IBM announced the launch of Watson Advertising Social Targeting with Influential, a new solution that harnesses artificial intelligence (AI) to help brands identify influencers that best align with their brand values. The new solution within the Watson Advertising suite of targeting products marks an expanded collaboration with Influential, a leader in advanced social media technology.
As brands shift advertising tactics in an increasingly fluid landscape, the social targeting tool can help brands communicate with an audience, IBM said in its press statement.
“Brand reputation matters now more than ever. Using social media to help drive purchase consideration is important as brands implement influencer marketing strategies to establish real connections with consumers, said Bob Lord, SVP of Cognitive Applications, Blockchain and Ecosystems, IBM. “Together with Influential, we’re building trust into the ecosystem by applying IBM Watson to help clients select an influencer that aligns to their brand values, exemplifying our belief that AI can and should be the backbone of the new digital economy.”
According to the 2019 Influencer Marketing Global Survey from Rakuten, an insight and analytics company, 87% consumers surveyed stated that they were inspired to make a purchase based on an influencer’s recommendation.
“More than ever, brands seek to make sure every dollar spent drives a measurable return in the online and offline world” said Influential CEO Ryan Detert. “Influencer marketing has evolved into a fully trackable channel that leverages suitable voices to speak on behalf of brands. We’ve seen how powerful Watson can be and are thrilled to expand our relationship with IBM Watson Advertising to bring this offering to even more brands and influencers.”
Establishing the Influential tool’s importance as the advertising industry readies for a future without cookies, Social Targeting with Influential does not rely on third-party data, but rather anonymized first-party data generated by an influencer’s followers on social media, further developing a relationship between brand and consumer. Acknowledging the value that the Influential tool brings to the marketplace, leading brands like Wells Fargo, McDonald’s and the NFL today are using the Influential platform to help drive consumer engagement and ROI.
“Influential’s IBM Watson-powered campaigns have helped us identify the right influencers and deliver at scale to help us better connect with our target audiences, added Michael Lacorazza, Executive Vice President, CMO, Head of Integrated Marketing, Wells Fargo.
These brands using the Influential platform saw unprecedented 100% positive sentiment scores among users and an increase in ROAS compared to social benchmarks, further illustrating the importance of harnessing AI technology to make smarter decisions.
Influential is an AI-powered social data and conversion technology. Leveraging a network of over 1 Million social media influencers, Influential’s technology powers seamless talent discovery, comprehensive brand safety, and creative and execution services. Influential works with Fortune 500 brands, including Walmart, McDonald’s, Pepsi, NFL, Nestlé, General Mills, Toyota, Samsung, and Sony Pictures.
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