170 CHAPTER9POSITIONINGPRODUCTSTHROUGH THELIFECYCLE
(consumer tries the innovation to estimate its value; and (5)adoption(consumer
decides to make full and regular use of the innovation).Factors Influencing the Adoption Process
As Figure 3-10 shows, people adopt new products at different rates: Innovators are the
first to adopt something new, while laggards are the last. Rogers defines a person’s
innovativeness as “the degree to which an individual is relatively earlier in adopting
new ideas than the other members of his social system.” Because people differ in their
readiness to try new products, there are consumption pioneers and early adopters for
each product. After a slow start, an increasing number of people adopt the innovation,
the number reaches a peak, and then it diminishes as fewer nonadopters remain.
Another factor affecting adoption is personal influence,the effect one person has
on another’s attitude or purchase probability. Although personal influence is greater
in some situations and for some individuals, it is more important in the evaluation
stage of the adoption process than in the other stages. It generally has more influence
on late adopters and is more important in risky situations, as well.
Five characteristics influence the rate of adoption of an innovation: (1)relative
advantage—the degree to which the innovation appears superior to existing products;
(2)compatibility—the degree to which the innovation matches the values and experi-
ences of the individuals; (3)complexity—the degree to which the innovation is rela-
tively difficult to understand or use; (4)divisibility—the degree to which the innova-
tion can be tried on a limited basis; and (5)communicability—the degree to which the
beneficial results of use are observable or describable to others. The new-product mar-
keter has to research and consider all of these factors in designing the new product
and its marketing program.^19
Finally, organizations vary in their readiness to adopt innovations. Adoption is
associated with variables in the organization’s environment, the organization itself
(size, profits, pressure to change), and its managers. Other forces come into play when
trying to get a product adopted into organizations that receive the bulk of their fund-
ing from the government. And a controversial or innovative product can be squelched
by negative public opinion.Figure 3-10 Adopter Categorization on the Basis of Relative Time of Adoption
of Innovation