MOVE over yuppies and baby boomers - make way for the ''influentials''. These people are the Asia-Pacific's new breed of buyers who are leading the way in consuming quality goods and services. The influentials were identified in an extensive Time Warner survey that was launched this week. They are the people whom consumer products makers must target for better marketing results, the survey says. Europe and the United States each has an established influentials' sector. The influentials keep up to date by reading newspapers, news magazines, and watching television and are interested in information and ideas. They are the first to try new products, and speak well of only those they believe in.Their endorsement provides credibility to advertising messages. They are trend-setting, socially active, high achievers - the perfect group of people to provide ''face'' for a product, the survey says. The group buys more goods and services - travel, luxury cars, pens, watches, computers, and mobile phones - than others in similar income brackets and management positions. So, who in Asia in considered an influential - and do you qualify? Time spoke to 30 Hong Kong Chinese professionals, aged between 26 and 40, who held management and business jobs, and earned between $150,000 and $300,000. These people sought self-development, they put job satisfaction above monetary returns, they liked challenges at work and looked forward to rewarding, stimulating leisure activities. Compared to other people in the same demographic group, influentials are more internally motivated. One way they display this is in an individual dress sense. Meanwhile, Time Inc Magazines, Asia, said on Monday it had promoted Steve Marcopoto to publisher of Time International Asia and vice-president of advertising for Time Inc Magazines, Asia. His promotion is effective immediately, and he replaces the group publisher, Robert Klaverkamp. Mr Marcopoto was the managing director of Fortune Asia. As Time's publisher, Mr Marcopoto will supervise sales in Southeast Asia and India. As vice-president, he will co-ordinate and oversee all advertising sales for Time Inc Magazines, Asia.
