The Tipping Point from My Perspective

Malcolm Gladwell’s book, The Tipping Point, provides very interesting insight into the nature of the “tipping point” of different ideas, events, and products. When Gladwell writes about the “tipping point” he is referring to the point in any given situation when everything changes and an epidemic starts. A “tipping point” can occur based on the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. Gladwell also describes three characteristics of “tipping points” which are “one, contagiousness; two, the fact that little causes can have big effects; and three, that change happens not gradually but at one dramatic moment” (Gladwell 9).

This semester our Public Relations Administration class is working on a campaign for Georgia College & State University athletics. Our goal is to boost attendance at the men’s basketball games. We are doing this through a campaign called “One Team, One Spirit.” It is difficult to say what could be a “tipping point” in our campaign because, unfortunately, GCSU has a long-standing tradition of little school spirit. While brainstorming about creative ways to “tip” attendance I decided to pick apart my parents’ brains. My father, a witty man in his own right, decided that we should have someone on campus dressed up as a basketball to advertise the games. While I am not sure that a giant walking basketball is necessarily the way to go, I do think he had a point in that we need something out of the ordinary to get students’ attention and bring them into the games. We have started to draw attention with our Thunder mascot cut-outs. So far we have received excellent feedback, but this effort will encounter its first true test when we see how many fans turn out for the November 21 basketball game, the first real game of our campaign. While the Thunders have received good reviews, not everyone has had the opportunity to run across them. We may find that it will be beneficial to make a few more Thunders so we can have them in additional locations around campus, thus providing the opportunity for more students to encounter them.

The Law of the Few and the Stickiness Factor could be helpful as well. As part of our campaign we are including an RSO game attendance competition. This contest aids to the Law of the Few. If we can get a few RSOs to regularly attend the men’s basketball games we will probably find that overall attendance will increase over time as the RSO members bring friends and the competition gets larger. In the case of the Stickiness Factor we need to find what Gladwell calls the “little gold box” (97). This requires us to uncover something over the course of the basketball games that makes fans stick and want to come back for more.

We have planted the seeds for a successful campaign with our different game themes and fan competitions. Now we just need to make sure that the seeds blossom which will be accomplished by getting the word out successfully. Between our Thunder cut-outs, ads in The Colonnade, and other efforts we are doing a good job with publicity. However, we may find that the best thing for our campaign will be word-of-mouth buzz. Word-of-mouth epidemics can be a “tipping point” and we might find that this will be ours.

Gladwell explains that there are three types of people: Connectors, Mavens, and Salespeople. I struggle when trying to envision the type that best fits me. I know that I am most definitely not a Connector. I am not one of those people who know absolutely everything about absolutely everyone as is a Connector. The type that I fit best in is probably the Maven. A Maven is a person who is able to work out the problems of others by fixing his own problems and has the capability of launching word-of-mouth epidemics (66-67).

This semester our class has taken on the task of mastering different social media outlets including personal public relations blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn, and PROpen Mic. So far I have joined everything but LinkIn. There are many instances on these, and other, media outlets in which one could experience a “tipping point”. I have personally experienced a “tipping point” on Twitter. I was admittedly very hesitant to take on Twitter, which was apparent as I was among the last two students in the class to sign up on the site. For the first week or so I didn’t really understand what use I would find out of it. I am happy to report that after that first bit of time my Twitter experience “tipped”. I am now using Twitter more frequently and finding that it is a beneficial way to communicate with my classmates. Twitter has come in handy in communicating about our “One Team, One Spirit” campaign, conversing with our instructor about outside issues such as class registration, and also exchanging a few words with classmates about work for other classes. I have found Twitter particularly advantageous when I have needed to correspond in a timely manner with particular classmates and have not had their phone number.

I am also finding these social media networks to be accommodating with my career interests. There are many Fashion PR blogs that I think are very interesting to read as well as members of Twitter to follow, although I have not yet had the opportunity to find them all. I hope that when I join LinkedIn I will find Fashion PR professionals there as well.


Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point. New York: Back Bay Books, 2002.

Ford Sees the Key to Safety for New Drivers

Many parents seem to have concerns when their children begin to learn how to drive. Most of these apprehensions are based on fears about the teen driving too fast, getting distracted, having an accident, etc. Ford Motor Company is now planning to release a product that they believe will attempt to help calm some of these fears and draw the parents of new drivers to their vehicles.

In 2010 Ford plans to release "MyKey" which will give parents more control over their child's driving habits. "MyKey" is a car key that has a small computer chip in it which can be given to young drivers. This key is programed so that when being used the vehicle cannot go over 80 mph. Parents also have the option of putting stereo volume limitations and seat belt reminders on the key.

This product could feasibly be viewed as good or bad PR for Ford. Ford has recognized that children's driving habits are a concern for many parents and are using that as the basis for this new product. Parents are likely to see the positive aspects of "MyKey," which is what Ford is counting on. Conversely, teen drivers are not likely to give their approval of this product. If parents give their children the freedom to choose their vehicle, the teen driver is likely to steer clear of the car that gives their parents the ability to have control over their driving. So, good PR move or bad? Does the chance that parents will choose the car for its added safety features outweigh the risk that these restrictive controls will turn off teen drivers?