What Makes an Influential Brand?

Panel discussion at the Deloitte Fast 50 Festival at Auckland's Villa Maria winery. We explored the meaning of influential in the context of influencer marketing and brand building. Influence has been defined as affecting or changing someone or something in an indirect but impactful way. I hope this supports the trend toward pull- rather than push-marketing. Energized by the questions we received, the panel also went on to distinguish influence from manipulation, visibility vs. notoriety, and the rise of the cult of personality.