HOW THE FLIPPING POINT HAPPENED
Experiencing the magic of the CommBank Matildas during the FIFA Women’s World Cup was like being swept up in an incredible wave of green & gold; of love & unity.
What we experienced is a perfect case study of Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point – the moment when a domino effect is triggered and an epidemic of demand sweeps through a population like a virulent virus.
Visually the Innovation adoption curve shows the Tipping Point as the moment when the population’s adoption of an idea/ product leaps across the chasm – from a trendy minority to the mainstream.
THE TIPPING POINT AS SEEN ON TV
When you map TV ratings over the CommBank Matildas’ FIFA Women’s World Cup matches, you can literally see the flipping point.
It happened during the AUSTRALIA vs FRANCE penalty kick shoot-out:
TIPPING POINT 3 KEY PRINCIPLES
Gladwell defines 3 key principles for social virality:
Principle 1: Law of the Few
Gladwell characterises 3 kinds of idea superspreaders at the core of a trend. These three personality types have a disproportionate impact on spreading ideas and influencing behaviours; being exceptional in their social connections, knowledge, or persuasive enthusiasm.
Principle 2: The Stickiness Factor
Gladwell uses the term ‘stickiness’ to describe the infectious nature of an idea that helps it spread like an epidemic. Clever partnerships, planted like seedlings, saw the CommBank Matildas sprout everywhere – from cult fashion to music to LEGO icons.
Principle 3: The Power of Context
In a post covid and war- torn world, Aussies were looking for connection, to be part of something bigger and positive empowerment.
But context is also about the environment you create. From the exceptional storytelling in Disney's documentary series “Matildas: The World at Our Feet" to stratospheric amounts of earned media coverage, to Mary Fowler emblazoned on a skyscraper, to Live Sites across the nation, and Nike temples of Football in their stores, the Matildas were spreading positivity everywhere.
And so the CommBank Matildas entered our cultural zeitgeist!
THE FLIPPING POINT
The CommBank Matildas united us in an incredible wave of green & gold during the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point explains the unstoppable wave, summarised in this infographic.
