Innovation: why marketers must focus on the imitators

David Rankin

David Rankin, kae:marketing intelligence, argues that a product's customers can be split into 'innovators', early adopters who react to advertising/promotion alone, and 'imitators', who additionally require personal endorsement from people they know or respect.

Innovation: Why Marketers must Focus on the Imitators

David Rankin

A combination of factors — awareness, access and affordability among them – means few consumers can ever be considered true innovators. 'True' meaning that they require only external stimulus (good old- fashioned advertising and promotion), with no further reinforcement or recommendation, to make the decision to buy. Further, since no money actually changes hands – therefore there is no decision to buy – we should exclude people who take up free trial offers or taste tests from such true innovators.

Far more of us – typically five to 20 times...

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