Social Technographic is introduced by Forrester Research, Inc. It is set to classify consumers into six overlapping levels of participation, (i) creators, (ii) critics, (iii) collectors, (iv) joiners, (v) spectators and (vi) inactives. The presentation point below illustrated in detail what is a social technolgraphic ladder about.

This book can be located in Library 2, (Level B2), Reserve Book Room and call number: HC79.I55L693

Do we have other models that look into this technology and subscribed by the NTU Library?

Yes we do. Gartner has a model call hype cycle. It is a graphic representation of the maturity, adoption and business application of specific technologies. A hype cycle in Gartner’s interpretation comprises 5 steps:

• “Technology Trigger” — The first phase of a hype cycle is the “technology trigger” or breakthrough, product launch or other event that generates significant press and interest.
• “Peak of Inflated Expectations” — In the next phase, a frenzy of publicity typically generates over-enthusiasm and unrealistic expectations. There may be some successful applications of a technology, but there are typically more failures.
• “Trough of Disillusionment” — Technologies enter the “trough of disillusionment” because they fail to meet expectations and quickly become unfashionable. Consequently, the press usually abandons the topic and the technology.
• “Slope of Enlightenment” — Although the press may have stopped covering the technology, some businesses continue through the “slope of enlightenment” and experiment to understand the benefits and practical application of the technology.
• “Plateau of Productivity” — A technology reaches the “plateau of productivity” as the benefits of it become widely demonstrated and accepted. The technology becomes increasingly stable and evolves in second and third generations. The final height of the plateau varies according to whether the technology is broadly applicable or benefits only a niche market.

The term is now used more broadly in the marketing of new technologies.

Hype in New Media

Lately, the new media industry has plays a large part in the adoption of new media forms by society, creating a hype. Flew states that hype, generally the enthusiastic and strong feeling around new forms of media and technology in which we expect they will modify everything for the better, surrounding new media technologies and their popularisation, along with the development of the internet, is common characteristic. But following shortly after the period of ‘inflated expectations’, as per the diagram above, the new media technologies quickly fall into a period of disenchantment, which is the end of the primary, and strongest, phase of hype.

How can we find out more information and case studies that related to this topic?

NTU community can access these resources via the Library’s Database page and click Gartner. Please use your campus account.

If you have any further enquiries, you can drop an email to the subject librarian, Hazman Aziz, via the contact page.

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