Comments on: The joy of running with the herd http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/2007/07/25/the-joy-of-running-with-the-herd/ ...even a dice can roll Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:54:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Paul Browne http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/2007/07/25/the-joy-of-running-with-the-herd/#comment-3475 Paul Browne Fri, 03 Aug 2007 12:02:49 +0000 http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/?p=85#comment-3475 Yours arrive yet? http://www.firstpartners.net/blog/location/dublin/2007/08/03/mobile-internet-without-holding-a-pda-brick-to-your-ear/ Yours arrive yet?

http://www.firstpartners.net/blog/location/dublin/2007/08/03/mobile-internet-without-holding-a-pda-brick-to-your-ear/

]]> By: niall.p.larkin http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/2007/07/25/the-joy-of-running-with-the-herd/#comment-2844 niall.p.larkin Fri, 27 Jul 2007 10:32:15 +0000 http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/?p=85#comment-2844 Fair enough. :-) Fair enough. :-)

]]> By: Niall http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/2007/07/25/the-joy-of-running-with-the-herd/#comment-2775 Niall Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:31:45 +0000 http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/?p=85#comment-2775 I don't think many people are going to buy an mp3 player or phone if they know its not the best available just because their friends have one even, although they might choose to go to a film or restaurant even though they know its not the best available just to be part of the social experience. Regarding middle of the road products gaining market share, I don't think you can put that down to peer pressure as much as people actually believing that those products are the best on the market. The analogy with going to the cinema is slightly misleading; peer pressure with gadgets is more akin to having a good film recommended to you by friends than meeting up with them to decide which film to go to. I don’t think many people are going to buy an mp3 player or phone if they know its not the best available just because their friends have one even, although they might choose to go to a film or restaurant even though they know its not the best available just to be part of the social experience.

Regarding middle of the road products gaining market share, I don’t think you can put that down to peer pressure as much as people actually believing that those products are the best on the market. The analogy with going to the cinema is slightly misleading; peer pressure with gadgets is more akin to having a good film recommended to you by friends than meeting up with them to decide which film to go to.

]]> By: niall.p.larkin http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/2007/07/25/the-joy-of-running-with-the-herd/#comment-2717 niall.p.larkin Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:13:36 +0000 http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/?p=85#comment-2717 Interesting point Niall. Some would say that middle-of-the-road gadgets tend to win more market share. Betamaz/VHS, Windows/Mac..etc are examples of people opting for the poorer quality option because of peer influence. Take my Dad for example. He doesn't want a genuinely good gadget. And he certainly couldn't be arsed shopping for one. That said, he drives long distances to queue up outside Lidl/Aldi on a Thursday(?) morning with the other Dads to get the special offers that come on a weekly basis. Its all good stuff. Which gets immediately stocked away in the garage never to be used again. In that respect, its a waste of money. But in terms of the satisfaction it gives him and the banter with the other guys waiting in anticipation outside the store, its really the most fantastic value. In this case the social experience is transient, but over time its repeated and is forming relationships of increasing permanence. And the gadgets themselves are permanent in their presence but of the briefest transience in actual use or utility. Its a funky world we live in. Interesting point Niall. Some would say that middle-of-the-road gadgets tend to win more market share. Betamaz/VHS, Windows/Mac..etc are examples of people opting for the poorer quality option because of peer influence. Take my Dad for example. He doesn’t want a genuinely good gadget. And he certainly couldn’t be arsed shopping for one. That said, he drives long distances to queue up outside Lidl/Aldi on a Thursday(?) morning with the other Dads to get the special offers that come on a weekly basis. Its all good stuff. Which gets immediately stocked away in the garage never to be used again. In that respect, its a waste of money. But in terms of the satisfaction it gives him and the banter with the other guys waiting in anticipation outside the store, its really the most fantastic value. In this case the social experience is transient, but over time its repeated and is forming relationships of increasing permanence. And the gadgets themselves are permanent in their presence but of the briefest transience in actual use or utility. Its a funky world we live in.

]]> By: Niall http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/2007/07/25/the-joy-of-running-with-the-herd/#comment-2712 Niall Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:50:49 +0000 http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/?p=85#comment-2712 "That’s the added value, that’s what easily makes up for any amount of middle of the road predictable cinematic fodder. The same goes for social experiences around sports, nightclubs, restaurants etc and many other industries. And as we have seen, can even be extended quite easily into the purchasing of gadgets." It's not as clear-cut. A gadget is a product you're buying to use again and again; social experiences are transient. What works for a middle-of-the-road film won't work for a middle-of-the-road gadget. The gadget has to be genuinely good - a film, restaurant or nightclub does not. “That’s the added value, that’s what easily makes up for any amount of middle of the road predictable cinematic fodder. The same goes for social experiences around sports, nightclubs, restaurants etc and many other industries. And as we have seen, can even be extended quite easily into the purchasing of gadgets.”

It’s not as clear-cut. A gadget is a product you’re buying to use again and again; social experiences are transient. What works for a middle-of-the-road film won’t work for a middle-of-the-road gadget. The gadget has to be genuinely good - a film, restaurant or nightclub does not.

]]> By: Gordon Murray http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/2007/07/25/the-joy-of-running-with-the-herd/#comment-2662 Gordon Murray Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:09:08 +0000 http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/?p=85#comment-2662 Thank you, stay tuned for the next gadget next Open Coffee Thank you, stay tuned for the next gadget next Open Coffee

]]> By: Mark http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/2007/07/25/the-joy-of-running-with-the-herd/#comment-2661 Mark Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:55:10 +0000 http://www.niall-larkin.com/blog/?p=85#comment-2661 Spot on! We do what we do mostly (and even when we think otherwise) because of the influence of other people. Spot on! We do what we do mostly (and even when we think otherwise) because of the influence of other people.

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