Happy to hear that long-time advocate for social, and true expert, Ekaterina Walter is moving to Branderati as their CMO and partner. Walter has longed been one of the leading voices for understanding social media marketing not as a question of platform or even tech alone, but as a way of creating a converation with real people, and allowing technology to take it further. How perfect that she is joining an influencer marketing firm. They are most fortunate.
Will this mean, Ekaterina, that we will see more of you in New York? We can hope.
Here's the release:
NEW YORK, NY (May 20, 2013) - BRANDERATI, the industry leader in advocate influencer marketing, announced today that Ekaterina Walter, author, celebrated speaker and eight-year marketing veteran at Intel, has joined the Branderati leadership team as a partner and Chief Marketing Officer. In this new role, Ekaterina will direct the company's marketing, business development and strategic service offerings.
"It is a perfect match," said Mark Curtis, founder and CEO of BRANDERATI. "Ekaterina is one of the most respected people in social media and marketing. For the past five years she led an amazing social business transformation at Intel, putting it on the map as a social leader. Her insights into the challenges that brands are currently facing and what it takes to overcome those challenges, along with her proven record and passion for innovation in the fast-moving field of social marketing, are simply unmatched. Our company and our clients will benefit immensely from her experience, energy and insight."
In her role as a social media strategist and innovator at Intel, Ekaterina Walter oversaw definition and scaling of global social strategies; building and growth of Intel's communities on social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and others; execution of innovative social programs such as Intel Innovators; internal enablement and training of social media practitioners worldwide; executive coaching, and more.
"The era of collecting fans is over," said Walter. "We are entering the Age of Advocacy. Companies need to get smarter about activating their fans and current communities around the common purpose. As marketers, we need to start building movements, not campaigns. And that is exactly what BRANDERATI platform allows you to do. That is why I am excited to join the firm."
In the past five years, Walter has been a valuable and vocal voice in the social marketing community. She has been a frequent contributor to the publications such as Fast Company, Huffington Post, Mashable, Quartz (The Atlantic publication), American Express Open Forum and a number of others. In January of this year she published a book that made Wall Street Journal bestseller list "Think Like Zuck: The Five Business Secrets of Facebook's Improbably Brilliant CEO Mark Zuckerberg." And on May 16 of this year she has been awarded the Marketer of the Year award (SoMe Awards). Walter sits on a Board of Directors of Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) and is an active member of the Thunderbird Global Council at Thunderbird School of Global Management.
About BRANDERATI:
BRANDERATI is the industry leading marketing platform for advocacy and influencer relations. The company works with agencies, publishing partners, and brands to direct, reward and amplify entire networks of influential advocates. BRANDERATI's turnkey strategic services and its robust influencer marketing platform provide the foundation for a complete and sustainable program, from recruiting, through engagement, to measurement and optimization. The platform has formed the foundation of advocate influencer initiatives for more than 50 brands across different industries, from beauty and luxury to fashion and retail, to consumer packaged goods and technology. For more information please visit www.branderati.com