1.How did Airwalk sneakers tip, and why did business eventually drop?
They wanted to become an international company so they redesigned their shoes to attract sports other than skateboarding.Lambesis, the advertiser for Airwalk, came up with an unusual way to present pictures in unusual settings.The message was aimed at the youth and was definitely memorable and contagious.The business eventually dropped off because the shoes were mainstreamed into JC Penney of Foote Locker rather than in specialty shops.
2.What are the five categories of people who use a new product,
according to the language of diffusion research?
The five categories are:Innovators, Early Adopters, Early
Majority, late Majority, and Laggards.
3.What is the process of distortion that characterizes most rumors?
The process of distortion involves the story being leveled --meaning the details for understanding rumor are left out.
Then the rumor is sharpened-- meaning that the details were made more specific.The last step in the process is the assimilation where the story was changed so it made sense to those spreading the rumor.
4.How did the researchers at John Hopkins University help the city of
Baltimore to run a more efficient needle-exchange program?
The researchers actually traded used dirty needles for clean
ones.Their research showed that some addicts were bringing
in backpacks full of needles and then they would go back out
on the street and sell the clean needles.They found out that the
researchers’ van wasn’t as accessible to the addicts as the men
who brought in the needles.
5.What is the connection between the Dalai Lama and the Beastie Boys?
It was noticed that the trendsetter group was suddenly interested in the Dalai Lama.The rap band called the Beastie Boys were putting funds into the Tibet campaign in exchange for monks to be brought on stage at their concerts to give testimonials.Lambesis carried it further and made an ad featuring monks, which was later pulled from publication.
6.What made Airwalk’s advertising so successful?
Airwalk followed the trendsetters and associated with each new trend in the youth culture.
7.What is an Innovator?
Innovataors are those that have the ability to take an idea and level it, sharpen it, and assimilate it to the point that it makes sense to others. They can see an unusual idea and maybe highlight one feature and make it appealing to a group of people who could use it and spread the word.
8.How are Innovators linked to Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen?
Innovators are linked in the way that they have the knack to take the people contacts along with the information about a product to those who are good at selling products.The product becomes irresistible.
9.Do you know any Innovators?
Yes, I have known innovative people.They are not afraid to try something knew or take an idea and put a new slant on it.One friend could do more with a scarf –-either to accent a dress or wear it some way on her head.Another friend could take products we all used and use it in a unique way in her home or yard.Both of these friends had a flare to be creative and others followed suite.
10.How do trends work?
Trends to me are a fad ----something that is in for a short time.The idea to have it or do it may last a few months, then another idea comes along.My brother lived in St. Louis for a few years, and it seems that products were put on the market there and then in about 6 months we would have them in Colorado.
11.Give examples of trends in your lifetime.Which trends faded?
Which have lasted?Presume the reasons for success and failure.
Trends in my lifetime have included bellbottom pants in the
1960’s on my Savage cheerleading outfit, wearing orange juice
cans for rollers in our page-boy hair do’s, bandanas over our
hair if it wasn’t fixed, and long sweaters and full skirts with
saddle shoes.The bellbottom pants have come back it seems,
as have full skirts and long sweaters.As with the trend of
wearing a miniature clothespin on our blouse lapel, the styles
change and a new idea takes its place.
CHAPTER 7
1.According to Gladwell, why were teens in Micronesia committing
suicide at a high rate?
Teens in Micronesia were committing suicide because of their
thinking it was a ritual of adolescence.Other reasons may be
that they imitated those in the past, they may have had the urge
to experiment with such dangerous behavior, or they may have
been showing an act of rebellious behavior.
2.What is permission-giving?
Permission-giving is the publicity of suicidal events that is
actually a set of directions for others to perform the actions
of others.
3.How does Gladwell make the connection between Micronesion’s teen
suicides and teen smoking in America?
Gladwell made the point that it was a matter of the teens having
rebellious or defiant behavior, as well as imitating what had
been modeled for them.
4.What steps has our society taken to curb teenage smoking?
The steps taken include the advertising has been restricted, the
price has been raised, a law against selling to minors, and
extensive public health campaigns.
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?
Gladwell thinks that the current strategies being used to stop
teens from smoking is ineffective due to the fact that teens
are continuing to smoke until they are addicted.The tobacco
industry is not helping because they say that nicotine is not
addictive.Gladwell suggests that we make smoking
less contagious or to find ways to curtail the Salesmen.
6.What is the difference between “chippers” and addicted chronic
Smokers?
Chippers seem to manage the frequency of their smoking by
not having to smoke every day and only 4 or so when they do.
They don’t seem to be addicted to the nicotine.Chronic
smokers on the other hand may possibly have genes that can
tolerate heavy doses of nicotine.They definitely experience the
“stickiness” of having to smoke.
7.What were the results of the Colorado Adoption Project?
The results showed a comparison of biological children having
a measure of intellectual ability and personality similar to the
parents rather than the adoptive children showed nothing in
common.The results also suggested that the environment plays
a big role in shaping personality and intelligence, but genetics
plays a bigger role.
8.What is the correlation between smoking and depression?
The correlation shows that smokers show signs of depression
compared to non-smokers
.
9.What have been the effects of Zyban on smokers?
Zyban is a drug taken by heavy smokers to quit the habit.It goes to the prefrontal cortex of the brain and takes away the desire to smoke.It also helps in the person not becoming so
irritable.
10.What are “addiction thresholds”?
Addiction thresholds are like a Tipping Point –- If you smoke below a certain number of cigarettes you are not addicted, but
once you go above the limit you are addicted.
11.What are the character traits of the smoking personality, according to
Gladwell?
Gladwell mentions that the smoking personality may be
depressed, has a low-self esteem, or may have an unhealthy
or unhappy homelife.
12.Why are teenagers drawn to these traits?
Teenagers are drawn to smoking because it is a way to
express themselves among peers.It could be an emotional
experience they feel when connected to someone who modeled
smoking.Or it could be just to imitate someone they admire.
13.What are your thoughts about peer influence versus heredity and
parental influence?
I think that the power of peer influence outweighs heredity or
parental influence.The parent needs to be there so when the
teen works their way through the“what is cool” thing about
smoking lessons can be learned from such behaviors.
14.Whom are you most influenced by?
I am probably most influenced by family.Friends and colleagues also have inspired my ways of thinking also.
15.Do you believe teens smoke because of peer pressure?
Yes, I do.I just remember when I was in high school there
were those that didn’t feel a part of “the group” so they formed
a “group” of their own…..the smokers.Now days peer pressure
is just as powerful.
16.At what age do kids stop listening to their parents?At what age, if
ever, do you think teens start listening again?
I think that kids don’t stop listening to parents, they just turn
“off the voice” during junior/senior high.They want the voice
there just in case, but want to try their wings. Kids begin to
really “tune in”when they start to experience situations on
their own, and want to talk about how to best handle an
experience.
17.Can a safer cigarette be created?
I personally think that we are a fooling ourselves if we think
we can develop a safer cigarette.To me, a cigarette is a cigarette.
