Influencer relations at Dell Technologies aim to connect our brand with influential industry experts to create long-term relationships of mutual value, based on shared trust. This trust, we believe, is built by facilitating access to information, people and technology at Dell Technologies with the expressed goal for the independent expert to create their own, informed opinion. Our customers and our brand benefit from this informed third-party perspective by influential, independent industry experts by deriving value from these additional data points and perspectives. The relationship creates value for the independent experts by providing them early access to information about new research, insights on emerging technologies and opportunities to speak with our technology visionaries who are eager to share and absorb the experts’ opinions from a multitude of vantage points.
An example of a shared value relationship with independent voices is our marquee podcast Luminaries – talking to the brightest minds in tech. Two or our independent experts host the podcast with technology leader guests from our communities of customers, independent, influential experts, analysts and Dell Technologies experts. The hosts, Mark Schaefer and Douglas Karr, deeply investigate each episode’s topic and research each guest to create a conversation that is based on their knowledge and evaluation of the topic, the guest and of the Dell Technologies strategy. Our customers benefit from the highly informed, distinctly outside-in perspective.
Moving forward all participants in #DellLuminaries program will also be part of the #DellInsideCircle.
Core to our approach is that the relationships must be genuine and honest, and that the create shared value for the influencer, the brand and the customer.
To showcase our latest technology and initiatives, we often partner with individuals who may be compensated by Dell Technologies for their time or content, but we believe strongly in transparency—it’s one of our five social media principles. So in that spirit we want you to know about the #DellLuminaries community. #DellLuminaries members will always disclose their relationship with Dell by using the #DellLuminaries hashtag in social media posts, in a video or link back to this page.
And what is the #DellLuminaries relationship? It can take a number of forms. We may provide loaner systems for an extended period of time or free systems to trial. We may pay travel or other expenses to have someone attend a tech or other industry event. Dell might compensate someone for posting on social media about their experiences or contribute blog or editorial content. Ideally, however, it is a collaborative venture that aligns the goals of both Dell Technologies and those we work with.
But, and this is important so we’re putting it in bold and all caps, WE WILL NEVER PUT WORDS INTO A #DELLLUMINARIES PARTICIPANT’S MOUTH. We want our #DellLuminaries members to give you their authentic, independent feedback, opinions and experiences so that you know how they connect to our technology when making your own decision. #DellLuminaries is about building an authentic community, NOT a collection of paid endorsements or advertisements.
When you see a #DellLuminaries participant posting about us, know that we aren’t telling them what to say. We may encourage them to talk about their experiences, but we do not review their posts, censor their posts, or do anything except ask them to be authentic and disclose they are part of #DellLuminaries. If you have any questions about the program or see a #DellLuminaries member posting in a way that doesn’t seem to follow these concepts, let us know by commenting here on this post.