The "Law of Diffusion of Innovations" has long been observed as the standard for technology adoption, but can this simple bell curve also be used to inform our leadership and enhance our influence? This short presentation will give participants a basic understanding of the five adopter categories and provide recommendations for communicating and influencing each to increase effectiveness, drive persuasive communications and the championing of ideas.

1. LEADERSHIP & INFLUENCE
Diffusion of Ideas
Speaker: Christopher Tarantino
@Tarantino4me
Rochester Chapter

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Can IDEAS spread
like INNOVATIONS ?
That’s what we’ll explore in the next twenty minutes…

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The Diffusion of Innovations
Everett Rogers (1962)

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How can we better
identify these
groups/characteristics?

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Diffusion Groups (part 1)
Innovators
• Tech geeks/nerds
• Trailblazers, risk-takers
• Responds to:
• The word “new”
• Being first
• Bragging rights: stood
in line for every Apple
product ever released
Early Adopters
• Visionaries
• Socialites
• Responds to:
• Evangelizing
• Opinion leadership
• Bragging rights: told
that guy about that thing

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Diffusion Groups (part 2)
Early Majority
• Pragmatic
• Critical
• Responds to:
• Tested applications
• Larger user bases
• Bragging rights:
adopted [technology]
after the kinks were
worked out
Late Majority
• Spectators
• Skeptical
• Responds to:
• Majority opinion
• “Bandwagon” thinking
• Bragging rights: was
pretty late to get
[technology], but they’re
with it now

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Diffusion Groups (part 3)
Laggards
• Skeptics
• Risk-averse, Inactive
• Responds to:
• Obsolescence
• “I don’t want to & you can’t
make me!”
• Bragging rights: still
has a rotary phone
Can you identify these
people in your life?
How do these groups
interact?
Have we each been in
multiple places on this
bell curve before?
Can identifying these
groups assist us with
the persuasiveness of
our communication?

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Diffusion, AIDA & the
“HierarchyofEffects”
• AIDA = Attention  Interest  Desire  Action
• Hierarchy of Effects (theory)
• Usually applied to advertising/marketing – can also be
used to “sell” ideas persuasively!
Awareness Knowledge Liking (+/-) Preference Conviction “Purchase”

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When can this
understanding help us?
Work, personal relationships, sales/marketing,
leadership and management, others…?

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“The key to successful
leadership today
is INFLUENCE,
not authority.”
Find this presentation online:
http://slidesha.re/1g4i3Oo
-Kenneth Blanchard

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Other training/services available:
• Crisis Communications
• Emergency Management
• Technology
• Information Management
• Consulting
• Content Management
• Exercises/Evaluation

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Christopher Tarantino, MEP CMCP
about.me/chris_tarantino
CEO – Epicenter Media & Training
christopherltarantino@gmail.com
@Tarantino4me | (585) 210-3011
THANK YOU!