The Tipping Point. Malcolm Gladwell. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2000. 287

The Tipping Point. Malcolm Gladwell. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2000. 287.

Mention an epidemic and it immediately conjures up images of mass hysteria caused by a widespread infectious disease. However, in Malcolm Gladwell’s popular book The Tipping Point, this is the unlikely concept used to explain how trends are born, conveyed and eventually disseminated to the public. Using scenarios such as the sudden resurgence of the decidedly uncool brushed-suede Hush Puppies footwear among Manhattan’s hipster set in the mid-90s, the significantly reduced crime wave in East New York, and an actual syphilis epidemic in Baltimore, we are introduced to the book’s central theme: the tipping point. This is the dramatic moment when little events align to cause a big momentum shift. Gladwell posits three factors which determine the likelihood of this perfect storm’s occurrence: The Three Rules of Epidemics. This includes The Law of the Few, The Stickiness Factor and The Power of Context.

The Law of the Few refers to the idea that for a phenomenon to turn into a trend there needs to be involvement from the influencers. These people are identified as Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen. Connectors are those who foster relationships with multiple people across various backgrounds giving them social power. They possess a unifying quality. Mavens have a unique ability to help others make informed decisions by providing a wealth of knowledge. Finally, Salesmen use their irresistible charm and powers of persuasion to influence the decision making process.

The second rule of epidemics is The Stickiness Factor. This is the ability of an idea or product to not only spread but stay in the minds of the consumer. There are subtle changes that can be made which can make a huge difference in how memorable or impactful a message is. One of the main examples used to illustrate this is children’s television viewing; particularly long-running favorite Sesame Street and the fairly recent Blue’s Clues. The former was wildly successful and was responsible for literacy ‘stickiness’ thanks to a formula which combined simple content with a mixture of fantasy and reality. However, the adult humor meant to encourage parents to watch with their kids was difficult for the younger audience to grasp. Blue’s Clues followed the Sesame Street model but made small adaptations such as making the show shorter, using less characters, a running storyline and repeated showings of one episode. This made it easier for all ages to follow and commit concepts to memory. Therefore the sticky factor was higher.

The third and final factor is The Power of Context. This is divided into two schools of thought. First, the success of a trend depends on the moment and conditions being ideal. To illustrate this point, the decline of crime in New York City in the 1990s was examined. Gladwell applied the Broken Windows theory, which suggests that a series of broken windows left unrepaired suggests lack of authority and interest, therefore leading to chaos. In this same vein, when the city started cracking down on minor offenses like public urination and graffiti, that combined with environmental factors like an aging population led to a major decline in criminal activity.

Secondly, for a trend to reach its tipping point it needs to appeal to a large audience. Groups are critical to social epidemics. This was evidenced by the journey of the novel The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, which was embraced by reading groups of older women who shared copies with multiple female generations within their families. In addition, the size of the size of the group matters. The Rule of 150 suggests that this is the maximum number of people that can share a close social relationship and keep a message contagious. Anything more than this needs to divide into smaller factions.

Gladwell examines two case studies which point out that not all situations can have the principles of epidemics applied to them easily. Airwalk was a brand of shoes which targeted the skateboarders in Southern California and wanted to become mainstream. They used an advertising agency which redefined coolness, then found a balance by providing unique pieces to smaller stores and more conventional footwear to the larger department stores. This kept their initial audience satisfied while attracting the general public. Unfortunately this unraveled when the company started offering a single line to all parties.

The influence on teenagers is central to the second case study, which explores the sudden rise of suicides in Micronesia and teen cigarette use in the United States. Unfortunately, this age group is prone to experimentation and imitation. Subsequently, this behavior is not necessarily signs of an epidemic.

There are several points in this book which can be woven into the communications profession. In Public Relations, practitioners must be able to identify their target audience in order to effectively communicate their message. Therefore there needs to be a lot of research done which Gladwell highlights in examining the case study of Blue’s Clues and their desire to improve on the Sesame Street model to craft a message that would resonate and remain with their audience. One of the main goals is communication is to attain that Stickiness Factor. Companies strive to create marketing campaigns that are memorable to their consumers.

One of the challenges facing communications professionals