Comments on: Influencers-Shminfluencers: A Podcast with Duncan Watts

By: Paul Dunay

Paul Dunay — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:49:17 +0000

Harry
Totally agree that many marketers think there can be some sort of Silver Bullet that will automatically spread like wildfire.
The point is if you have a good “story” it will naturally spread virally.
Watts point is that it is not isolated to a small group of Uber Influencers – it is much more random that that.

By: Paul Dunay

Paul Dunay — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:42:44 +0000

Sean
Actually Watt’s research was quite detailed
He redid the research around 6 degrees of separation and he redid testing around music popularity with 2 separate control groups to help make his point (not prove a point).
Also having met him I can tell you he is not prone to superficial assertions.

By: Harry Hallman

Harry Hallman — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:48:42 +0000

You don’t need a research study to know that people influence other people. This is a given fact of life. I believe what gets lost in WOM is that it first requires something worthy of talking about, something different, something relevant to the group. Secondly, the influencers have to be trusted sources of information. Third is that virtually all, but some special cases, of viral marketing are very limited to small groups which means you have to create many of them (much like rain hitting a lake) to achieve good marketing results.
Too many marketers think you can come up with any lame “trick” and that it will spread like wild fire and make you millions. Yes, this does happen but it is akin to hitting the lottery. A good example is this is the consumer created video craze. Everyone is doing it, but it it being done well. Probably not. WOM is hard work and requires many pegs be placed in the right holes.
I don’t discount Duncan Watts research I just don’t really see the relevance.

By: Sean Moffitt

Sean Moffitt — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 04:11:54 +0000

Paul,
As bad as it is that many of us jumped on the Gladwell bandwagon train without proper due diligence, its disturbing to see the same type of glob and superficial assertions that come from Watts’ research which for all its hubris, doesn’t disprove The Influencers theory whatsoever.
Watts’ research is perhaps interesting from an academic standpoint but holds very little credence (or at least his conclusions) in real world culture, marketplace and society.