Crossing the Chasm
I was introduced to the concept of “Crossing the Chasm” by a start-up client who was not only introducing a new technology to the world, she was creating an entirely new category via a new consumer behavior. No small feat. For her, the notion of getting beyond Innovators and Early Adopters to the harder to impress Early / Late Majority consumers meant the business had scale and longevity. We focused our time together on how to use limited marketing spend to build fame and word of mouth, not only among Early Adopters but also by targeting Early Majority segments. According to the creator of this framework, the Chasm represents a credibility gap where consumers on the left of the gap maybe are not seen as “people like me” by the consumers on the right of the gap. People on the right of the gap want new products, technology, or services to feel more mainstream before jumping in.