The Spovangelist

When talking about cultural evolution or the spread of a new technology, you may have heard of the five personality types describing rates of adoption. This is the Everett Rogers diffusion of innovations theory.

Over the next five days, the Spovangelist will sequentially profile each of the five types of adopters in terms of behaviors local to Spokane.

The idea is to identify where we are on this spectrum in different aspects of our lives. Then imagine what Spokane would be like if we all magically jumped up one level on this scale.

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Behaviors have been grouped into general categories for ease of comparison:

• T = Transportation
• F = Food
• M = Media
• R = Recreation
• C = Civics

1. Innovators – Characterized as the risk takers who act without needing to chart or measure the fruits of their own labor. They are venturesome pioneers that inspire new ideas and methods of thinking. They pursue further education for its own sake, seek out challenges, and constantly digest, compare and synthesize multiple sources of information.
2. Early Adopters – Are often well educated, flexible in their thinking and are those who connect the dots. They are popular and social, seek out stimulation, and often become the “Opinion Leaders” within their communities.  Early adopters are also known as “lighthouse customers” because they help to develop prototypes by providing considerable feedback to inventors. Early adopters also advise on means of distribution, service, and support.
3. Early Majority – These are people who want to see the business case for a new concept, or have the ROI spelled out for them. Some in this group have strong ties with certain Early Adopters that they trust. The Early Majority is responsible for creating the standards that lead to broad adoption. They are usually deliberate and maintain many informal social contacts.
4. Late Majority – These are the skeptics who find safety in numbers but typically wait too long to derive any competitive advantage. They are traditional in their outlook and behavior, and may tend to be members of a lower socio-economic bracket.
5. Laggards – Don’t care about tangible benefits to behavioral change. Fear of adverse reactions outweigh any desire for improvement. Neighbors or friends are often their only sources of information and influence. Laggards  often cling to dogmatic or superstitious beliefs.

So stay tuned for the Five Types in terms of Spokane stereotypes…

You might be surprised to find out where you stand on the Spovangelist scale!

Tags:   Social Observations6 Comments