INTRODUCTION
Are you in the business of influence?
You have been influenced when you think in a way you wouldn’t otherwise have thought, or when you do something you wouldn’t otherwise have done.
So, are you influencing? And are you being influenced?
If you’re in the business of marketing, advertising, public relations, internal communications, public affairs, customer service, customer relationship management, social media, copywriting and content, SEO, branding, branded apps and widgets, brand journalism, Web design, graphic design, direct marketing, packaging, merchandising, promotion, publicity, events, sponsorship, sales and sales promotion, marketing and market research, product and service design and development, then you’re in the business of influence.
In fact, if you’re in business, indeed any type of organization, then you’re in the business of influence.
This book contends that the business of influence is broken. At least that’s how the popular press might report it. If you want to consider it through the lens of more cerebral media, you’d say that the current strategic approach to influence and the structure, processes and evaluation of influence are not fit for purpose. If the business of influence were to suddenly occur to us right now, relieving us for one hypothetical moment of the historic baggage of past political, economic, social and technological forces, traditions, language and happenstance, we’d suggest something quite different. It would take much greater ...
