Koldenburg’s Weblog

I am honestly enthralled and mesmerized by Gladwell’s, “The Tipping Point.” Gladwell stresses the importance of epidemics and word of mouth communication, as well as how to go about starting an epidemic. I have never thought about this concept on my own before…it seems like something so natural that it is normally not worth thinking over. When I think about an epidemic I think about erosion, global warming, and the flu- things that people look to cure and solve, but never look to start… concepts individuals normally wouldn’t think about are explained and defined through the course of the book.Relying on Salesmen, Connectors and Mavens, word of mouth is a very simple process that many overlook and underestimate. Gladwell explains that one of the reasons he decided to write the tipping point was because of his fascination of word-of-mouth epidemics. Though I have never before thought about how epidemics initially occur, I can honestly say Gladwell does an excellent job describing the process and key elements when epidemics first form, thus giving his audiences information to better their PR efforts when in need.The Tipping Point gives me excellent ideas about how to become a better PR professional. I now know how to promote events and publicize things without taking too many steps and wasting my time. The mavens, salesmen and connectors should be the focal points of every successful and effective PR effort. Gladwell does a great job citing specific examples of word-of-mouth epidemics and relaying the message to his audience that starting an epidemic can be easier than one would think