The Tipping Point

While reading Malcom Gladwell’s #1 national bestseller, The Tipping Point, I have found that it is truly a book that is hard to stop reading. Gladwell uses many clever examples to ultimately prove that the tiniest of changes can lead to widespread epidemics. Gladwell describes the tipping point as that “one dramatic moment in an epidemic when everything can change all at once.” Whether it is a drastic decline in crime rate, a fashion trend, or a life-threatening disease, each epidemic has a point where it “tips” and everything changes.

Gladwell starts the book off by using the example of Hush Puppies, the suede shoes that had almost completely gone out of style in the mid-1990s. A few “hipsters” started wearing them at local clubs and the trend spread. Designers began using them in their fall collections and sure enough, Hush Puppies became a massive fad in 1995.
I particularly enjoyed the part of the book where Gladwell describes the power of yawning. He explains that just by reading the word yawn or hearing somebody yawn, it is so contagious, that you are likely to yawn yourself. This causes people around you to yawn, thus starting the trend. Gladwell wrote the word “yawn” about twenty times in three paragraphs, which made me yawn about 5 times while reading it. I just now yawned three times while writing this paragraph!

According to Gladwell, there are three key elements of an epidemic: Law of the Few, Stickiness Factor, and Power of Context. The law of the few states that there are 3 types of people with “social gifts” who usually start trends. They are the Connectors, Mavens, and Salesman. After reading about all three I would say that I am part-connector, part-maven.

Connectors know lots of people and have many different types of friends. They are described as curious, self-confident, and energetic. These people have a tendency to connect with others and can easily make friends. I have been involved in many campus activities and organizations that it’s safe to say I have a wide variety of friends. I even took the “last name test” in the book and scored a 32, meaning I knew 32 people with the last names listed. The average score for my age group was about 21. A historical example of a connector is Paul Revere’s “midnight ride” to Lexington. In 2 hours, he covered 13 miles on horseback, warning people of the upcoming British attack. This event is one of history’s most famous word-of mouth epidemic.

The second group, the Mavens, are people who usually have information on many different products, prices or places. This type of person has the “inside scoop” and can get you the best deal. The best part is that they are people who want to help others without anything in return. I know I am part-maven because I always try to find the best deal on anything I purchase (and I don’t keep it a secret!) If you are friends with me, you will know when I find a good bargain.

The third group is the Salesmen. These individuals are extremely persuasive on people’s buying decisions. I know I am not a salesman because I don’t like being pressured or pressuring others. I am very easy going and I try not to persuade people to do what I think it right.

The Stickiness Factor is the trend’s ability to “stick” in people’s minds. Gladwell uses Children’s television to prove his point. He explains that Sesame Street is the first show to help children develop their literacy skills in a fun and whimsical way. Blues Clues adopted a similar concept of helping children learn about logic and reasoning.

The Power of Context holds that a trend must be introduced at the right time and place for it to become popular. Gladwell uses the Broken Window Theory to explain the decline in the New York City crime rates in 1990. He explains that the tiniest signs of deterioration in a neighborhood could lead to an eventual lower quality of living. If a window is broken and doesn’t get fixed, people will conclude that nobody cares and then more windows will be broken. To reverse this theory, the NYC made a point to paint over any traces of graffiti and enforce the law on criminals.

Our PR class has the wonderful opportunity to plan GCSU’s Bobcat Athletic Auction in the spring. We concluded that we want to make the auction “tip” so it will be amazing and memorable. I think one of the most important things to remember when planning the auction is the stickiness factor. We need to make the event so unique, that it will be remembered for many years. I feel that the way to make the auction shift from great to amazing is the fine details. We need to make sure all of our “windows are repaired” and all the “graffiti is covered.” To me, it’s the little things that make a difference.