The 80/20 Principle and the three “agents of change”

The 80/20 Principle (which is based on Pareto’s Principle) says that in any situation roughly 80% of the 'work' will be done by 20% of the participants. The key for advertisers is, naturally, to find the 20%. In his book “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” Malcolm Gladwell describes the three “agents of change” describing them as:

• Connectors – people who are both known by a lot of people and who are in the habit of making introductions. They have the “ability to span many different worlds is a function of something intrinsic to their personality, some combination of curiosity, self-confidence, sociability, and energy”
• Mavens – people who have special knowledge or experience. They are “information specialists” or “people we rely upon to connect us with new information"
• Salespeople – people who are persuaders. They have powerful negotiation skills and have a knack which makes others want to agree with them

Perhaps the real key is to make the most of your time - or your money - by not only focusing in the right direction but by also using the time wisely.


Jez Simms
Group Research Manager

For Better or for Worse?

Divorces became popular in the 1970’s with the introduction of a ‘quickie’ divorce, since then the figures have soared, up until 2012.

The recession and financial difficulties is thought to have caused more strain on relationships, raising the figure in 2008. Data published by the Office for National Statistics shows that 119,589 couples got divorced in 2010, an increase of 4.9% since 2009. Following several years of decreases – last year's figure was at its lowest since 1974.
In 2012 the figure has declined. Thought to be because less people are getting married, and when they are, they are marrying later on in life. Pushing the average age for marriage up to 36.2 years for men and 33.6 for women.

A Ministry of Justice analyst says “The younger a person marries, the higher the probability of divorce so the trend to delay marriage has contributed to the decline in divorce over the last 20 years.” The expense of a divorce could also explain the dip in statistics.

Divorce rates are now at their lowest for 40 years. The Office for National Statistics say that the last year there were fewer than 120,000. So it appears romance isn’t dead and the trend is turning back on itself, away from divorces.

How will the Olympics Benefit Sponsors and the UK

Summer 2012 will bring the Olympics to the UK, with several million spectators following closely behind.

 “The Olympic Games give the host country exposure on the front page, in the middle pages and on the back pages of every newspaper in every country on Earth over a six-week period.”

Michael Payne, International Olympic Committee.

Consumer Habits: Why Having Children Changes Everything

Parents are, and always have been, a key consumer demographic. Becoming a parent changes everything, from lifestyle to new worries, to saving, to spending. Yet over recent years parenthood has experienced change, impacting how and why it is important to market to them. 

Five Changes in Consumer Behaviour after the Recession

The recession has been a difficult time for millions of households which inevitably caused a profound shift in the behaviour of consumers. There has been a lot of commentary about the recession and associated problems, but very little on how things will change when it is all over.

In response to this we’ve highlighted five key ways in which consumer life has changed due to the economic collapse.

Is the High Street an Experience Worth Leaving Your Laptop For?

British high streets are in crisis. The three most affected areas are Stockport, Nottingham and Grimsby with the North West as a whole the worst affected and it is estimated that 2011 saw 20 shops close every day in the UK.

It all sounds very ominous and even though retail guru Mary Portas has outlined measures she claims will put the high street back on the road to recovery, it is unlikely to be a speedy one. Despite this, last week saw the announcement that consumer spending was up 0.9%, the strongest monthly growth since the Royal Wedding (April 2011). 

Online and the In-Store Shopping Experience is Vital for Retail’s Future

Retailers are feeling the pressure at the moment. Slow consumer spending coupled with a shift to digital purchasing have created a challenging environment. 

Hawkin’s Bazaar, LaSenza and Barratts have all entered administration within the last few months and the likes of Tesco, Next, HMV and Game are all down in terms of like for like sales.