Chapter 6. Case Study: Rumors, Sneakers, and the Power of Translation
1. How did Airwalk sneakers tip, and why did business eventually drop? The business tipped because they worked really hard at selling their product to a certain segment of the population-then Gordon came in and did major research at finding trends before they spread and doing commercials that were hip and cool. They lost their edge when they stopped making their shoes special for boutiques and went totally mainstream. Since they were no longer for the ‘cool’ kids, the excitement stopped.
2. What are the five categories of people who use a new product, according to the language of diffusion research? The Innovators, the Early Adopters, the Early Majority, the Late Majority and the Laggards.
3. What is the process of distortion that characterizes most rumors? The first one is ‘leveled’, which is where details that are needed for understanding are left out. The second one is ‘sharpened’, which is when details that remain are made more specific. The last one is ‘assimilation’, where the story is changed to make sense to those who are spreading the rumor.
4. How did the researchers at Johns Hopkins University help the city of Baltimore to run a more efficient needle-exchange program? The researchers found that the program wasn’t working the way it had been planned but was actually more efficient. The men turning in the dirty needles were selling the clean needles so the needles were available at more times than the van was able to run.
5. What is the connection between the Dalai Lama and the Beastie Boys? The Beastie Boys were putting money into the Free Tibet campaign. They even brought monks onstage at their concerts to give testimonials.
6. What made Airwalk’s advertising so successful? The ads were based on ‘cool’ activities and were funny. They appealed to the young trendsetters but also appealed to mainstream customers.
7. What is an Innovator? An innovator is someone who thinks in the bigger picture. They are often outcasts or activists. They are individuals who have passion and are willing to try new things.
8. How are Innovators linked to Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen? The Innovators try something new, then the Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen pick up the trend and spread it into the mainstream.
9. Do you know any Innovators?
10. How do trends work? They start with Innovators. Innovators pick up on something and start talking about it. Then a few early adopters add it to their repertoire and it gets bigger. Then it spreads from one part of the country to the others parts of the country. Most trends start in one area and then spread in clusters around the country.
11. Give examples of trends in your lifetime. Which trends faded? Which have lasted? Presume the reasons for success and failure. I’m old-there are so many trends to choose from! I used to wear bellbottoms-the bells had to be big enough to hide my shoes and long enough to drag. That didn’t last but it did come back. The eighties had lots of fads-the bangs sprayed sky high; the Mohawaks; the ripped sweatshirts. Hopefully, those stay gone. They were just ugly. I think a lot of trends end simply because they become too mainstream. What is the point of rebelling if your parents adopt the same style?
