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Avatar Went Hot: January 29, 2008 - 3:41 am
Posted By: DoshDosh 159 days ago
Topic Type: News Story (Jump to http://www.fastcompany.com)
Category: Other Online Marketing
Duncan Watts, a network-theory scientist has performed a series of controversial, barn-burning experiments challenging the whole Influentials thesis. He has analyzed email patterns and found that highly connected people are not, in fact, crucial social hubs. He has written computer models of rumor spreading and found that your average slob is just as likely as a well-connected person to start a huge new trend.
7 Comments     

Comments

from despil 159 days ago #
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A nice, thoughtprovoking article proving - or trying to prove - the myth of "Influencers" false.

from toprank 159 days ago #
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I appreciate the research this Watts fellow brings, but it's all computer models.  The feet on the street data shows that influencers are more than productive for influencing audiences and promoting trends.

from Ruud 158 days ago #
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From the article: "To succeed with a new product, it's less a matter of finding the perfect hipster to infect and more a matter of gauging the public's mood."

Sounds pretty on the mark.

Observation: this is not an either/or. I do think Watts' ideas, and testing, show we don't have a full grasp on the principles behind the tipping point.

Nice follow-up: Influentials On The Web Are People With The Power To Link

from jeffquipp 158 days ago #
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Great piece Maki, though I'm with Lee, computer models must necessarily oversimplify everything, and lose a great deal as a result.

I do think there is some limited merit to it, but at the end of the day, the truth of the matter is that Brad Pitt can influence alot more people than I can. Tell me any author that wouldn't like to get on Oprah's book club. New York Times Best Seller list ... here you come!

Maybe the reality is that we must use all our regular friends to find someone who can ultimately influence Oprah?

from Ruud 158 days ago #
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Who's Oprah?

:P

from dannysullivan 158 days ago #
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I just want the software to play with. SimTrends -- that would be awesome!

from jeffquipp 158 days ago #
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I hear ya Danny ... count me in too.


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