Digital Early Adopters: What has changed?
I was recently interviewed by Laura Rich, a digital media reporter, for an Advertising Age paper: Shiny New Things: What Digital Adopters Want, How to Reach Them and Why Every Marketer Should Pay Attention.
I recommend that you read the article as it presents many new angles and insights provided by professional researchers, marketers and early adopters (as Bill Tancer from Hitwise, Steve Rubel from Edelman, Robert Scoble, and many more).
I wish to further develop some of the points I suggested in the article:
Digital Adopters: what has changed?
Following the adoption of technologies in many consumer domains, a shift can be observed in the last few years in the segmentation and characteristics of early adopters. I tend to attribute this change to the wide and global adoption of the internet.
Technology is no longer the domain of a small minority of young male experimenters (previously known as “geeks”). It is now one of the main communication and business channels available. Consumers are no longer passive to new technology, but are fast learning – active producers.
Here are some evidences to the shift in the concept of early adopters:
- Technology is global: Asian and South American countries (considered as developing countries) are seen to adopt changes much faster than developed countries (follow their activity on social networks for instance)
- Gender differences are weaker than ever: Women are embracing new technologies.
- Adoption rates have shortened: from decades to years, from years to months (Facebook, iPhone).
- Social behavior and technology advancementare well combined: The first smartphone users are first to adopt social networks (Facebook, Twitter), to experiment with apps, to view TV via internet / mobile. (see PEW survey: 39% of internet users with 4+ internet-connected devices use Twitter) and next to use location based solutions.
The power of early adopters:
In the last five years, early adopters have received a stage to influence others. Social Media gave them the screen power.
Early social media users have grown to be the main influencers, and their influence is far beyond technology. They have become the new celebrities. As part of their positioning, they are expected to act as early adopters, much the same as celebrities are needed to keep updated with fashion.
What should marketers consider when marketing to early adopters?
Early adopters are physically easier to reach but now much harder to “buy”. Most of the brands (and Apple is one big exception) have lost their attractiveness. Brands that can provide early adopters a good reason why – will have a chance to influence. It’s all about proven value.
If early users will find your product handy – they will be willing to spread it. Otherwise – they will not hesitate to share their real thoughts.
I suggest you will follow one of the first Coca Cola initiatives in the social media domain. They choose Brazil as their beta site and sent bloggers a free gift. We named it “Rent a blog strategy” which obviously failed…
Marketers definitely need to learn and understand the new social norms shared by early adopters.
Tweet This Post 
Plurk This Post 
Buzz This Post 
Delicious 
Digg This Post 
Ping This Post 
Reddit 
Stumble This Post
![[Valid RSS]](http://www.trendsspotting.com/blog/wp-content/images/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")
March 25th, 2010 at 7:02 am
Twitter Comment
RT @simonharrow: Digital Early Adopters: What has changed? [link to post] by @TrendsSpotting
– Posted using Chat Catcher
March 25th, 2010 at 7:52 am
Twitter Comment
Digital Early Adopters: What has changed? [link to post] by @TrendsSpotting
– Posted using Chat Catcher
March 25th, 2010 at 8:11 am
Twitter Comment
The new mentality of the early adopters, [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
March 25th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Twitter Comment
Digital Early Adopters: What has changed? [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
March 25th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Twitter Comment
Digital Early Adopters: What has changed? [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
March 26th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Twitter Comment
RT @visioncritical: Digital early adopters and how to market to: [link to post] For more on techno user segments: http://ow.ly/1rl6R
– Posted using Chat Catcher
March 26th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Twitter Comment
Digital early adopters and how to market to: [link to post] (via: trendspotting)
For more on techno user segments: http://ow.ly/1rl6R
– Posted using Chat Catcher
March 26th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Twitter Comment
RT @visioncritical: Digital early adopters and how to market to: [link to post] (via: trendspotting)
For more on techno user segments:
– Posted using Chat Catcher
April 7th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Twitter Comment
RT @manuchat: Digital Early Adopters: What has changed? [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
April 10th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Twitter Comment
RT @TrendsSpotting Digital Early Adopters: What has changed? [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
April 10th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Twitter Comment
Digital Early Adopters: What has changed? [link to post] #socialnetwork #trend
– Posted using Chat Catcher
April 23rd, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Twitter Comment
[link to post] Shiny New Things: What Digital Adopters Want, How to Reach Them and Why Every Marketer Should Pay Attention.
– Posted using Chat Catcher
April 23rd, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Twitter Comment
@OiPhilpot Digital Early Adopters link ‘: [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
April 23rd, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Twitter Comment
Women r now digital early adopters : [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
April 23rd, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Twitter Comment
@imaginedpm great thanks Dee, have a lovely day 🙂
– Posted using Chat Catcher
April 27th, 2010 at 1:19 am
Twitter Comment
Early adopters modern independent journalists? @TrendsSpotting Digital Early Adopters: What has changed? [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
April 27th, 2010 at 2:11 am
Twitter Comment
Why You Should Court Women & Minority Digital Early Adopters- [link to post] RT @TrendsSpotting #rbtl
– Posted using Chat Catcher
January 13th, 2012 at 2:24 am
Undeniably think that which you stated. Your preferred justification appeared to become on the net the simplest thing to become aware of. I say to you, I definitely get annoyed whilst men and women believe about worries that they plainly do not know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the best and defined out the complete factor without having getting side effect , individuals can take a signal. Will almost certainly be back to obtain far more. Thanks
November 5th, 2014 at 3:41 pm
Where do I find boffing
February 2nd, 2015 at 7:24 pm
Good replies in return of this issue with real arguments and describing all concerning that.
September 4th, 2015 at 9:08 am
I enjoy searching via and I conceive this web site got some truly helpful stuff on it! .
September 22nd, 2015 at 5:06 pm
By doing so, you are keeping yourself from being impacted by them. Lastly, ONLY call psychic solutions that place their cash where their mouths are! Another unique gift of Gemini is youthfulness.