Conde Nast partners with Influential to integrate IBM Watson-enabled influencer marketing platform

It is quite difficult to connect with influencers. PR pitches often don't seem to cut it and influencers will not return your calls if they are not that interested in your product.

But how do you connect with the right influencers when you need to run your campaign effectively?

Media company Condé Nast has partnered with Los Angeles based influencer marketing platform Influential to implement its IBM Watson-enabled technology platform.

This partnership will enable Conde Nast to help its advertisers better connect with audiences and gain insights into their campaigns.

The platform uses IBM's Personality Insights service to analyze unstructured data from an influencer's social media feed. Watson continuously learns from previous interactions, gaining in value and knowledge over time.

IBM say that Watson represents a 'new era in computing' called cognitive computing. Here systems understand the world the way humans do: through senses, learning, and experience.

Influential's technology platform, fuelled by Watson data analysis, helps advertisers identify the right influencers by focusing on softer metrics - how they are perceived by their followers, and how well their specific personality fits the personality of the brand.

The social influencers will amplify brand campaigns through the digital platforms of each Conde Nast publication and provide real-time reporting and insights for its advertiser clients.

By tapping into IBM Watson, Influential is enabling Condé Nast to offer a more targeted influencer marketing platform to its advertiser clients.

IBM has opened Watson to the world, enabling a community of developers, students, entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts to easily tap into the cognitive computing platform.

Matt Starker, general manager, digital strategy and initiatives at Condé Nast said: "Partnering with Influential to leverage Watson's cognitive capabilities to identify the right influencers and activate them on the right campaigns gives our clients an advantage and increases our performance, which is paramount in today's distributed content world."

Identifying social influencers who can resonate with a brand's audience and deliver the best social engagement is crucial for the brand.

Cognitive technology such as IBM Watson could become a valuable resource for marketers as they tap unstructured data for new insights for their strategy and connect with their customers in a better way.

Having a data-driven influencer identification system, will enable Conde Nast to bolster its influencer marketing efforts and drive targeted campaigns for their clients.

If its clients are happy, they will increase their advertising spend and everyone benefits. Taking advantage of the right data is crucial for success, and cognitive computing such as IBM Watson will transform the industry of the future to keep it competitive.