Companies need to transition from defining customer segments based on potential spending power to also including metrics driven by softer, social network analyses and a customer’s potential influence, according to a new report from The Economist Intelligence Unit, Re-envisioning customer value. But merely offering financial incentives is not enough, since this is a non-repeatable strategy. Once it becomes known that an influencer is receiving benefits from a business, other people will trust them less. So how can an organization engage with influencers effectively? The answer is value co-creation–finding ways to amplify the voice of influential customers, providing them with access to the appreciation of others and giving them a forum for product collaboration. Read →