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| Source: Ketchum Global Research |
A Rainmaker is someone who is successful in getting consumers to act on a specific, measurable call to action. In sales, that usually means successfully advancing prospects through the sales funnel toward product adoption or purchase. Marketers create campaigns to ultimately drive product trial, which usually occurs after they've developed a product that satisfies a consumer need, generated awareness about the product benefits and perked consumer interest in learning more. Earned media (the kind smart public relations executives get placed on the channels you watch, read and listen to) also plays a crucial role in setting the agenda and influencing the opinion of your target consumers. And while public relations efforts don't have a direct media placement cost, such as advertising, PR practitioners also have to demonstrate return on investment (ROI). Editorial media placements in targeted media outlets are terrific, as are multiple positive mentions about the brand on social media platforms like blogs, Facebook brand pages and Twitter timelines. But those tactical results
