The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

I have recently completed the book, The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell, and found it to be extremely informative. The Tipping Point is about how ideas can be transformed into trends, which can then spread like wildfire, becoming extremely popular. This process is not limited to ideas though, diseases, and even a company’s products can spread in all the same way. Gladwell uses multiple examples to explain how these trends spread, but they all connect back to three central concepts. These concepts are three things that every trend must have in order to spread: The law of the few, a stickiness factor, and the power of context. Gladwell uses these three concepts to show a large audience how he finds trends to expand. This audience includes most of the public, but also any marketers who are looking to enhance sales or the popularity of their products. These concepts can be applied to a great number of things, but can be especially useful in a marketing setting if one would want to increase sales.The first concept Gladwell discusses is the law of the few. This concept states that there are a few people who will push an idea until it gains a lot of popularity. These people can be broken up into three categories: connectors, mavens, and salesmen. Connectors are people that have many social connections, and can create relationships, deals, and connections that may have otherwise not occurred. Mavens are the people who feel passionately about the trend that is expanding, and help to sell its ideas to others over other choices. Mavens give information to other consumers that help them to make well-versed decisions. Last, salesmen are the people who have unusual charm and charisma, who are able to persuade other people’s buying decisions.The first example that Gladwell uses is the spread of syphilis in the streets of Baltimore. He applies his the law of few concept to this scenario by pointing out that there are many people in the city who fit his model of connector, maven, or salesmen; who helped to contribute to the spread of the disease. One of these people is “Darnell ‘Boss Man’ McGee. He was big- over six feet- and charming, a talented skater, who wowed young girls with his exploits on the rink,” (20). His charming personality easily allowed him to persuade girls to do what he wanted, which is a perfect fit for Gladwell’s law of the few. McGee is an easy fit for Gladwell’s salesmen concept, because he is able to easily convince and persuade people to make decisions. There is truth to Gladwell’s concepts, because McGee was a huge instigator in the spread of syphilis, and he fits Gladwell’s mold of the salesmen so perfectly there can be no denying his involvement in the advancement of the disease.The next key concept that Gladwell introduces is his idea of the stickiness factor. This concept states that a trend cannot become popular unless it is memorable and sticks to the minds of those who encounter it. This concept usually cannot be applied to the spread of diseases, but is crucial to other kinds of trends such as a business selling a product. The stickiness factor is simple, but essential to a trend’s success, if something is not memorable, then it cannot become a popular idea or product. Gladwell uses examples from television in order to explain the uses and importance of the stickiness factor. He talks about Joan Ganz Cooney’s, “show… that was contagious enough it could serve as an educational Tipping Point: giving children from disadvantaged homes a leg up once they began elementary school… lingering long enough to have an impact well after the children stopped watching the show,” (89). Cooney’s plan would later turn into Sesame Street which not only achieved this goal, but received great popularity and praise for doing so as well. Sesame Street won such praise for meeting this goal because teaching is usually done to target a child’s strengths and weaknesses, which is extremely difficult to do through television because there is a set script that cannot be changed and must effectively teach all the children that may be watching. The show’s founders discovered ways to still successfully deliver educational messages to children, which are still efficient today. These techniques are what give the show its stickiness factor, proof that a stickiness factor will help something gain immense popularity.Gladwell’s final concept he discusses is the power of context. The power of context is an interesting concept that has largely to do with human nature. Gladwell’s definition of the power of context is that human nature is heavily influenced by its environment; the environment being not just a physical location, but the actual situational surroundings and social settings of a group of people as well. In his exact words, Gladwell says, “Epidemics are sensitive to the conditions and circumstances of the times and places in which they occur,” (139). In order to justify this concept, Gladwell used the declining crime rate in New York City during the 1990s. In this example, Gladwell states that the decline in crime in New York was due to a lot of factors, but mostly argues that the change in environment was the largest contributing factor. 1990s New York was a time that the broken window theory was introduced, which stated that many neighborhoods were becoming tremendously conscious of their own quality of living and would not allow even small signs of deterioration to occur; even a broken window. This made numerous New York neighborhoods a lot nicer, and safer, reducing the sale and use of crack cocaine, and violent crimes.Gladwell’s concepts to hold strong truth in the world that we live in. There is no denying the fact that trends exist, and that they receive enormous popularity, and Gladwell’s concepts finally give us a sense of how this occurs. The law of the few, the stickiness factor, and the power of context all have clear implications on how trends spread, and they are all backed up in Gladwell’s historical research. The examples Gladwell provides are exemplary when it comes to arguing his points because they show all sorts of trends in history that blew up because of all his theories. The example I found to be particularly strong was the stickiness factor of Sesame Street. Sesame Street is one of the most popular children’s television shows and now there is a solid explanation as to why this is true. Gladwell was smart to use this example because it is relatable to a large number of people, which makes it easy for a large audience to quickly grasp and understand his concept that is the stickiness factor. This example is, in its own way, the novel’s own stickiness factor.The concepts discussed in The Tipping Point are closely related to another book, which is entitled Made to Stick, written by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. Made to Stick builds off of The Tipping Point’s concept of the stickiness factor, examining what makes ideas memorable. It states that in order for an idea to be memorable, it must meet these requirements: simplicity, it must be a concrete idea, it must be unexpected, emotional, and have stories behind it (Heath). Since this book even exists, it is a statement to how well written and truthful The Tipping Point actually is. Other authors want to explore the concepts that Gladwell created, showing his success in dissecting how trends are set.I found Gladwell to achieve his goals very efficiently throughout the novel. He clearly shows his audience how his concepts create trends, and provides explicit examples of historic trends that prove his concepts to be true. For example, Gladwell used the spread of syphilis as his topic, applied a concept to it; the law of the few; and showed an example of it. In that case, he showed his audience the exploits of Darnell “Boss Man” McGee, a flawless example for the law of the few.All in all, The Tipping Point is a must read because it shows so much light on how things spread, or gain popularity. Whether the reader is a doctor, trend setter, or even a chief marketing officer of a firm, there is valuable information for just about everyone. Even casual readers should take joy in learning about the causes of trend setting and maybe even find ways to apply it to their lives. Anyone involved in marketing should definitely give The Tipping Point a read because it contains extremely valuable information, in the three concepts of trend setting, which can be used to market any product.

Malcolm Gladwell, the author of The Tipping Point, takes the reader through a myriad of colorful stories to help the reader understand how communication, whether verbal or non-verbal are key contributors to effecting a change. Gladwell compares the way "changes occur" to an epidemic or virus that is spread throughout an area. He discusses how these changes start with only a few people at the helm of the change. These few people have the ability and qualities to make these changes happen. While the changes in the beginning seem small, the result of these changes can be strong and measurable. One example Gladwell uses is how around the mid 1990's the crime rate in New York City had decreased dramatically. While many had their own supposition as to why this occurred, Gladwell looks at the obvious and the not so obvious for answers. Gladwell reviews how many experts had expressed individual theories as to why the crime level had declined. These theories ranged from drug traffickers reduced in the area to an actual mass exodus of criminals out of the New York City area. Gladwell looks at these changes from an entirely different perspective. He reviews how small changes and groups of people can have an overwhelming effect on changing something.Gladwell mentions that these small groups can be categorized into three areas: connectors, mavens and salesmen. To provide the reader some insight into these three groups Gladwell effectively uses both stories and definitions to assist the reader in recognizing the different groups. The first group referred to as the Connectors is someone who appears to know everyone. Reading Gladwell's description, this author had several friends who immediately came to mind. One might even joke that this person could be mayor of the area as they seem to have a connection to everyone. Gladwell even makes reference to the game of six degrees of separation where people try to name a movie and actors that links back to Kevin Bacon in less than six links. Gladwell makes reference to the famous ride of Paul Revere and how Paul was a connector. While his ride did not cover vast territory, he did connect with those he was telling and had the ability to pass the pertinent information along to the rest of the townspeople.The second group of people would be called Mavens. Mavens are those people who seem to know anything and everything. These are people that you know who consume knowledge at an expediential rate of speed. The maven's motivation is to be helpful to those around them. Maven's gather knowledge and then want to share it. An example of this is the story Gladwell mentions about Mark Alpert. Mark was someone who had a never ending thirst for knowledge. He actually contacted Consumer Reports on two separate instances to notify them of misguided information related to two different vehicles. In true Maven form, Mark had acquired enough knowledge about these vehicles to identify what was not accurate with the report and wanted to know sure Consumer Reports set the story straight.The last group of people would be the salesmen. Salesmen are categorized as such based on what most people believe salesmen do which is talking prospective customers into buying something. The salesmen are considered to be very persuasive with what they are trying to get one to understand or buy. When being described as persuasive it is more of an objective observation as it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes someone persuasive. When one is being persuasive many assume that this is done relying solely on verbal communication, when in reality, it truly has just as much to do with the non-verbal cues that someone is receiving. These three categories in conjunction with the concept of stickiness which is having the ability to take concepts and turn them into actions are what Gladwell identifies as key contributors to why change happens in society, both large and small.Reading this book reminded me of a movie once viewed called "Pay It Forward". The premise of the movie is that a young boy wants to change the world and make it a better place. He embraces a school project and uses this platform to see if one person can ultimately make a change in the world, for the better. During the movie, the boy is supported by both his mother and his school teacher. These two people along with the assistance of a reporter begin to pass the word of what the mission this boy has placed on himself and anyone he comes in contact with. The boy decides that if he can do someone nice for someone and instead of that person feeling indebted to him, he asked them to pass that kindness forward in order to push the momentum of this good deed further into the community. I identify with all of the main characters in this movie even more after reading The Tipping Point. The premise of this movie proves Gladwell's point that change does not have to be accepted by the masses but one person at a time. Gladwell mentions that eighty percent of most work done in organizations is completed by only twenty percent of the population. People can make a difference one action at a time. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. While digesting what Gladwell was trying to say in the book, I was continually reminded of the previously mentioned movie. I feel that with the combination of knowledge that Gladwell gives to his readers and the willingness of the readers to make a change, the world could be a better place.

The Tipping Point is a thought-provoking look at how small changes can trigger big shifts in society. Gladwell’s accessible storytelling and memorable case studies make the ideas easy to grasp, though at times the analysis feels stretched. Still, an engaging read. 7/10