vols.

48. Senator Harry Reid’s 2010
reelection campaign.
Hostile climate: Highest rates
of unemployment, homes
underwater and foreclosures.
Approval rating 30-40
Absolutely outmuscled
opponent, Sharon Angle.
Mobilized bodies/voters with
the help of unions and other
allies. Strongarm.
Political Case Study

49. The Most Important Graphic Ever!

50. The Communications Pyramid

51. The Power of People to Influence

52. What does this mean?
No silver bullets.
You can’t rely on just one
tool (like Luther).
Communications must be
integrated and coordinated
with one another.
Organization trumps
Enthusiasm
Grassroots, personal
discussions influence and
cuts through the clutter.

53. Influentials

54. The 10%...
Influentials are the 10% of
the population who tell the
other 90% what to buy,
candidates to support,
causes to support.
They are hard to reach and
persuade, but if you can get
them on your side, they can
help make the case for your
company, cause or
candidate

55. The Tipping Point
Information spreads like
disease
We can learn how to
facilitate spread of
information by looking at
diseases and epidemics.
Little things can make a
huge difference and
facilitate a firestorm of
communications.

56. Three Laws of Epidemics
1.The Law of the Few - One
sick person can lead to
infection of millions
2.The Stickiness Factor - The
spread of disease depends on
how contagious it is.
3.The Power of Context - Your
likelihood of getting sick
depends on factors (age,
location, immunity).
Gladwell says this is also true
for ideas and information.

57. The Law of the Few
Gaetan Dugas aka AIDS
“Patient Zero”
Connected to 40 of first 248
AIDS patients
Traveled worldwide as flight
attendant
Develop symptoms,
continued to travel and infect
sexual partners
This is why we have
quarantines (for invasive
species too).

58. Began with Kansas farmers.
Highly contagious. Spread to
local army base with 60,000
soldiers.
Aided by WWI troop
movements, it circled the
globe and killed 50-100
million in just 18 months.
It killed more in 24 months
than AIDS in 24 years, more
in 1 year than the plague
killed in a century.
Influenza Epidemic of 1918

59. Who spreads information?
Gladwell says 3 kinds of
people facilitate flow of
information
Connectors: a.k.a. people
specialists
Mavens: information
specialists
Salesmen: persuaders,
influence specialists
You need to proactively
engage them in your efforts

60. Connectors
William Dawes vs Paul
Revere (The Connector)
1960s Milgram study:
Letter delivery in Omaha
(six degrees of separation)
If they know about your
cause, candidate or
company they’ll blab
LaMountain’s Law: The
more people you have
talking the faster and wider
information spreads. Key!

61. Mavens
Collector of knowledge in an
information age, credible
Want to share with others
(best doctor, new band,
hottest restaurant, etc).
Paul Revere was also a
maven.
Connect them with a
connector and the party
begins
They can start an information
epidemic

62. Meet Chandler...
#1 reviewer on Amazon.com
Has reviewed 696 items and
secured 40,965 “helpful”
votes on the site (96% of all
reviews she’s made).
Amazon: “Our top reviewers
have helped millions of their
fellow customers make
informed purchase decisions
on Amazon.com with their
consistently helpful, high-
quality reviews.”

63. Salesmen
Case Study: Tom Gau,
Financial Planner & Woody
Faircloth, Telecom Exec
The psychology of
persuasion (Cialdini)
Power of non-verbal
communications (Peter
Jennings and Reagan)
Conversational harmony
The “likeability” factor

64. An Influential combines
attributes of a connector, a
maven and a salesman
Because they know many
people and soak up large
amounts of information,
Influentials stand out as
smart, informed sources of
advice and insight.
Who do you know like this?
Are you an influential?
Influentials stand out

65. Why are Influentials…Influential?

66. Persuasion and and Action
Explains the
psychology of why
people say “yes” and
how to apply those
understandings.
Incorporating these
principles into your
tactics can
significantly increase
adoption.

67. Fixed Action Patterns
Regular, blindly mechanical
patterns of action in species
(including humans).
Turkey “cheep cheep”
The trigger features that
activate them can be used
into duping us into playing
them at he wrong times.
Evolutionary biology rears
its head again (memes).
Is this ethical?

68. The Power of Authority
Stanley Milgram again…
65% of people willing to
give others maximum
shock when ordered to by a
scientist.
Authority allows for a well
functioning society
As authorities in their
community, Influentials
have the ability to persuade

69. An example of the use of authority

70. The Power of Doctors

71. The Power of Doctors

72. Opinion Leaders
Chronicle of Higher
Education article
Term coined in 1955 in
book “Personal Influence”
Opinion leaders “avoid
masses” (and mass media
costs) by concentrating on
special people.
Opinion leaders still used.
But how has role
changed? Who is an
opinion leader today?

73. Some characteristics
Not necessarily the
wealthiest, best educated,
in most powerful jobs
What most identifies
Influential Americans is
their activism and
connectedness.
They are involved in life,
local affairs, make their
opinions known to others.
They work the levers of
society to achieve goals.

74. A Classic Use of Influentials
Georgia Sadler: Raising
health awareness in San
Diego among African
Americans
Tried seminars after church
but no one came.
Realized she needed a new
context for her messages.
She also needed a new
influential messenger.
What did she do?

75. Some other examples…
Recruited hair stylists: “part
connector, maven and
salesman”
Captive audience. Trained
them on health and
effective communications.
Gave them gossipy
“conversation starters” to
keep it interesting.
Evaluations found the
program worked, more
people got tested.

76. Politicians have this down…
Tom Boyer, an old work
colleague (1995-98) contacted
me before election day.
“The Obama campaign just
sent me a note to remind you
to register to vote if you have
not done so already. True.
Their records indicate that you
may not be registered vote
and the final day to register is
tomorrow. How crazy is that?”

77. Finding Influentials

78. How/where do you find them?
Connectors, Mavens,
Salesmen?
Ivory Soap 1-800 number
People with a lot of FB or
LinkedIn connections?
People with a lot of
reviews on Amazon, Yelp
or TripAdvisor?
How do you get them to
find you and start them
talking???

79. Case Study: The Influentials
Roper ASW research and
polling firm developed
questionnaire to ID
influentials.
Those answering “yes” to
3+ questions were
considered influential in
their community.
How could this be used in
real life to find influential
volunteers?

80. The Questions
Have you ever...
__ Written/called any politician about health care?
__ Attended a political/policy event?
__ Attended a public meeting or hearing on health care?
__ Served on a committee for a local organization?
__ Served as an officer for a club or organization?
__ Written a letter to editor or called a live radio/TV show?
__ Signed a petition in support of/opposition to an issue?
__ Been interviewed on television or radio?
__ Participated in a Washington, DC lobby day?
__ Volunteered for a political campaign or party?
__ Made a political donation/contribution?
__ Held or run for any political office?
__ Been active in a group trying to influence government?

81. Case Study: NPAF

82. From Theory to Practice
NPAF wanted to recruit a a
“grasstops” volunteer
advocacy network
CEO: “I want them to be hard
wired into politics and health
care.”
The NPAF President’s
Council would engage with
policymakers and regulators
on a high level.
Quality vs. Quantity

83. Where do you Find Them
NPAF wanted Influentials
already familiar with
organization and its work.
Only base was network of
2,500 disengaged volunteers.
We created an application
and positioned it as
“exclusive” opportunity for
membership.
Modified version of Roper
ASW questions (addition of
health care)

84. Selecting them
More than 275 applications
were received (about 10% of
total pool of volunteers).
Individuals were “scored” on
the number of “yes”
responses to questions.
The more “yes” answers, the
higher your ranking.
Other criteria included ethnic,
gender and geographic
diversity.

85. The Results
Personal interviews with 100 people.
78 accepted into the program.
Average # of “yes” responses was 9
(Influential=3).
• 99% contacted elected on health care.
• 94% attended a meeting on health care.
• 88% active in a group seeking to influence
government.
• 86% served as officer for organization.
• 71% interviewed on live TV or radio.
• 61% participated in a DC lobby day.
• 60% volunteered for a candidate/party.

86. The Results
NPAF President’s Council
Demographics....
80% university degree (US avg is 30%)
45% post-grad degree (US avg is 9.5%)
86% “very familiar” with health care.
60% live within 75 miles of their state
capital; 40% within 30 miles
49% have been served by PAF (others
have referred patients to PAF)
50% personally know elected official

87. My favorite story…
Mary Edwards of Howard
County, Maryland.
Registered Nurse, former
insurance company executive.
Within 1 week of being
recruited, testified before MD
legislature on cancer legislation.
Was able to work her contacts
to get additional groups and
people involved.
No training needed!

88. The Results
They have been
a gold mine.
Larry Lanier
NPAF Vice President

89. A Cautionary Note
Critical to keep engaged. What
do you want them to do?
Important to have specific,
meaningful calls to action.
Because they are busy, try not
to overuse or inundate with
requests (2-4 hrs/month).
Quality vs Quantity
Keep ongoing dialogue (email,
webinar conference call).

90. Other uses

91. How can you apply?
What are some potential
applications for Influential
volunteers by companies,
causes and candidates?
How could you use influential
volunteers, customers or
supporters in your line of
work?
Do many companies, causes
or candidates currently follow
this approach?

92. How can you use
Influentials to help
increase presence?
Where do you find them?
How can you use them to
engage with elected
officials and staff?
What are some specific
things they can do?
What are some potential
pitfalls or barriers to use?
Advocacy and GR

93. How can you use
Influentials to help
increase funding?
Where do you find them?
How can you use them to
gain more customers, or to
support your sales team?
What are some specific
things they can do?
What are some potential
pitfalls or barriers to use?
Fundraising/Sales

94. How can Influentials help
you raise awareness about
a disease or test that can
diagnose?
Where do you find them?
What are some specific
actionable things they can
do to help reach people?
What are the challenges
and barriers to using
influentials to raise
awareness?
Raising Awareness

95. Nonprofit leaders hesitant to
adopt. Easier to press a
button and send an email.
Many don’t understand
value of personal
engagement, still focused
on mass communications.
A team of individuals
requires time to manage,
require hand holding.
Unorthodox. “Risky”
Barriers to Adoption

96. Happy to discuss recruiting
and mobilizing Influentials in
your community.
Feel free to contact me after
the conference if I or Reingold
can be of any assistance.
Can provide free
analysis/recommendations for
5 groups at this conference.
Leave me your biz card with
“Influentials” written on it.
Thank you!

97. Contact:
Joseph LaMountain
jlamountain@reingold.com
571.814.3372
www.reingold.com