Influencers, Tribes, and Brand Building with Wild Ventures

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John Durant, founder of Wild Ventures, discussed influencers, tribes and brand building, noting that the word “influencer” has become overused.

“Generic distribution is not influence — just because something has followers doesn’t mean they influence followers,” he said.

According to Durant, a true influencer motivates their tribe to take action and combines established or mainstream authority with forward thinking and awareness of science-based research. Taking the position that A-list celebrities are “massively overrated” as influencers, he said brands should start by expecting zero from those types of relationships, which can come with or without a financial transaction, he added.

When it comes to dietary trends, the power of community shouldn’t be undervalued, Durant said, noting Weight Watchers as an early example of exploring a new diet backed by a community of supporters.

“You can build a multibillion dollar brand by getting people in a room together,” he said.

Recorded during NOSH Live Summer 2019.

Learn more about NOSH Live, a two-day conference for the natural food industry, at noshlive.com