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The Making of a Pet Influencer

The state was in the heat of the trial of John Edwards when an unexpected ray of sunshine appeared – Rambo. He’s the Maltese-Yorkie mix who took his morning walk  past the news crews camped outside the courthouse. While the Edwards case played out inside, Rambo and his momager Courtney were outside building friendships with the press. Rambo got his first TV interview on WFMY, where he was deemed the unofficial mascot of the trial. 

After the trial, Courtney decided to start a Facebook page to stay connected to Rambo’s new friends. Six years later Rambo now has over 300 thousand followers on Facebook and is on several Very Important Puppy lists.

Rambo and Courtney join guest host Anita Rao to talk about becoming a social media influencer.

How are traditional brands impacted by this wave of organic social media influencers?

Sridhar Balasubramanian is the Roy & Alice H. Richards bicentennial distinguished scholar and professor of marketing at the University at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School and he joins the discussion to explain how established brands are adapting to this new evolving medium. 

Dana is an award-winning producer who began as a personality at Rock 92. Once she started creating content for morning shows, she developed a love for producing. Dana has written and produced for local and syndicated commercial radio for over a decade. WUNC is her debut into public radio and she’s excited to tell deeper, richer stories.
Anita Rao is an award-winning journalist, host, creator, and executive editor of "Embodied," a weekly radio show and podcast about sex, relationships & health.