Malcolm Gladwell’s

 Born in England (1963). Moved to Canada when he was six years old.  Mother is a Jamaican psychotherapist. Father is a mathematics professor. Wandered around college libraries as a boy.  Graduated college with a degree in history (1984). Worked for several newspapers before becoming a writer for the New Yorker magazine in  Published The Tipping Point in  Named Time Magazines 100 Most Influential People.

“What is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient... highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it's almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed - fully understood - that sticks; right in there somewhere.” –Cobb, Inception (2010) Rooted in the metaphor that Ideas & Behavior = Viruses. Think the movie Inception.

 Seth Godin: we live in the Century of Idea Diffusion : “people who can spread ideas, regardless of what those ideas are, will win.”  It’s not just about having the best idea: it’s also about how that idea is presented to other people, and who presents it. 0:40-2:30 Godin TED Talk

 Cost:  TV and print ads are expensive  Media clutter:  It is difficult for products to stand out against the background of advertising  Cynicism:  Consumers, especially Gen X and Gen Y consumers, are jaded and cynical about “obvious” marketing  TIVO, DVRs:  Consumers can avoid TV commercials altogether  Segmentation:  Consumers aren’t homogeneous, they are segmented into different markets

 Gladwell argues ideas spread best by word-of- mouth: people talking to people.  In the way ideas spread from one person to another, they resemble a virus.  Examples of virally marketed ideas:

 Gladwell argues there is a moment when an idea can either spread and become universal or fade away and disappear.  Gladwell calls this THE TIPPING POINT: “that magic moment an idea crosses a threshold and spreads like wildfire.”  His book analyzes why some ideas tip and others don’t. Thinking back to Godin, The Tipping Point then provides a game plan to how we can “win” in the Century of Idea Diffusion.

 Each chapter is full of stories; Gladwell uses anecdotes to prove his points. Some of the examples Gladwell uses to illustrate his argument include…

 “People aren’t getting jobs through their friends, but through their acquaintances.”  “Just like fashion trends, crime is contagious. It starts with a broken window and can spread to an entire community.”  “A child is better off in a good neighborhood and a troubled family than a bad neighborhood and a good family.”  “The size of the crowd in a theater has a big effect on how good the movie seems.”

Who Malcolm Gladwell is. What the Tipping Point is. How Godin’s Theory of the Century of Idea Diffusion relates to Gladwell’s book. Why TV isn’t the best way to spread ideas. What Gladwell believes the best way to spread ideas is. How Gladwell organizes his book. What to expect as we begin the book today.