Tipping Point
1. The Law of the Few
An epidemic begins when a few highly infectious individuals become viral vectors for a product or idea by adopting it themselves and spreading the word. The attainment of the tipping point that transforms a phenomenon into an influential trend usually requires the intervention of a number of influential types of people. In the disease epidemic model Gladwell introduced in Chapter 1, he demonstrated that many outbreaks could be traced back to a small group of infectors. Likewise, on the path toward the tipping point, many trends are ushered into popularity by small groups of individuals
Gladwell identifies three key types of infectious opinion leaders with whom you should seed your product at launch: the Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen.
* Connectors are individuals who have ties in many different realms and act as conduits between them, helping to engender connections, relationships, and “cross-fertilization” that otherwise might not have ever occurred. Connectors are a second type of opinion leading consumer, deriving their influence not through expertise, but by their position as highly connected social network hubs. As centers of social gravity, around whom people cluster, connectors are popular people who have a viral capacity to showcase and advocate new products.
* Mavens are people who have a strong compulsion to help other consumers by helping them make informed decisions. Mavens are opinion leading consumer experts who spread influence by sharing their knowledge with friends and family. Mavens are gate-keepers of innovation diffusion because their adoption patterns are respected by peers as informed decisions.
* Salesmen are people whose unusual charisma allows them to be extremely persuasive in inducing others’ buying decisions and behaviors. Salesmen are the third type of opinion leading influencer, people with the power of persuasion. They are naturally charismatic and contagious consumers – who often work
An epidemic begins when a few highly infectious individuals become viral vectors for a product or idea by adopting it themselves and spreading the word. The attainment of the tipping point that transforms a phenomenon into an influential trend usually requires the intervention of a number of influential types of people. In the disease epidemic model Gladwell introduced in Chapter 1, he demonstrated that many outbreaks could be traced back to a small group of infectors. Likewise, on the path toward the tipping point, many trends are ushered into popularity by small groups of individuals
Gladwell identifies three key types of infectious opinion leaders with whom you should seed your product at launch: the Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen.
* Connectors are individuals who have ties in many different realms and act as conduits between them, helping to engender connections, relationships, and “cross-fertilization” that otherwise might not have ever occurred. Connectors are a second type of opinion leading consumer, deriving their influence not through expertise, but by their position as highly connected social network hubs. As centers of social gravity, around whom people cluster, connectors are popular people who have a viral capacity to showcase and advocate new products.
* Mavens are people who have a strong compulsion to help other consumers by helping them make informed decisions. Mavens are opinion leading consumer experts who spread influence by sharing their knowledge with friends and family. Mavens are gate-keepers of innovation diffusion because their adoption patterns are respected by peers as informed decisions.
* Salesmen are people whose unusual charisma allows them to be extremely persuasive in inducing others’ buying decisions and behaviors. Salesmen are the third type of opinion leading influencer, people with the power of persuasion. They are naturally charismatic and contagious consumers – who often work