Keller, Edward B. 1955-

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KELLER, Edward B. 1955-

PERSONAL:

Born December 28, 1955, in New York, NY; son of Harold and June G. Keller. Education: University of Pennsylvania, B.A., 1977, M.A., 1979.

ADDRESSES:

Home—300 W. 23rd St., Apt. 2N, New York, NY 10011. Office—Roper ASW, 205 E. 42nd St., 14th Floor, New York, NY 10017. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Yankelovich, Skelly & White, Inc., New York, NY, research associate, 1979-80, senior associate, 1980-82, vice president, 1982-86; Roper ASW, New York, NY, chief executive officer, 1986—. Member of advisory board, Annenberg School.

MEMBER:

International Communications Association, Issues Management Association, American Association of Public Opinion Research.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Ayer scholar, 1977.

WRITINGS:

(With Jon Berry) The Influentials, Free Press (New York, NY), 2003.

Contributor of articles to professional journals, magazines, and newspapers.

SIDELIGHTS:

Edward B. Keller is chief executive officer of Roper ASW, a worldwide firm that researches market trends and advises companies how to expand brand loyalty and product recognition. Together with another Roper executive, Jon Berry, Keller has written The Influentials, a book about the ten percent of people who, by personal preference and word of mouth, influence the popularity of emerging products and services. Keller and Berry identify "influentials" as socially active, generally middle income individuals whose buying habits are two to three years ahead of the general public. The authors demonstrate that "influentials" spurred the move to fuel efficient cars in the 1970s, bought home computers in the 1980s, and moved to the Internet and cell phones soon after these options became available. It is the word of mouth advice of the "influentials" that has popularized such technical innovations as the Internet, while bypassing other products such as e-books. Keller and Berry also suggest that these "influentials" can sway national elections and international public policy.

The Influentials includes profiles of specific influential individuals from the mayor of Richmond, Indiana, to a participant in the Iditarod. The authors suggest that businesspeople who understand the thinking of "influentials" will be able to tailor products that will appeal to a much more vast portion of the populace. Booklist correspondent Barbara Jacobs praised the book for being based on "the solid research of six decades of even more solid research" and called The Influentials "a fact-filled yet intriguing read." A writer for the Web site Children Come First observed: "Both an intellectual adventure and a hands-on marketing manual, The Influentials is an extraordinary gold mine of information and analysis that no business can afford to ignore." A Publishers Weekly reviewer likewise concluded that Keller and Berry's theories "are compelling and exceedingly well researched, and should be a boon to anyone looking to promote the next big thing."