the tipping point

I found Malcolm Gladwell's brief on the tipping point particularly interesting because I never thought of social phenomena as infectious in the same way that diseases spread. This is a great explanation of how word of mouth marketing works because it only needs one catalyst to gain steam and popularity. I think the different e however, is that unlike diseases womm cannot work just from mere interaction. As we read in Sernovitz's book as well as in our current text, wom requires a heavy investment from the producer and heavy engagement from the producer. I do believe, as Gladwell asserts that once that combination is perfectly mixed, wom spreads like wildfire.

My question is: if infections quickly spread and then fade, how Di marketers create recognizable brands that continuously stand the test of time. Brands like coca cola have been with us for decades, continuously reinventing themselves to remain relevant. Will companies like Coke eventually run out of steam like Gladwell suggests?