Ever read The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell? If so, the concepts of Connectors and Mavens should be nothing new to you. Connectors are individuals who have ties into many different realms and are the catalyst for change. Mavens are people who have a strong desire to help consumers make smart decisions – they tell the connectors and the connectors tell the world. There have been a lot of arguments around whether or not this notion is viable and I’ve decided to join in….for a lack of better words, my vote is no. I just don’t see how this concept could stick, possibly in the late 90’s, but I’m skeptical of it even that.

Nowadays it is so easy to spread influence – email is used by all internet users and the adoption rate for instant messenger is at about 80%. Internet users are starting to interact in new ways and we’re seeing a growth of “digital friends” (42% of social network users are interested in meeting new friends online). The web has also allowed us to expand our network; we’re now “friends” with people we’ve never physically met and people we use to know, but would no longer be in touch with in a pre-web era. Strangers are becoming a thing of the past.

The rise of blogs, social networks, and sharing sites has changed the way we interact with brands and people. Any consumer can be a publisher of information and millions have embraced it, making it so easy to share opinions and cultivate influence – all of us are influencers, not just these select few that Gladwell references. Almost all ecommerce sites allow users to post opinions, rate products, and create wish lists. When shopping online we’re even presented with “consumers who liked this also liked this” recommendations so, whether or not we know it, we all act as influencers.  

Businesses are being given a great opportunity here. Nobody knows your customers better than your consumers and now they actually want to tell you what they think (finally!). Companies have spent millions in research to “better understand” their customers so why are so many companies hesitant to get involved? Dell and Starbucks are great examples of how you can embrace the consumer, but there’s tons more info out there if you’re willing to leave the corporate site. Think of all the insights we could uncover if we just took the time to listen.

(*Thanks to McCann for a stellar study that provided a lot of the data to back this up.)