Thoughtpiece - Early Adopters

The term 'Early Adopters' was first coined by Everett M. Rogers in his book, 'Diffusions of Innovations' (1962), where he proposed that the uptake of any new innovation or idea was staged and that the rate of adoption can be categorised by five groups - innovators; early adopters; early majority; late majority; and laggards. Early adopters are an attractive group of people to advertisers. They are generally perceived to be those who are interested in new ideas and technologies, often trialling and purchasing before others. They are also likely to have a shorter renewal cycle and to be more interested in researching and seeking out new technology. Consequently, they represent a relatively small proportion of the population and a challenge for quantitative survey measurement.