Are key opinion leaders the next big marketing tool?

Illustration: TBS

We may ask ourselves, who are key opinion leaders? Key opinion leaders are seen as those who influence a whole community. In many cases, especially in the case of Bangladesh, key opinion leaders play a significant role. 

But first we should ask, what is leadership? It is nothing but the strength and power of an individual to guide, lead, influence, and manage a group or a bunch of people as a whole, as a community. 

Following the thread, key opinion leaders are much more experienced than their contemporaries, distinguished in a particular field, well-educated, and have practical, hands-on knowledge of different aspects.

Bangladesh is a country with a population of 172.9 million (2023), the majority of whom are between 20 and 35 and are set to take over as young leaders - many of whom are not accustomed to handling life-altering situations. In this regard, key opinion leaders play a massive and vital role. 

Young leaders like Ayman Sadiq, Sadman Sadik, Iftekhar Rafsan, Faraaz Karim Chowdhury, and Solaiman Shukhon, among others, tend to inspire in various ways. Key opinion leaders are not born, they are moulded into the personas they present. The one thing the public likes about these key opinion leaders is that they do not represent any company or individual. Rather, they are respected in their own community and are greatly valued. Their speeches are held in high regard, and everyone treats them as highly respected and educated men.

Many key opinion leaders, like Ayman Sadiq (CEO, 10 Minute School) and Sadman Sadik (Content Creator, 10 Minute School), had to experience different ups and downs in their life in order to become the blazing example they are today to this generation. 

The journey of 10MS wasn't easy, as they had to face many difficulties at different stages of their lives. This prompted Ayman Sadiq to become the young leader he is today, still inspiring millions of students with his charisma. Sadman Sadik is also seen as a role model because he guides students to learn different skills that can later come in handy in their lives. 

Then we can see Faraaz Karim Chowdhury, a young politician from Raozan, who uses his background as a politician to influence many youngsters to follow the path of the greater good. Then we have Solaiman Shukhon, a powerful public speaker and orator who has used his platform to influence millions of youngsters. 

All of them are well-educated, have expertise in their respective fields, are well-respected in the community, and carry a substantial amount of charisma and zeal to lead a growing number of young people to the path of greater good.

The concept of key opinion leaders first came to the attention of communication theorists when they saw a presidential election in the 1940s change drastically because the public had faith in the "trusted leaders" of their network, just because the leaders paid close attention to the masses. 

From the perspective of Bangladesh, key opinion leaders play an effective role. They play their respective roles mostly through social media, while also opting for different stages as well. 

Social media plays an extensive role in conveying and spreading different messages. Thus, many marketing agencies, business organisations, and governments are all using these key opinion leaders for various purposes. Some of them include:

Marketing Influencer: Business enterprises employ key opinion leaders as a means to promote their products and services to certain target demographics. As an illustration, a fashion brand may engage in a collaborative effort with a prominent fashion blogger to promote a novel collection.

Events Management Marketing: Key Opinion Leaders are strategically engaged to attract individuals to various events. A newly launched TechEd may, for example, invite a key opinion leader to deliver a presentation at a conference.

Content Media: Social media platforms often employ key opinion leaders (KOLs) to generate content. This content has the potential to effectively reach target audiences, serving the purpose of informing, entertaining, and actively engaging them. An example of collaboration could involve a medical professional and a healthcare organisation working together to create educational videos concerning health and wellness.

Harassment: Harassment is a pressing issue across the world, especially in Bangladesh. Many of the suicides the world has seen today are the result of harassment, either directly or indirectly. Using their platform, these key opinion leaders can raise awareness about harassment and generate a revolution against it.

However, there is also a flipside to key opinion leaders. Key opinion leaders have a strong platform and devoted followers. These are the types of leaders that the masses have great trust in, so any conveyance of false messages can lead to great catastrophes. Key opinion leaders possess a formidable platform through which they can engage with customers and exert influence on behalf of their perspective. This is mostly due to the presence of a youthful, expanding population that actively participates in social media.

These leaders are often perceived as possessing greater credibility compared to conventional advertising methods, mostly because their followers regard them as influential individuals within their respective industries and hold them in high regard.

Dr Syed Far Abid Hossain is an Assistant Professor at BRAC Business School, BRAC University.

Khaled Arafat is a student at BRAC Business School, BRAC University.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.