Tipping on the internet February 18, 2008

How do the Tipping Point theories apply to internet campaigns?  Well…the world wide web does seem to represent the epitome of connectedness.  Look at blogging even- when I publish this post it will immediately be available to thousands, millions of internet users worldwide.  What better way to make one of my own ideas (or favorite restaurants) tip?

At the same time, however, I think Gladwell is asking us to be careful to avoid immunity from the internet.  As he mentions in his afterword, we become immune to messages if we are constantly inundated with the same advertising over and over.  I think Gladwell would urge us to rely on connectors, mavens and salesmen to pass messages along via the internet.

Watts and Gladwell…who wins? February 12, 2008

When you read The Tipping Point you can’t help but believe that certain influentials are the key to “tipping” trends. Watts, on the other hand, presents a very different idea of what makes epidemics spread. Trends aren’t about influentials at all. They’re about everyday people like you and me who aren’t necessarily connectors with huge social networks.

So who wins? It’s clear that there is considerable disagreement over which strategy actually spreads the word. But what I’m wondering, is why does it have to be one way or the other? From what I understand, the one thing that Watts and Gladwell do agree on is the importance of context. So why can’t is be possible to evaluate the environment and then decide whether key influentials or multiple everyday Joes are needed to start the trend. Maybe I don’t understand the concept yet, but I do think it’s necessary to have some level of flexibility in your campaign strategy. The world is no longer black and white.

On a lighter level- I went to a great restaurant this weekend in New Hope, PA called 90 Main. The decor was minimal with plush reds and blacks. Intimate setting ideal for two people and the chocolate fondue was to die for. Check it out if you’re looking for something classy and different.

Malcolm Gladwell is probably a genius February 10, 2008

So I’m about 2/3 of the way through The Tipping Point and I am still amazed at how it can make so much sense and no sense at all at the same time.  The power of context make so much sense when you see it applied to historical events (like crime in NYC..who would have thought…).

Yet, it makes so much sense that I begin to wonder why it’s taken people so long to catch on.  Are we really that out of tune with ourselves that we can’t see how our environment affects us just as much as other people do?

Have to admit…it’s also making me eager to try it out on my own. My family has lived in or near Trenton for probably more than 70 years.  You drive through historic Trenton and see remnants of what used to be a lavish and totally desirable place to live.  I read about graffiti in the subway system and wondered if a few coats of paint and some litter pick-up would help to encourage my urban neighbors to take pride in their city…it really was beautiful once.

Behavior is Key February 3, 2008

From what it looks like, Scott, Center & Jackson all say that effective marketing and PR is all about changing behavior.  It doesn’t matter what you think about a certain product or organization; what matters is that you actually do something that you wouldn’t have done previously.  I also really like Scott’s idea of the web-enabled marketplace of ideas.  Now people can get their ideas out to millions of people and get instant feedback.  In retrospect, it seems like the marketplace of ideas never really existed before the internet was around.   Oh, and I also liked getting up in class to demonstrate audience segmentation.  I’m a visual learner so acting it out helped me understand the concept better.   

So…What do I Think of Blogging January 26, 2008

I have to admit, I’m not too keen on blogging yet.  I’ve found that people usually misuse them and vent their personal issues, thinking no one they know will ever find out. However, reading Scott’s book is starting to change my mind on the whole blogging thing.  I can totally see how blogs can be used as an effective tool for reaching niche audiences.  I think it’ll be interesting to see what types of feedback I’m going to get when we really start to discuss some deeper issues.