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I really took to the Diffusion of Innovations,* and the breakdown has always stuck with me, so I just wanted to share how I believe things go down, in the music business, in fashion, in technology. Pretty much everywhere. In all that I do music wise, I strive to be somewhere between an innovator and an early adopter. Fashion wise, it jumps around! I get lots of new ideas, and then realize, 20,000 other people have the same ideas. Luckily, none of them are near me! Technology wise, we wont discuss that one :)!
InNoVaToRs
The first 2.5% of adopters are called "Innovators". Innovators are those kids out in the inner city, the punk rockers, the fashionista's deep in the trenches, that are seen and heard, but hardly ever get their credit. They are where the early adopters get ideas from. Originators. They wear things that no one else wears, and they listen to things that no one else listens to. They are where the storehouse of ideas comes from. They take risks. When it comes to technology, they are open to new ways of doing and looking at things, and are problem solvers in their chosen field.
EaRLy AdOpTeRs
The next 13.5% of adopters are "Early Adopters". These are the artists, labels, journalists, the educated. They are visionaries because they see what is happening in different key area's all over the world. They respond to their inspiration with ways to utilize and manifest the ideas of the trenspotters for mass use. They break news.
EArLy MaJoRiTy
The next 34% of adopters are formed by the "Early Majority". These are information receivers. They get insider information straight from the early adopters, and have the opportunity to flaunt the information they have received to others. They are the first to buy when it comes in stores. They are the first to call in and request and artist they have just heard for the first time on the radio. At the same time, when something becomes out of style, they acquire something new to be fascinated about, just about the time everyone else does.
LaTe MaJoRiTy
The next 34% of adopters are the "Late Majority." Late majority looks for cosigns and waits for sales. They are skeptical of anything until it is tried. Technology wise, they will wait until an item is about to be taken off the market, to get it discounted. When it comes to fashion, they'll wait until a brand is big and has already been on the market for a while before they will catch on. When it comes to music, for example, they may just start liking and promoting an artist that has hit it big more than two years prior. In bloggersphere time--that is tardy.
LaGgArDs
The last 16% of the adopters consists of "Laggards". Laggards either just don't care, or they've arrived too late to the party when everyone was heading out. Technology wise, they are years behind. Just getting their first iPod. Not knocking that--but anyways. Ideas wise they can't exactly be called followers, because they aren't on time. But they also aren't coming up with anything new to do. They'll read week old copies of The New York Times--and comment on blog news that is more than a few months old. They have just gotten into the Strokes.
What did we learn today kids?
a: (Unison) Be first!
*Everett M. Rogers, "DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION", 1957
