“People influence people. Nothing influences people more than a recommendation from a trusted friend. A trusted referral influences people more than the best broadcast message.”
— Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook
Influencer.
One of the most used and abused titles of people who live off their photos on social media.
These days, anyone with a social-media account can call themselves an “influencer.” Just like a few years ago when a lot of people became instant bloggers (even though they couldn’t write a single decent coherent sentence) just to get event invites, be part of the raffles and take home a loot bag (but that’s a topic for a future piece).
I actually cringe when someone introduces themselves as an influencer, because in my experience, more often than not, these are the people who don’t even have blogs, only post Instagram or Facebook stories during events (unless they are paid) and flaunt their number of followers to back up their claim. Well, here’s the truth: Followers don’t make you an influencer; influence makes you an influencer.
You might have a follower factory in the Middle East, be a member of a hundred IG comment exchange groups to “create” engagement, and have a library of Lightroom Filters to make your posts look curated, but unless you can persuade people to actually buy the product you are promoting—please, use a different word. Influencer marketing has evolved into an incredibly popular tactic. It’s true that one sponsored social-media post can do wonders for brand reputation and it’s a price worth paying.
The key here is choosing the right influencer for the campaign; they may be legit, but they should also believe in your brand, and are not just doing it for the money. Otherwise, don’t be surprised to see them promoting the competitor as soon as your contract expires—or, worse, end up in the growing list of influencer fails.
Celebrity smartphone endorsers have often been caught using a different phone (often an iPhone) in public. Just last week, there was this famous Russian celebrity who was caught using an iPhone even though she’s a Samsung endorser. There were even news that Samsung was going to file charges, although it was later dismissed as fake. There were also numerous times when Instagram celebrities erroneously copy and pasted captions that even included conversations or instructions on when to make the post.
So how do you identify a person of “influence” as opposed to an influencer?
First is they should have acknowledged credibility within a certain subject area, or are real users of the product. Next is lots of two-way engagement—don’t just count the number of likes and comments, but also for the replies and conversation. Great communication skills, unless you want them to end up in the copy-paste fails, they should know how to write good content and speak with authority. Last, they should have a track record of successful recommendations in the past—someone who commands trust and respect that has been earned over time. They don’t just make recommendations; they make recommendations that are valuable to their audience, over and over.
KRIS RETURNS FOR HER XS
WHEN it comes to “people of influence,” few can compare to the “OG” influencer herself, the Queen of all Media, Kris Aquino. Love her or hate her, there is no denying that Kris makes people aware, interested and make them rush to the stores.
She’s even proven that she doesn’t need TV as she successfully transitioned to the digital landscape. I’ve seen her work with her crew first hand when I joined her during the launch of the iPhone X last year at the Smart flagship store in SM Megamall, and it’s clear that she’s invested a lot on equipment and is truly hands-on to make her content both personal and engaging.
So it’s no surprise that Smart once again got Kris for the recent launch of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, but this time, instead of focusing solely on her and her encounter with the “X,” she shared the spotlight with the loyal subscribers for their “big” moment. Smart’s big surprise happened in an exclusive event hosted by Kris Aquino at the state-of-the-art PLDT-Smart Store at World Plaza in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
“What better way to launch the biggest iPhones than with a big surprise for Smart customers? It’s
such an amazing experience to be part of this big moment for subscribers who came here without any hint of what Smart thoughtfully set up for them.
This is just proof that being with Smart really comes with a lot of rewarding experiences,” Kris said as she joined PLDT-Smart executives and celebrities in the intimate gathering.
Just when they thought they were simply claiming their new iPhones, 15 loyal Smart subscribers got the surprise of their lives and instead got a 512GB iPhone XS Max—the biggest and most top-of-the-line iPhone variant available today, a huge upgrade from the 64GB and 256GB model they had preordered.
As if that were not enough, the lucky subscribers also got a big bonus in the form of a personalized MVP Rewards card with P10,000 worth of points.
They even announced that 85 other lucky loyal customers from all over the Philippines would also get a surprise iPhone upgrade. After hosting the launch, Kris then went out to film additional footage for her channel with son Bimby. Again, she had a full production crew with her, complete with lights and even a makeup artist. So, if you are still wondering why brands pay big money to get Kris, all you have to do is watch her work and observe just how much effort goes into the content she creates.
Now, about the latest iPhones and Smart: “The company makes it a lot easier for Filipinos to get hold of the latest iPhones, and optimize their breakthrough features powered by Smart LTE, the country’s fastest mobile network,” said Oscar A. Reyes Jr., PLDT and Smart FVP and head of consumer business market development.
“Apple fans can expect a much bigger digital experience as they can enjoy seamless streaming, real-time sharing and even lag-free gaming on their Smart-powered iPhones,” said Andrew L. Santos, PLDT-Smart FVP and Consumer Marketing head.
Smart is also offering special discounts for subscribers who are renewing their postpaid plans. More information is available at www.smart.com.ph/iPhoneXs or any Smart Store.
TECHNOLOGY MEETS ART AT THE FORBIDDEN CITY
THE busy month of “Techtober” ended with the launch of Xiaomi’s premium flagship product, the Mi Mix 3, at the Forbidden City (also known as the Palace Museum), one of China’s most important historical landmarks. The company’s latest device for its award-winning Mi Mix series again merges technology and art, sporting a beautiful ceramic back that comes in three colors and an innovative magnetic slider that hides the front cameras.
In addition to an stunning full-screen display experience, Mi Mix 3 features a camera setup that achieved a DxOMark photo score of 108, a four-sided curved ceramic back panel in a new Sapphire Blue variant and up to 10GB RAM.
The Mi Mix 3’s patented slider incorporates neodymium magnets that have been carefully calibrated. Once the screen is pushed down, the magnetic mechanism immediately kicks in and finishes the opening in a snap with just the right amount of force. Xiaomi has dedicated substantial resources to the production process to ensure the slider has a life expectancy of 300,000 cycles in lab tests. The slider design not only creates space for front cameras and antenna, but also allows for the maximum full-screen display.
Mi Mix 3 employs a 6.39-inch, 2340 x 1080-pixel FHD+ Samsung AMOLED display with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Its bezels have been further reduced from the its predecessor to achieve an extreme screen-to-body ratio of 93.4 percent. The full-screen slider is fully customizable. Users can slide open the phone to answer calls or customize it to launch different functions. Additionally, there is a special in-game function for the slider, allowing users to access screen capture, screen recorder or hide notifications during gaming sessions.
The Mi Mix 3 features a 12MP + 12MP rear dual camera that uses the same sensors as Mi 8. To further improve performance in low-light environments, Xiaomi introduced a steady handheld night photography mode in Mi Mix 3, bundling various useful features including hardware multiframe noise reduction, AI light metering, and AI image stabilization and calibration. Coupled with the rear camera’s 4-axis OIS, Mi Mix 3 is Xiaomi’s best smartphone for low-light photos to date.
The rear dual camera also features 4K video recording and 960 fps slow-motion video capture, supported by an AI background music feature that automatically adds sound effects according to the flow of motion in the video.
The 24MP + 2MP front module sports a Sony IMX576 main sensor that can capture more details than ever before. In low-light conditions, the sensor uses Super Pixel technology to combine the information of four pixels into one large pixel, resulting in 1.8µm large pixels that greatly improve clarity, especially in indoor and low-light scenarios. The secondary 2M sensor captures depth information to facilitate an AI bokeh effect.
With these enhancements, Mi Mix 3 achieved a DxOMark photo score of 108, ranking among the world’s best smartphones for photography.
The Mi Mix 3 continues the series’ tradition of using unique materials with artistic design, adding a new Sapphire Blue version inspired by the Palace Museum’s ceramic collections. These ceramic pieces are renowned for their beauty and were meticulously made using a complex production process with very precise temperature control.
During the launch event, Xiaomi and the Palace Museum co-launched a special edition Mi Mix 3 featuring the legendary Chinese creature Xiezhi, a mythical beast that symbolizes justice, engraved on its back cover. This version is also one of the first smartphones in the world to come with 10GB RAM for extreme performance. Those who plan to purchase the Mi Mix 3 will be happy to know that it comes with a 10W wireless charger that is 30 percent more efficient than its predecessor.
At the launch event, Lei Jun, chairman and CEO of Xiaomi, also revealed that Xiaomi Corp. expects its shipment of smartphones to exceed 100 million units by the end of October 2018, successfully reaching the full-year target set at its global core suppliers conference in September 2017. Xiaomi will reach the target two months ahead of schedule, and it exceeds the unit shipment of 90 million in 2017.
Xiaomi is currently the world’s fourth-largest smartphone brand, and has established the world’s largest consumer IoT platform, with more than 100 million smart devices (excluding smartphones and laptops) connected to its platform. Currently, Xiaomi products are present in more than 70 countries and regions around the world and have a leading foothold in many markets.
The Mi Mix 3 will be available in Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, and Onyx Black through online and offline channels in the Chinese mainland, with 6GB + 128GB for RMB3299, 8GB + 128G for RMB3599, and 8GB + 256GB for RMB3999. The 10GB + 256GB Mi MIX 3 Palace Museum Edition is priced at RMB4999. The Mi Mix 3 will be available in the Philippines early next year.