The rise of the stupid network effect

Mark Oldridge

This paper advocates a change in how the research industry understands the consumer. The prevailing empiricist approach to the management sciences should be abandoned and consumer markets would be better regarded as complex adaptive systems.
  

The Rise Of The Stupid Network Effect

Mark Oldridge Ogilvy London

Introduction

Advertising has not yet found its Newton.

(Lord Saatchi, The Times, February 2002)

Leaving aside the delusions of grandeur (if that's really what we are looking for), this paper suggests that we are looking in the wrong place and for the wrong thing. The purpose of this paper is to argue that it is time to reexamine the fundamental assumptions that underpin our understanding about how the consumer 'works', and in doing so will:

  • Demonstrate the shortcomings of our Newtonian assumptions
  • Show how the natural...

WARC subscribers can sign in to keep reading

Not a subscriber?

Schedule your live demo with our team today

WARC helps you to plan, create and deliver more effective marketing

  • Prove your case and back-up your idea

  • Get expert guidance on strategic challenges

  • Tackle current and emerging marketing themes

We’re long-term subscribers to WARC and it’s a tool we use extensively. We use it to source case studies and best practice for the purposes of internal training, as well as for putting persuasive cases to clients. In compiling a recent case for long-term, sustained investment in brand, we were able to support key marketing principles with numerous case studies sourced from WARC. It helped bring what could have been a relatively dry deck to life with recognisable brand successes from across a broad number of categories. It’s incredibly efficient to have such a wealth of insight in one place.

Insights Team
Bray Leino

You’re in good company

We work with 80% of Forbes' most valuable brands* and 80% of the world's top top-of-the-class agencies.

* Top 10 brands