The public feud between beauty Influencers Tati and James Charles shows the power of conflict in brand storytelling Influencers are increasingly making their mark and it’s no longer just the big-name celebrities. Brands are always looking for the type of influencers that can have real impact on the purchase intentions of their followers. The power of Influencers is driven by some very basic, emotion-fueled instincts, such as social connection, identity and a good story, that create a powerful relationship between Influencer and fans. The Influencer world is competitive. Influencers with a lot of subscribers can make big money, but fan count alone doesn’t do it. Relationships are the key … [Read More...]

Digital Hollywood: VR and the Impact of Personality on Presence
Had a great time with an amazing panel of experts at Digital Hollywood talking about Clinical VR. Thanks to moderator Dr. Jerri Lynn Hogg, and panelists Dr. Skip Rizzo, Dorote Meyers-Lucci, Mary Poffenroth and Newman Lee. … [Read More...]

Will Hiding “Likes” Change Instagram’s Influence?
Instagram has announced that it is going to experiment with hiding Likes on posts to everyone except the account owner. Their goal, according to Instagram head Adam Mosseri, is to get people focused more on connecting with those they care about and less time worrying about Likes. While the intention of hiding Likes has merit in a global sense, it’s naive and unlikely that the outcome will achieve the desired effect. When technology changes, people adapt their behaviors to realize their goals. Knowing how many people “Like” you is pretty compelling stuff. People won't give that up lightly in spite of all the warnings about the dangers. The banishing of Likes isn’t being requested by … [Read More...]

The Upside of Social Media
We are awash in technophobia. Social technologies are currently taking the blame for a range of sins, from undermining democracy to destroying personal relationships. Can social media be problematic? Absolutely. But here’s the bottom line. It’s not going away. The solution isn’t to run for the hills. It’s for each one of us to get smart about what technology can and can’t do and figure out how to use it well. Social media can do a lot of good. It all depends on how you use it. As Ronnie Koenig points out in an article on NBCNews.com, it can help you to find out about new things—whether it’s for a trip or just going out to dinner. This … [Read More...]