Influence 2.0

Influence 2.0

An eBook on the implications of Web 2.0 for business professionals in market-facing functions

Version 1.0.

This document is meant as a starting point, and so we have also posted it on a wiki at I2.wiki.whatever. We encourage all interested parties to come to the wiki to contribute their thoughts, examples, additional topics that will further the understanding of

Executive Summary

The marketing landscape is undergoing enormous change due to changes in technology, consumer behavior, and competitive need. While many in the industry focus on specific items like digital video recorders (e.g. TiVo), the rise of blogs, or consumer-created ads, these are all manifestations of a larger shift in the fundamental relationship among marketers, media companies, and their audience. The implications of this for Marketers, PR professionals, and other customer-facing functions are beginning to be felt in the waning effectiveness of decades-old practices, and the ascendance of a more complicated, intertwined, and fluid environment this eBook dubs “Influence 2.0”. To respond successfully, companies must adapt to this larger trend, not just adopt each individual manifestation.