Chapter 6. Case Study: Rumors, Sneakers, and the Power of Translation
1.How did Airwalk sneakers tip, and why did business eventually drop?
They tipped by using a combination of advertising, reaching out to a wide range of customers, and staying loyal to their original customer base. They fell off when the trend change for the largest part of the market base and in the last few years of their business they did not remain loyal to the needs of the skating community.
2.What are the five categories of people who use a new product, according to the language of diffusion research?
Innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and deliberate/skeptical mass
3.What is the process of distortion that characterizes most rumors?
1st—story is leveled; 2nd—story is sharpened; 3rd—assimilation
4.How did the researchers at Johns Hopkins University help the city of Baltimore to run a more efficient needle-exchange program?
They noted that the receivers of the needles directly off the van were not users, rather they were individuals that would pick up large numbers of needles and turn around and sell them to users.
5.What is the connection between the Dalai Lama and the Beastie Boys?
The Beastie Boys were giving large amounts of money to the Free Tibet campaign and allowing monks to come on stage during their concerts to promote their cause.
6.What made Airwalk’s advertising so successful?
They connected their advertising to common trends, fads and interests of the time and allowed that to get future customer attention.
7.What is an Innovator?
They are the group of people that want change and are willing to take a chance on a new unproven idea.
8.How are Innovators linked to Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen?
The innovators are the ones that try something new the other three modify the information to their specific situation and spread it out to a group.
9.Do you know any Innovators?
Teachers, teachers are often trying new ideas to reach students.
10.How do trends work?
When connectors notice something from innovators that could be changed a little and then marketed to the mainstream.
11.Give examples of trends in your lifetime.Which trends faded?Which have lasted?Presume the reasons for success and failure.
I think of trends of hairstyles by decade. The styles that are real extreme (big hair, dreadlocks, mohawks) all fade after their newness wears off or people tire of them. Other styles (clean crew cuts and straight hair) last due to their simplicity and lack of extreme attention grapping affects.
Chapter 7. Case Study: Suicide, Smoking, and the Search for the Unsticky Cigarette
1.According to Gladwell, why were teens in Micronesia committing suicide at a high rate?
They want to experiment with it and it become commonplace in the culture.
2.What is permission-giving?
When the publicity of one event triggers the increase in similar behavior of others.
3.How does Gladwell make the connection between Micronesian’s teen suicides and teen smoking in America?
He argues that they both become somewhat common and it becomes acceptable and the actions of few ignite an epidemic.
4.What steps has our society taken to curb teenage smoking?
Controlling access, increase in price, anti-smoking advertisement, school anti-smoking programs, controlling tobacco advertisement
5.What does Gladwell think is wrong about the current strategies being used to stop American teens from smoking cigarettes? What strategies would he substitute as more effective?
He believes that the use of tobacco is driven by the need to experiment. He believes that teenagers are going to experiment with tobacco; even adults try to educate them not to. His idea is to reduce the addictiveness of tobacco by limiting the nicotine content.
6.What is the difference between “chippers” and addicted chronic smokers?
Chippers are able to only smoke when they want. They only smoke a few cigarettes a day and can go several days without smoking. Chronic smokes are addicted and their bodies are demanding nicotine.
7.What were the results of the Colorado Adoption Project?
It provides information that indicates genetics have a strong influence on how children act and what they involve themselves in, more than parental influence. It does not say that all environmental influence do not impact behavior, some other influences other than parental influence makes as large impact as genetic influence.
8.What is the correlation between smoking and depression?
People that smoke also have a high chance of being depressed. Many of the same factors that could lead to being a smoker can also lead being depressed.
9.What have been the effects of Zyban on smokers?
When given Zyban, smokers have similar reactions in mood to that of smoking a cigarette. For this reason when taking Zyban, heavy smokers have a higher likely hood of breaking their addiction to tobacco.
10.What are “addiction thresholds”?
It is the range of amount of nicotine that one can take in that impacts their likelihood of becoming addicted. If you are consuming nicotine below the threshold amount you are not addicted, if you get above that amount you become addicted.
11.What are the character traits of the smoking personality, according to Gladwell?
Sexual precocious, anti-social, make snap judgments, and honest
12.Why are teenagers drawn to these traits?
They view these traits as desirable and cool.
13.What are your thoughts about peer influence versus heredity and parental influence?
I believe that in many situations (especially short term) people are influenced by peers. However, I believe that the values and beliefs taught by parents make a strong influence in the long term and as people mature and grow they tend to reflect those values and teachings. I also agree that genetics can impact how susceptible people are to behavioral trends, but they do not guarantee a response.
14.Whom are you most influenced by?
Parents, wife, children, and close friends
15.Do you believe teens smoke because of peer pressure?
Yes, I believe it can influence their likely hood of trying or trying tobacco
16.At what age do kids stop listening to their parents?At what age, if ever, do you think teens start listening again?
I do not believe kids stop listening to their parents. Just because their behavior does not allows follow parent teaching, it is my belief that most kids in the long term are more influenced by parents than anyone else. Hopefully, short-term choices do not interrupt positive influences and teaching set by parents.
17.Can a safer cigarette be created?
No, cigarettes are tobacco based and addictive. The use of tobacco could never be made safe.
