Klout, a company that provides social media analytics to measure a user’s influence across her or his social network, has announced a new product called Brand Squads. This new app allows social network users a central place to involve others that meet certain criteria. This information is outlined in an article, Klout Launches Brand Pages to Help Companies Engage Influencers.
Klout’s David Temple explains:
“Brand Squads” are Klout’s way of giving influencers a place to be recognized and have a direct impact on the brands they care about most.””
Temple continues:
“Previously, brands had more simple pages with just their Klout Score. Brand Squads is a different twist on brand pages, where top influencers for brands have a chance to be recognized and have an impact on the brand.”
With this new app from Klout social media users have an opportunity to access brand data and ultimately win perks. Klout reports data based on influence to companies that offer these perks. Looking at the bigger picture companies that participate can acquire marketing data that could be useful to impact future sales. Klout’s app offers a seemingly win-win for consumers and brands. We raise the question of privacy with all of this tying of brand to social network users there is a degree of shared information. It makes us wonder, do consumers even realize what they give up to win those perks?
Sandy McIntosh, May 8, 2012
