Category: Viral Marketing

Have you heard? TheInfluencers.ca has arrived.
“Agent Wildfire”:http://www.agentwildfire.com/, lead by Sean Moffitt, has launched “TheInfluencers.ca”:http://www.theinfluencers.ca/ – Canada’s first (and only) WOM network. The goal? To tap into interesting products and ideas across Canada. A way to get a heads up on what will be the next big thing. TheInfluencers.ca is “the online hub that provides member Influencers access to insider content and exclusive opportunities, helping you stay up to speed with word of mouth discoveries well before the mainstream.” It reminds me a bit of a “mashup”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(web_application_hybrid) between “Sweetspot.ca”:http://sweetspot.ca/, “Hotspex”:http://www.hotspex.com/ and “IpsosReid”:http://www.ipsos.ca/ with a little “MySpace”:http://www.myspace.com/ thrown in for good measure.
My question… is this for consumers, or is it *really* for marketers?
Here are the basics: You self-identify as an influencer, someone who sets trends for your social group or is the expert on all things SLORG (where “slorg” can be fashion, food, tech or travel, or one of 14 other topics). The only current restriction is that to be an influencer you must be over 14. Now for some specifics promotions, like the Global Influencers Club (sneak previews of two of Global’s fall lineup: Shark and Brothers & Sisters), you might have to meet certain geographical or age requirements.
What do influencers get out of it? A little prestige. A chance at some sneak peeks. A chance to be heard.
What do marketers get out of it? Well, marketers have the potential to get way more out of this than consumers.