Has your marketing team discussed boosting your Earlier Adopter strategy? If so, a crucial element to include is “previewing.” That is, giving potential subscribers or buyers methods to “try before they buy.”
The Quantum Leap Insights Consumer Buying Segmentation reveals that about half of US shoppers between 18-78 look to preview a brand by searching for things like videos, images, samples, etc. before buying a new brand. And nearly three-quarters of Early Adopters use this method.
The Importance of Early Adopters
Early Adopters are defined as consumers who are the first to try new brands, services, or products. Malcolm Gladwell referred to this group as Mavens in his book The Tipping Point. They are a critical consumer group since they serve as influencers in their network to gain social currency.
True to Gladwell’s description of Mavens being a go-to source for information, we found that Early Adopters are extremely well-informed purchasers who try to make choices as close to perfect as possible (64% vs. 56% total). These behaviors support the research that Early Adopters are very focused on being considered credible sources of information.
Early Adopter Reliance on Marketing Touchpoints
To explore this concept further, we conducted an exception analysis comparing the reliance on marketing touchpoints among Early Adopters to the total survey sample. On all ~30 touchpoints we explored, Early Adopters over-indexed at 120 or higher compared to the total.
The top three touchpoints that over-indexed or were the most differentiated from the total were: AI services (280 index, 58%); videos from influencers / creators / celebs (264 index, 60%); and online recommendations from influencers / creators / celebs (261 index, 61%).
Reaching Early Adopters – Beyond Previewing
Beyond the table stakes of previewing, any team seeking to reach Early Adopters should embrace AI-Powered personalization (chatbots, recommendations, etc.) along with videos or recommendations from influencers, creators, and celebrities.
We partner with teams to create marketing strategies custom-tailored to each brand’s unique strengths to reach and gain valuable brand recommendations from Early Adopters. If you’re interested to learn more about the results from our recent Consumer Buying Segmentation or want to explore a custom study, give us a call.