Roger's Diffusion of Innovations

 The Diffusion of Innovations Theory explains how different products or ideas spread throughout a population. Dr. Everett M. Rogers developed the theory in the mid-1900s. Today, it still serves as an important lens through which we understand change over time.

Rogers identified five groups in the adoption process:

Innovators/Pioneers: These are the first people to adopt something new. They are risk-takers and are not afraid of change. This group includes people who create new products and ideas themselves.

Early adopters: This group consists of people who are interested in trying new technologies before they become mainstream. They are the guinea pigs and trendsetters of the groups. 

Early majority: The early majority is a group that paves the way for the more complete adoption of an innovation into society. They are a part of the general population, but adopt and accept new innovations before the average person. 

Late majority: This group of people is also a part of the general public. They are slightly slower to change, but follow others in adopting innovations into their daily lives. They accept new products and ideas after the average person.

Laggards: This group is much more reluctant to change and new ideas and services. They adopt new innovations into their lives significantly later than the average person, if at all. 

Roger's theory also explains that innovations spread more rapidly when they offer an improvement to something that already exists, are easy to understand and utilize, have trialability, and are visible to others. 

A great example of this theory is the rollout of smartphones

Innovators/Pioneers: The tech geeks who bought and/or invested in the earliest versions of the smartphone, like the BlackBerry or the original iPhone.

Early adopters: These were young professionals and trendsetters who quickly followed the innovators in adopting the smartphone.

Early majority: This group got involved once smartphones became more simplified and user-friendly. Additionally, the creation of apps made smartphones more essential to have, causing the early majority to accept them.

Late majority: The late majority waited until cell phones became more normalized and accessible in society.

Laggards: This group either stuck with their flip-phone until they had no choice but to give it up, or, like my tenth-grade teacher, never accepted the smartphone at all.

Overall, not every innovation succeeds. If it is not relevant or fails to connect with the people in the general market, it will fail regardless of how "good" it seems in theory.