Conquering Global Markets with Content: The Global Diffusion of Local Innovations — Mike Dillinger

Conquering Global Markets (or not) with Content:

the global diffusion of local innovations

Mike Dillinger, PhDPast President, AMTA

Staff Program Manager, LinkedIn

Information Development World • San Jose, CA • 2015

We’re all in the innovation business.We want lots of people to

start to use our favoriteNew products,

New ideas, New practices

©Mike Dillinger, 2015

Maybe Research Can Help

“Diffusion of Innovations”– Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore (1991)

• Based on Everett Rogers (1962) Diffusion of Innovations

= How do people start using new stuff?• How quickly or slowly does it usually happen?• How can we speed it up? Or screw it up?• What leads to successful diffusion?


People all decide the same way

Benefits of Change

Relative advantages over existing alternatives• Reductions in HEET

(headaches, expenses, effort, time)• Increases in CRIS

(clients, recognition, income, satisfaction)

Costs of Change

(In)compatibility with existing processes• Complexity of change, learning curve

Price

(Rogers, 1962)… based on what they care about:


Three main factorsSuccessful diffusion of innovations depends most directly on three main factors:– Features:

Benefits given users’ needs and goals vs costs– Content:

how relevant and understandable their descriptions are– Evidence:

how easy it is to check that they work

Yes Failure Successful Innovation

No Utter Failure Failure

No Yes

Can they understand the content easily?

Do they care about the features?

Users’ Needs

& Goals

Users’ Background Knowledge & Language Skills

Relevant?

Diffusion of Innovations Research

Reading Research

Different People Care about different features, different use cases

Different users focus on different characteristics to judge costs and

benefits.


16%

50%

2.5%

84%

100%

Time

% o

f the

Tota

l Mar

ketNew, different groups of users start to use an innovation at different times.

They care about very different aspects of the innovation.

Tech

ies

Visi

onar

ies

Cons

erva

tives

Skep

tics

Prag

mati

sts

More similar

LessSimilar to the innovators


16% max

Time

% o

f the

Tota

l Mar

ket

Tech

ies

Visio

narie

s

They don’t care about market share, cost savings, competitive advantages…

2.5%

Techies care about cool, new technology• They:

– Like change– Focus on potential usefulness– Tolerate unfinished products– Tolerate risk– Decide independently

whether to try something


16%

2.5%Time

% o

f the

Tota

l Mar

ket

Tech

ies

Visi

onar

ies

They don’t care about technical details, cost savings, scientific foundations, etc.

Visionaries are the rare people who care about innovations that can make a very big difference.• They:

– Actually want change– Focus on potential usefulness– Tolerate unfinished products

in the beginning– Tolerate risk– Decide independently

whether to buy– Need a clear business

application


50%

16%

2.5%Time

% o

f the

Tota

l Mar

ket

Tech

ies

Visi

onar

ies

Prag

mati

sts

Pragmatists don’t have time for experiments. They don’t care about technical details, market growth, etc.

Pragmatists are the people who have to get the job done.• They:

– Don’t want change– Focus on proven usefulness– Can’t tolerate unfinished products – Don’t tolerate risk– Decide with their peers

whether to buy


PragmatistsVisionaries

Pragmatists:• Don’t want change• Focus on proven

usefulness• Can’t tolerate

unfinished products • Don’t tolerate risk• Decide with their peers

whether to buy

Visionaries :• Want to change existing

processes: revolution, not evolution• Tolerate unfinished

products• Tolerate risks• Focus on potential usefulness

The

“Cha

sm”

Qu

Tang

Gor

ge

Can we use the same content?


50%

16%

2.5%

% o

f the

Tota

l Mar

ket

Tech

ies

Visi

onar

ies

Prag

mati

sts

Many companies, especially startups, fail because they fall into the Chasm.

Not for lack of a good product,Not for lack of talent,Not for lack of funding, Not for lack of organization.

For lack of communication.

The Chasm

Crossing the Chasm is very hard.

Buy a flocculator!PRIMARY PURPOSE:

Provide energy and gentle mixing to induce particle collisions that form large flocs which will settle in a sedimentation basin or clarifier.

CONFIGURATIONS : • Vertical Paddle Wheel TYPE FHPP • Horizontal Paddle Wheel TYPE FVPW • Impeller Type Turbine Mixer

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OPTIONAL:Materials

Epoxy coated steel, Stainless steel paddles: redwood, fiberglass

Rotating Scum Collection PipeMotorized Helical Skimmer

http:

//sp

seng

inee

ring.

com

/floc

cula

tor/

Are you ready to buy one now?


Our Current ApproachWe write a single, detailed, technical

description of the innovation for all users.


Lessons Learned•Different people will care (or not)

about different features of your innovation. They need different info.• The more different users are from

innovators, the harder it is to understand what the users care about.


16%

50%

2.5%

84%

100%

Time

% o

f the

Tota

l Mar

ket

Tech

ies

Visi

onar

ies

Cons

erva

tives

Skep

tics

Prag

mati

sts

More similar


This discussion is all about local diffusion – of an innovation in one region.


Time

% o

f the

Tota

l Mar

ket

More similar

US

Cana

da, U

K, A

ustr

alia

Euro

pe

Asia

, Afr

ica

Russ

ia, A

siaNow think about global diffusion of a local innovation.



Globalization means…

•More, more diverse users•More, more diverse needs and goals•More, more diverse styles of communication•More, more diverse backgrounds

And the same exact product info?


[The] guidelines are described in detail on the following pages but the basic premise of these guidelines is to essentially electrically connect the equipment being serviced, your body and the workbench together to a good Earth ground in a particular way so that it is virtually impossible for any one of these materials to build up a static electrical charge relative to the others.Will translation help?


(iii) This Agreement, has been duly executed and delivered by the Seller and constitutes a valid, legal and binding obligation of the Seller, enforceable against it in accordance with the terms hereof, except as the enforcement hereof may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (whether considered in a proceeding or action in equity or at law).

Will translation help?

22©Mike Dillinger, 2015

Our Current ApproachWe write a single, detailed, technical

description of the innovation for all users.

And then we translate it into lots of languages.

Yes Failure Successful Innovation

No Utter Failure Failure

No Yes

Can they understand the content easily?

Do they care about the features?

Users’ Needs

& Goals

Users’ Background Knowledge & Language Skills

Relevant?

Diffusion of Innovations Research

Reading Research


Key findings of Reading Research

Meaning is not “in” the words– Readers insert meanings into words• In different contexts and situations• Using their background knowledge• For different purposes

– Readers skip parts of what they read– Readers imagine that things were stated even

though they weren’t mentioned in the text at all


If the balloons popped, the sound wouldn't be able to carry since everything would be too far away from the correct floor. A closed window would also prevent the sound from carrying, since most buildings tend to be well insulated. Since the whole operation depends upon a steady flow of electricity, a break in the middle of the wire would also cause problems. Of course, he could shout, but the human voice is not loud enough to carry that far. An additional problem is that a string could break. Then there could be no accompaniment to the message. It is clear that the best situation would involve less distance. Then there would be fewer potential problems. With face-to-face contact, the least number of things could go wrong.

How do translators and global readers feel when they read your writing?

26

Your content for writers

http://www.forwardedfunnies.com/the_dolphin_stress_test_000109.html

Your content for readers

Readers can understand your words in very different ways. Or not at all.


If the balloons popped, the sound wouldn't be able to carry since everything would be too far away from the correct floor. A closed window would also prevent the sound from carrying, since most buildings tend to be well insulated. Since the whole operation depends upon a steady flow of electricity, a break in the middle of the wire would also cause problems. Of course, he could shout, but the human voice is not loud enough to carry that far. An additional problem is that a string could break. Then there could be no accompaniment to the message. It is clear that the best situation would involve less distance. Then there would be fewer potential problems. With face-to-face contact, the least number of things could go wrong.

This is what the writers were thinking …


• Small word; HUGE problem.• 10% of everything you write.

• It signals something that you assume the reader already knows. With global readers, you’re usually wrong!

• Did he see the boss? Did you see the game?

“the”

The Reader’s prior knowledge is essential!

29©Mike Dillinger, 2015

These tend to be of a general nature and basically require employees to look after their own health and safety, and that of others, while working, to co-operate with employers in matters of health, safety and environmental protection, including properly using any equipment, procedures or protective measures provided, and not to behave recklessly.

53 words; 27th grade reading level (!);7 conjunctions;7 verbs;

From a Safety Manual!

Can she understand this in any language?


[The] guidelines are described in detail on the following pages but the basic premise of these guidelines is to essentially electrically connect the equipment being serviced, your body and the workbench together to a good Earth ground in a particular way so that it is virtually impossible for any one of these materials to build up a static electrical charge relative to the others.

Will translation help?


We don’t have any feet left…

We often assume that our readers:• Have LOTS of prior knowledge about

the innovation (like us!)• Have LOTS of linguistic skill (like us!)

They don’t.

32

They don’t care

Too hard to read

Pure “fluff”

Paraphrased content

~20% great content

All o

f you

r con

tent


Vive la différence!

For people to use our innovations, we need to:– Make them care.

Give different information to different people, organized according to their needs, goals and priorities.

– Help them understand. Use different phrasing for different people so they can understand what we have to say.


Single Sourcing?We already adapt content for different regions:– Prices, taxes, payment options– Links, addresses, images– Delivery options, support options– Privacy, censorship– Timing of marketing campaigns

Why not adapt the product descriptions?

We need dynamic, personalized

product content

Dozens of versionsof the same information

Mass personalization


Invest in automatically generated content?

Produced by a human or by a machine?

Thanks for your attention.

Questions?

Conquering Global Markets with Content: The Global Diffusion of Local Innovations — Mike Dillinger

Technology

Transcript of Conquering Global Markets with Content: The Global Diffusion of Local Innovations — Mike Dillinger