Comments on: Out On The Edge

By: David Locke

David Locke — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:51:53 +0000

Moore's technology adoption lifecycle glosses over vertical markets, aka sub-cultural markets. After the vertical markets, the early mainstream market, high tech, focuses on a single sub-culture, IT culture. Then, in the late mainstream market, the market shifts its focus back to sub-culture as a strategic approach to cultural commoditization that is your "mainstream" market.

It's interesting that you've noticed that subculture becomes mainstream in a historical timeframe. Is it generational, or what? What processes occur? What speeds this transition up, or slows this transition down?

By: muskelaufbau

muskelaufbau — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:44:54 +0000

I think it is necessarily left to copy others or serve up inconsistent messaging. And that's when popularity becomes its marketing compass. But if a brand truly interrogates who it is and articulates its core values, and then creates consistent messaging with those values as a filter, it will create success other less evolved brands will want to emulate.

By: Steve Jones

Steve Jones — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:14:27 +0000

Great post. I couldn't agree more with your well presented points. It is a dangerous journey from the fringe to the mainstream. Metallica is an interesting example of a band that started very much on the heavy metal fringe in the early 80's, and a decade later broke through to the mainstream. Ever since they have fought a battle to remain credible with their early fans and accesible to their newer fans. Not easy.

Roy Williams (pf The Wizard of Ads) told me several times that "the risk of offense is the price of clarity". In other words, if your message doesn't risk alienating someone, you probably aren't sending a clear message. Brands that understand that aren't afraid to be true to what they stand for, and remain so as their brand evolves from the subculture to the mainstream.

By: @apowerpoint

@apowerpoint — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:01:14 +0000

Adding a thought: The edge is always where new brands are established because they offer a new solution to a need. It may be a unique business model, feature set, or audience (under-served.) Fixie bikes are another example of starting in sub-culture (messengers in large cities) and are now at the border of Hip and Cool.

By: @apowerpoint

@apowerpoint — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:56:13 +0000

The lure of going 'mainstream' is often followed with the phrase 'because the market is bigger' and thus provides revenue growth. From a business sense this is a nice, rational point of view – too bad its flawed From an individual perspective we generally don't want to be perceived as 'mainstream' or 'average'. (We also don't want to be too far away from a social fabric.)

By: @apowerpoint

@apowerpoint — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:56:13 +0000

By: John Lyle

John Lyle — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:33:33 +0000

Good post with a easy to follow graphic. For me, any brand that tries to go mainstream is in danger of selling its soul. Mainstream may be where the mass money is but its also where the homogenised. easy to copy predators come in.

The skill of truly brilliant branding is moving before it gets to mainstream. As Virgin describe it 'If it ain't broke, break it'

By: Tom Asacker

Tom Asacker — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:23:08 +0000

It's seems like a catch-22, doesn't it. Mainstream brings volume and $, which can be used to fuel innovation. But it also creates a culture of conservatism and incrementalism caused by a fear of alienating those that butter one's bread.

The solution is reinvention. Easier for artists; get away and create. Much harder for large organizations, but it can be done. Let the main organization work the mainstream, with constant listening, empathizing, and nudging of value-added activities. But also, spin off a division and let them dance on the edge.

By: Out on the Edge «

Out on the Edge « — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:58:46 +0000

[...] Posted by Lauren Proctor on September 10, 2009 Over the years we have seen numerous influences of sub-culture on mainstream fashion and music, even science and technology. But as these things that used to exist only out on the fringe are brought to the mainstream, they often become sterilized and refined losing all their character and appeal and eventually collapsing under their own weight, pulling next big thing into the mainstream. (Blackcoffee) [...]

By: Stephen Lynch

Stephen Lynch — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:59:23 +0000

I often ponder Seth Godin’s quote from his book Purple Cow:

“If you’re not offending some people, you’re not operating close enough to the edge. The edge is where the money is”

In a past life I was a Drum & Bass DJ. It’s a form of dance music that originated in the UK in the 90’s and has resisted all attempts by record labels to take it mainstream. The music continues to thrive as a unique underground subculture to this day. I wouldn’t say that it is “where the money is” – because it is an acquired taste, and perhaps still too close to the edge. This is where I disagree with Seth. I agree with his first sentence. But not the second. To make money I believe a brand does need to achieve some form of “crossover” (or move closer to the centre of the circle as per Mark’s illustration on this blog). But if you want to both make money and maintain relevance, you must retain the essence of what makes a thing great in the first place. It’s a fine line to tread.