Allison+Partners Defines What It Means to Be an Effective Influencer with Launch of “Influence Impact Score”

Global marketing communications firm Allison+Partners has created a proprietary scoring system, developed in conjunction with data scientists and mathematicians, to measure the potential impact influencers can have on consumer decision-making. The new scoring system goes beyond digital and social channels to allow marketers to more effectively target those who activate and inspire others throughout the process of consideration, purchase or advocacy. The new measure is expressed with the equation (Reach + Authenticity) x Power.

The Influence Impact Score is based on proprietary data from Allison+Partners’ 2016 Influence Impact Report, which uncovered which channels influence consumers the most. Developed to identify, qualify and rank influencers based on potential impact, the Influence Impact Score is used as both a diagnostic tool for evaluating existing programs and a means to benchmark the effectiveness of future influencer relations programs. At the core of the efforts is a holistic view of managing media and influencer relations programs called Influence 360. This approach is grounded in the belief that anyone who has the ability to carry a brand’s message, regardless of channel, is an influencer and someone who warrants engaging.

“We’ve developed a data-driven solution to influencer identification that includes digital and offline sources, and evaluates influencers with variables beyond just their engagement metrics,” said Corey Martin, managing director, consumer marketing at Allison+Partners. “This allows Allison+Partners to determine the most impactful influencers for brands, whether they are a journalist, celebrity, politician or PTA member.”

While the new scoring system is already being implemented with clients, the agency is officially launching the ‘Influence Impact Score’ by identifying which top-of-the-podium athletes from the summer games hold the greatest potential for influence. Allison+Partners has released the results in a new report, “The Golden Influencers: A Ranking of the Summer Games Most Influential American Athletes.” The findings can be used by brands seeking to understand the potential effectiveness of America’s top athletes.

Further information on the scoring system and ranking of athletes can be found at www.allisonpr.com/influence.

A number of striking trends emerged from the report:

• Swimming, gymnastics, basketball and track and field athletes generally carry the most influence. All of the top 25 athletes came from these sports, and four of the five U.S. gymnasts were included in the top 25.
• Carmelo Anthony and Michael Phelps are the most influential athletes, and both received the highest score possible (100).
• Simone Biles (96.3) rounded out the top three. Her teammates, Aly Raisman (92.5) and Gabby Douglas (92.5), also ranked in the top 10, beating out a number of players who enjoy promotional support and media attention from the NBA, making their ascent and success even more astounding.
• More women are influential, overall. Of the top 25 athletes, 52 percent are women. Allyson Felix, the most decorated female track and field athlete, scored an impressive 92.5.
• Outspoken swimmer Lilly King (1551.49 percent) and Simone Manuel (1537.66 percent), the first African-American woman to win an individual gold medal in swimming, are the only two athletes who experienced more than 1000 percent growth on Twitter over the course of the summer games.
• Michael Phelps, Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky were the most prominent names in online media coverage, showcasing an undeniable ability to dominate the summer games news cycle.
• A number of first time medal winners, including shot putter Michelle Carter (87.5), triathlete Gwen Jorgensen (80), and wrestler Helen Maroulis (77.5), posted impressive scores. Carter was in the top 25 of all athletes.

The top 25 most influential U.S. gold medal athletes are as follows; visit www.allisonpr.com/influence to download the full list.

About Allison+Partners

Allison+Partners, an MDC Partners company, is a global communications firm driven by a collaborative approach to innovation and creativity. The firm was named PRWeek’s 2015 “Midsize Agency of the Year,” In2 SABRE’s 2015 “Most Innovative Agency” and The Holmes Report’s 2014 “Agency of the Year.” Allison+Partners is organized around seven practices: Consumer Marketing, Corporate, Global China, Health + Wellness, Public Affairs, Social Impact and Technology, and has offices in San Francisco, New York, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Paris, Lyon, Berlin, Munich, Singapore, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., Silicon Valley, Seattle, Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Phoenix, Portland and San Diego. The agency also has a network and deep affiliations with firms worldwide through MDC Partners (NASDAQ:MDCA), a progressive marketing and communications network, championing the most innovative entrepreneurial talent. For more information, visit www.allisonpr.com.

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