You need to know how and when things tip.
What tipped 500 people to start dancing together with within the span of 2 minutes? Peer pressure right*? Not always the case as Malcolm Gladwell explains in The Tipping Point. He suggests they’re are other forces at work that make us do things on automatic or unconsciously.
One of the bits that really got me was the context behind the six degrees of separation. Gladwell writes “doesn’t mean that everyone is linked to everyone else in just six steps. It means that a very small number of people are linked to everyone else in a few steps and the rest of us are linked to the world through those special few.” He later alludes to these people as connectors, social glue that spread the message. He uses this awesome example about a boy over hearing a British officer discussing attacking the Americans and how he spread the word that led to a massive militia ready to fight to the surprise of the the Brits! That particular passage blew my mind. Apparently its an historical legend told to every American school child. I live in a place called Canada, so thats my excuse!
He later on mentions the value of the weak tie. That they’re are people that seek pleasure and value in casual meeting, unlike others who feel they don’t have the energy to maintain meaningful contact with everyone.
He then discusses the maven, who are data banks, which provide the message. Lastly there is the salesman, who is the persuader, when we are unconvinced they convince us and are as critical in word of mouth epidemics as the other two groups. He later expands from the Law of the Few, and talks about the Stickiness Factor and the Power of Context.
Lets just say I’m now a huge fan of Malcolm. I’ve read an article by him before and also the first chapter of Outliers before giving it as a gift to my brother for Christmas. Looks like I need to borrow that from him now.
Again Gladwell is unstoppable in his search for understanding the human condition. I think all marketers need to read Chapter 2 especially, where he talks about the word of mouth ‘epidemic’. The entire book is a quick read, but its very in depth. Also, I believe its valuable to push into subjects you aren’t familiar with, as later on you can base that understanding towards reads that are above your level. Anyways THIS ONE IS FASCINATING stuff and I will have to re-read again soon.
* according to Seth Godin, its Guy #3.
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