The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference - Book Report/Review Example

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference Book summary In the book, Malcolm Gladwell introduces and explains the concept of the tipping point. According to her, the tipping point refers to a critical threshold at which an idea attains mass acceptance. Ideas, messages and products often spread rapidly after a particular stage of public engagement, Gladwell analyses the various psychological processes and human behavior that influence their acceptance of such ides, messages and products in her explanation of the tipping point. He asserts that such ideas and products spread as rapidly as viruses do once they reach the tipping point.in doing this, he breaks down the process into three basic agents that facilitate the change. The three are the law of the few, stickiness as a factor and the power of context. The three work consecutively to influence the public attitude thereby enhancing the tipping point. He begins by explaining the power of the few by stating that success of pandemics rely on few yet functional individuals who have perfect communication skills and influence. The few enhance the rapid spread of the information. This creates the pandemic or virus effect on the information. The few are connectors who make introductions thus initiating the ideas. They may also know people who invent the ideas. Their basic function is to initiate the spread. Mavens who are the information specialists develop effective strategies to introduce and perpetuate the communication process. The third category consists of the “salesmen” who have the effective persuasion skills. They ensure that the information infiltrates the society. Stickiness factor refers to the part of an idea or message that makes it memorable thus sustaining the spread while the power of context refers to the importance that an environment has on the spread of the information as thy turn viral. Introduction Samsung is arguable the most common brand of smart phone globally. The brand rose to fame systematically to acquire the largest share of the global market a feature that provides a perfect scenario for the application of Malcolm Gladwell’s concept of the tipping point. The South Korean Company manufacturing the phone continues to employ strategic marketing and communication strategy that develops appropriate messages. The messages coupled with the effective communication strategy ensures that the brand of the smart phone obtains and retains a substantial market share thereby beating such iconic names as HTC, Apple and Nokia among many others. The company’s success relies on its marketing strategy which consists of effective communicators who employ the principles stickiness factor, power of context and the law of the few presented by Malcolm Gladwell as the discussion below portrays. “Marketing is a fundamental function of the management often mandated with the determination and retention of a company’s market share” (Mirza 76). This influences the company’s profitability. Successful managers develop successful brands. However, this requires the creation of effective messages and communicating them appropriately with the view to earning both the brand and the company the desired reputation. The marketers at Samsung continue to portray their marketing genius as they introduce successful brands of smartphones throughout the world. As Malcolm Gladwell explains in his concept of the power of the few, a successful message originates from a small source that in turn employs effective media and models of communication in order to attain the viral effect Samsung has such an efficient marketing team. The marketing team at Samsung consists of few professionals who understand human’s behavior patterns. The success of the company’s brand position tools such as its logo and slogan attest to the marketing prowess of the team. The company’s slogan “Inspire the world, create the future” is among the most successful slogan in the world. The company uses effective connectors in communicating its products. The media serves a basic connecting function as they link the originators of the information to their target audiences. “The mass media enhances the spread of marketing messages thus bridging the gap between marketers and the target market” (Erlichman 65). Additionally, the company has effective information specialists who influence the types of media to use in communicating the messages thus enhancing the reach of the messages. The company uses various media both local and international in its various markets. Each of the medium has its advantages and disadvantages. The specialists make the decision on which information to communicate in a particular medium in order to achieve a particular outcome. Malcolm Gladwell explains that salesmen are charismatic individuals who possess persuasion and negotiation skills “there are exceptional people out there who are capable of starting epidemics. All you have to do is find them” (Gladwell 41). They interact with the consumers therefore enhancing the development of a brand’s reputation. The marketing team at Samsung understands the role of the salesmen and therefore employ the most skillful of them to foster the growth of the brand. They are always not many but their role spreads their importance throughout a market as they build a reputation both for themselves and the brand. They retail the product and must always act as the face of the company at the point of interaction. They explain the message developed by the information specialist often trying the product to the client with the view to proving the worth and quality of the product. The effect of a message in the society relies on the functions of the salespeople. As such, Samsung has strategic salespeople who interact with their customers effectively. They explain the basic features of the product and do so both politely and professionally. Furthermore, the company has a customer service center that runs on the principle of salespeople. At the center, the company interacts with its target market thereby resolving the issues arising from the vita group. Another important factor in Malcolm Gladwell concept of tipping point is the importance of the environment also known as the context. He explains that an environment often initiates and sustains an epidemic "Epidemics are sensitive to the conditions and circumstances of the times and places in which they occur" (Gladwell 16). Samsung’s smart phones enjoy immense success owing to the environment in which the marketers of the company introduced the gadgets. Samsung is among the original companies to introduce smart phones. At the time, such companies as Nokia, Motorola and Sonny Erikson manufactured unique handsets that could not multi task. The blocky devices relied on the use of buttons and restrictive operating systems. The Samsung team introduced a unique hand held devices the eliminated the use of keyboards thus permitting users to type directly on the screens of the phones. The smart phones had large displays, interactive operating systems and long batter life among many others. A scoop is a concept in marketing that refers to a company discovering and monopolizing a market. Samsung discovered a new product, one that would interest the world. The android operating system permitted users to add numerous applications to their smartphones thus enhancing the interactivity of their devices. This was an example of a perfect scoop that helped position the brand and allocate it both the market share and the competitiveness it enjoys to date. Malcolm Gladwell refers to this as the environment in which one decides to communicate a message. The environment sets stage for the successive criticism and acceptance of a message thereby enhancing its reach. This facilitates the tipping point since the target audience scramble for the message or idea as they internalize and criticize it. “Emotion is contagious” (Gladwell 45), Samsung develops emotive messages thereby enhancing their reach. The same was the case with Samsung as the target market began criticizing the new brand while the company’s competitors began emulating Samsung. The marketers of the company beat the wave as its information specialists branded the product original. The many others that followed thus became either counterfeits or unoriginal. Samsung ha various stickiness factors that enhanced the success of the brand. The smart phones were unique. As explained earlier, the other mobile phone models were rudimentary and boring. “Samsung introduced a unique brand that promised interactivity and fun filled utilization of the otherwise basic devices”. Such features as touchscreen, downloadable applications and expandable memories were the basic memorable features of the new brand of smartphones introduced by Samsung. The features eared Samsung uninterrupted airtime as people discussed the trending features of the phone and the fact that it promised to revolutionize mobile telephony. In retrospect, a successful brand must attain the tipping point that Malcolm Gladwell explains in his book. The renowned psychologist develops a unique overview of human psychology thereby explaining the context in which humans consume messages and view new ideas. Ideas spread as viruses owing to the effectiveness of the communication strategies employed by the communicators. Samsung is a South Korean company that prides itself in the manufacture of smartphones among other electronics. The company enjoys more than fifty percent of the global smartphone market. Such a success rises from attaining the tipping point that Malcolm Gladwell explains in his book. The company has employed the three factors Gladwell explain in the book to enhance the profitability of the company. The concepts as the power of the few, factors of stickiness and power of context are basic tools Samsung used in developing the successful brand it is today. Works cited Erlichman, Jon. Samsung Makes Its Move in the Mobile Ad Wars. New York: Bloomberg, 2013. Internet resource. Gilbreath, Bob. The Next Evolution of Marketing: Connect with Your Customers by Marketing with Meaning. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print. Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Boston, Mass: Back Bay Books/Little, Brown and Co, 2002. Internet resource. Mirza, Hafiz. Global Competitive Strategies in the New World Economy: Multilateralism, Regionalization, and the Transnational Firm. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 1998. Print. Samsung Ads Have Muddled, Strange Message: Kedrosky. New York: Bloomberg, 2013. Internet resource. Read More