Concept · Sales & Marketing Frameworks
Diffusion of Innovations
Origin: Everett Rogers (1962)
Biological Parallel
When Japanese macaques discovered sweet potato washing (Imo, 1953), adoption spread predictably: juveniles first (innovators), then young adults (early adopters), eventually older individuals (late majority), with eldest males never adopting (laggards). Rogers' diffusion curve mirrors cultural transmission in animal populations: innovations spread via social learning through networks, with adoption speed determined by risk tolerance, social position, and observational learning capacity. Same S-curve pattern across species.