Lately, I've been reading the book Diffusion of Innovations by Everett Rogers. It's a fascinating read that I think anyone who touches marketing or new product development should have to slog through (It's actually quite an engaging read, there's really no slogging involved, but it is a sizeable text, at 512 pages)

According to Rogers, and as summarized by Clarke, there are five important characteristics of an innovation.

They include:

• relative advantage (the degree to which it is perceived to be better than what it supersedes);
  
• compatibility (consistency with existing values, past experiences and needs);
  
• complexity (difficulty of understanding and use);
  
• trialability (the degree to which itcan be experimented with on a limited basis);
  
• observability (the visibility of its results).
  

At the same time I'm reading this, I'm also working with a group of local advertising, marketing and design professionals to devise a campaign for the 150th anniversary of the Green Bay Public School System. I can think of no finer feat that to put one's passion for marketing and passionfor fine education together in one project.

I've taken some liberties in applying the DoI theory, which is basically "technological innovation that is communicated through particular channels, over time, among the members of a social system," to the challenge of marketing the school district. Assuming that the innovation we're speaking of here is the forward progress evidenced in the Green Bay public school system. I know, it might be a stretch for some, but it's helped out in thinking about how parents adopt one school system over another, especially as newcomers to an area.

Here's a MindMap created for the project. If you have any thoughts on this, please leave them in the comments.

UPDATE: Ben at Church of the Customer have Diffusion of Innovations as one of their top ten reads that will change your 'business life'. I have to agree. It's one of my favorite business reads of the year. I only wish I'd discovered it sooner!