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25.07.2010 Innovation, Marketing and BrandingView Comments

Video: Fashion and Technology Adoption

If you can’t see the above video, click here, or watch direct on YouTube.

I had a great chat with Ed Barrow from Idio recently, in which Ed talked about fashion as one of the most powerful devices we know for bringing about mass market adoption.

Watching this video, you’ll get some valuable insights into how fashion can drive adoption, which I believe are affecting not just big brands, but startups and even local businesses. The main example that Ed uses is mobile phones, but I believe it applies to a lot more.

Let’s be honest: even picking one local web design agency over another, for instance, can be a matter of allegiance to a tribe or mindset that is informed by popularity, and the sale that this web design agency makes can then also be based on fashion (what everyone else is doing online.)

Your Leading Thoughts

  • Does Fashion play a role in why your customers are your customers? If so, describe this for us.
  • Has Fashion played a bigger role in modern technology and trends than 10 or 20 years ago, or has it always been this way?


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  • Edward Barrow

    Thanks for getting this one out there, surprised in retrospect how the discussion sounded semi-cogent!

    I wanted to point out of course, that the ability to jump the chasm from Early Adopter to Early Majority is what Malcolm discusses at length in good old The Tipping Point. Perhaps it’s worth re-reading the chapter on Teen Smoking and think about how that now relates to Apple products.

  • http://twitter.com/VelChain Dave Lutz

    Scott, very interesting post and video. I consult quite a bit with companies that supply event-based technology. The way fashion applies to those type of products is mostly in the UI (Use Interface). I've seen awesome enterprise technology, with a crappy front end, lose mandates over emerging platforms that look cool, but provide less ROI.

    Sometimes decisions are made around cool, shiny objects instead of deep value and business improvement. For B2B, I think it really boils down to having a strong product management focus that places a very high priority on UI ease of use and coolness. You really need both to drive adoption and retention.

  • http://scottgould.me/ Scott Gould

    Ed thanks for clarifying. I think it's time I brought back some discussion of classic books and how basic principles apply today.

  • http://scottgould.me/ Scott Gould

    Dave, as always, thanks for the comment.

    Certainly, fashionable devices might not provide the ROI thats needed. In mass market adoption, a slick UI makes a big difference. Phones with better features will never get more adoption than those with less features but better UI.

    So coming to the B2B play, I'm not sure where things lie, but we're getting too used to things that work so slickly to put up with the clunky stuff.

    I like your final thoughts, “You really need both to drive adoption and retention.” I'll need to think this through more!

    Scott

  • http://twitter.com/thewordpressguy Tony Cosentino

    Good value video post Scott,

    Really enjoyed listening to Ed and your thoughts on how important fashion now is in for faster engagement. I use this new perspective while planning my businesses branding efforts to make sure I am fashionable.

    kind regards
    Tony

    PS. interestingly I think my next phone will be android based as the dazzling marketing of the iPad actually opened my eyes about hype vs reality.

  • http://scottgould.me/ Scott Gould

    It's good to keep in mind isn't it Tony. With Like Minds, we inject a large degree of fashion into the event and marketing.

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