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The Tipping Point vs. Duncan Watts

May 8th, 2008 Posted in Business Strategy

Months after Duncan Watts published his article basically calling the Tipping Point an irrelevant concept, the debate still goes on about which theory is “correct”. Personally, I tend to agree with Joe on this one:

A year later and a little more to the point, here’s what marketers can consider: Everyone has influence, but that influence has a couple of variables.

–People have a quantity of influence: the maximum number of other people they can reach with a message.

–People have a quality of influence: the amount of influence they exert over those that they reach.

–People have types of influence: categories of “expertise” that other people assign to an individual.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at 9:04 am and is filed under Business Strategy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
  • http://www.associatedknowledge.com desabol

    Good stuff Jake. I too like Joe’s thoughts on the subject. The key, at least in my experience, is moderation. There has been and will never be a shortage of theories or theorists, the challenge is knowing when and in what scenarios the theories are most relevant and applicable and how to use them appropriately. There is no such thing as absolutism. Variations exist and we have to contend with them. I think the secret lies in being aware of all theories, complimentary and competing, and knowing how to apply them to the situations you are facing using common sense and expert judgment.

    It stands to reason that you could be the worlds leading and most outspoken advocate of the practical uses of blue widgets and firmly believe that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. In that situation the person would have quality and quantity of experience in the given domain, but that may be all that they know, whether intentionally or otherwise. I don’t know that I would necessarily trust them for their advice and expertise outside of that domain unless I happen to also know them on another level and they have demonstrated expertise in areas outside of their core.

    It only makes sense, we can only know so much about so many things in life, so why would social media be any different?

  • http://guide.trustedtours.com/ John Stavely

    I think that many marketers are looking for a quick payoff in Social Media and they miss the point. Looking for easily implemented strategies and shortcuts avoids the hard work, dedication and transparency needed in this new world of communication. Being real is tough for some folks. Fear of being seen as “less professional” is a problem too. We have a wonderful opportunity to engage in a conversation around the globe that was never available before. Trying to slice and dice data to reach the best influencers is haphazard at best in my opinion. Let’s get busy connecting with others who share our passions and enjoy the results that brings.

  • http://guide.trustedtours.com/ John Stavely

    I think that many marketers are looking for a quick payoff in Social Media and they miss the point. Looking for easily implemented strategies and shortcuts avoids the hard work, dedication and transparency needed in this new world of communication. Being real is tough for some folks. Fear of being seen as “less professional” is a problem too. We have a wonderful opportunity to engage in a conversation around the globe that was never available before. Trying to slice and dice data to reach the best influencers is haphazard at best in my opinion. Let's get busy connecting with others who share our passions and enjoy the results that brings.