Book Review: Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point"
How do some trends rise exponentially? What makes a product successful seemingly overnight? In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell offers some explanations behind the forces and contexts of how ideas, trends, behaviors, messages and products go viral. His research is based on three premises- contagiousness, the fact that small causes can have big effects, and the assertion that change happens not gradually, but at one dramatic moment. The last principle is what Gladwell calls the "Tipping Point"- the moment when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold and spreads like wildfire. He cites the return of the Hush Puppies trend, crime reduction in NYC and epidemics as examples of this viral spread.
According to Gladwell, there are three "agents of change" in reaching the tipping point. These are the Law of the Few, The Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. Together, these agents promote viral growth. The first, the Law of the Few, explains how combined actions from three types of individuals in groups help epidemics grow quickly through communication, education and persuasion. He identifies three types of people within such groups- the mavens (those who "know everything"), the connectors (those who "know everyone" and have extensive social networks), and the salespeople (those that know how to "sell" the idea, trend, product or behavior"). In “The Tipping Point”, Paul Revere is named as a maven and connector figure, with a wide social network and receptive audience.
The second principle is called the stickiness factor, which explores the memorability of an idea or product, and how this memorability can spur action. As an example, Gladwell explores packaging in its various forms - specifically, minor changes not only in physical presentation but in the presentation of an idea. He advocates constant experimenting and testing frequently to determine what makes a product "stick." In children’s television, this was shown on the show “Sesame Street”, when small changes like putting letters behind the show’s character helped children learn and retain knowledge more than when the letters were next to the actors.
The Power of Context discusses how small details within an individual’s environment affects their actions. Gladwell cites research showing that human sensitivity to their environment is such that it can "overwhelm our inherent predispositions". He posits that even the lighting in a house, the weather, and people one surrounds themselves with can influence their behavior. The “broken window theory” expands on this, calling upon studies in crime-ridden areas that show how actions like fixing broken windows, clearing graffiti and trash, and similar modifications have a greater effect on crime reduction and vandalism than punishing the actual perpetrators.
A clear example of the entire theory’s application is discussed in a case study of the skater shoe brand “Airwalk”in the mid-1980’s, where the advertising company hired by the brand successfully worked in a unique understanding of the public’s perception of “coolness” to produce advertising campaigns aligning the product with just the right actors and memorable imagery (such as the use of aliens). Sales spiked as Airwalk carefully chose their channels of distribution, segmenting the product towards youthful and innovative skate shops and faces of the campaign. This is similarly seen today with brands like Champion- originally a streetwear brand popular amongst a few key “cool” groups, now successfully expanding its products to large chain retailers like Urban Outfitters.
The Tipping Point, first written in 2000, is very relevant in certain contexts (as seen in examples like the Champion clothing brand today), but technology's rapid growth and sphere of influence since that time has slightly changed the playing field. The Law of the Few must now be expanded to include many more influencers and more noise through which to disrupt the market and gain the attention of individuals. The availability of information has made everyone something of a maven, while the power of a connector lies more in the ability to not only reach a large audience through a great deal of other noise, but to influence and engage them. The Tipping Point takes a more back seat approach to engagement and participation in an era where the social media ego plays a huge role in the breakthrough of a product, idea or service. To conclude, while the key points in The Tipping Point are valuable, they need to be updated to the contemporary state of the internet, which is now the environment that rules and influences the population.