Social Influence - Influencing Minds to Guide Behavior

Social influence has been defined as the ability to change individual behavior (intentionally or unintentionally). This behavioral change can be the result of how individuals perceive their relationship with other individuals, groups and key influencers. As with all forms of persuasion, including traditional advertising, marketing, and political campaigning, individual behavior has always been influenced. Unfortunately, the growing weaponization of social media creates a clear and present danger to our ability to rationally call our decision-making our own. Most importantly, this is an increasing challenge to future generations as they are seemingly indoctrinated at birth. What does the future hold? This book provides an illustration of how social media has grown in its ability to motivate behavior with both positive and negative impacts. It also assesses how influence can be amplified with coordinated in-person (non-social media) group gatherings and interactions with standard media platforms (television and radio). These combined relationships create a powerful social interaction tool with the ability to emotionally connect, engage and drive the behavior of individuals and consumers. The author highlights the psychological underpinnings of these methods. These insights help to explain how individuals within certain social and consumer networks can have such strong affinities to campaign and marketing messages.