[The standard of marketing] #1 Tipping Point

Tipping Point: Conceptual Description

A tipping point is literally a "point of sudden flip." From a marketing point of view, it means a dramatic moment when a situation progresses slightly, then at some point, the balance is broken and everything changes in an instant. It is a concept that became famous when a book of the same name published in 2000 by Canadian journalist Malcolm Gladwell became a bestseller. Malcolm Gladwell cited the "Hush Poppy" resurgence of Wolverine World Wide, an American shoe maker, as a case in point of tipping point. In the conceptual organization section below, we will introduce it in detail.

Tipping Point: Conceptual Summary

[Phenomenon] A brand that has lost its popularity
In the early 1990s, Wolverine World Wide, which owns several shoe brands, was considering phasing out the once-hugely popular brand "Hush Poppy" after its annual sales dropped significantly.

[Small change] A few things to keep an eye on
✅ Young people in Manhattan's East Village start buying 'Hush Poppy' shoes at outlets and elsewhere due to scarcity of 'no one wears them'
✅ Designer 'Izak Mizrahi' utilizes 'Hush Poppy' shoes to sell new design clothing
✅ Designer 'Energy' utilizes 'Hush Poppy' shoes at the fashion show
✅ Designer 'Joel Fitgerald' sets up sculpture of 'Hush Poppy' mascot Bassett Hound1) on the roof of the boutique
✅ Actor 'Pee Wee Himan' buys and wears several pairs of 'Hush Poppy' shoes

[Result] Tipping point occurred
A year later, Hershey Poppy enjoyed such explosive popularity that sales boomed again in shopping malls across the U.S.

[Meaningful discovery]
On the surface, the corporation was doing almost nothing. If you look closely at this phenomenon, you'll find some hidden features.
① Infectious behavior (adopted as a teen fashion item)
② Small changes have big consequences (a handful of celebrities leveraging forgotten brands)
③ At some dramatic point, the transmission is fast-paced (it's back in popularity a year later)

Tipping Point: Practical Application

What should we do to get tipping points for our products?

1) A short-legged hound symbol of the Hershey Poppy brand
2) Originality, the unique originality of the product or its value