It be could that social influence (rather than mass communications on their own) is the secret ingredient to people finding out about, and being interested in new things.

I’d love to deliver a client-focused study on social influence – it could radically change the way you think about communicating your new products and services!

How:

I’d run two month-long study with 20 participants across social backgrounds focusing on ‘new stuff’.

• I’d meet and interview each participant at home getting them to show me new stuff they’ve adopted in the last few months unpick the threads of how that happened (looking at mass media, their family and friendship network and their on and off-line behaviour)

• Half of the participants (with smart phones) would be recruited to use ethos app to record ‘new stuff’ behaviour – no matter how trivial, the others would record behaviour using the technology they have to hand.

• New stuff would be – new behaviour patterns; new media consumption (including books); new products purchased; new language used (new catch phrases); new ideas thought..

• I’d re-contact participants via phone and skype to talk about their ‘new stuff’ behaviour

• I’d finish the project by running an on-line bulletin board so all the participants could read and explore each other’s behaviour

• I’d revisit the best respondents to capture their behaviour on film too

• I’d make sure the study had a good representation of the kinds of people who are ‘influencers’ (the people Seth Godwin calls ‘Sneezers’ in his book the Idea Virus). I’d support the study with a book review of literature on social influence and social network theories.

Qual Street Delivery

It would take three months to turn this around, the final outputs would be a film, a book, and a visual presentation.

Likely investment needed

I would cost this project at £20,000 – £25,000. If four-five clients syndicated this project, it could be a ‘cheap’ leap into understanding Social Influence.

Go on you know you want to… I know I do.