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{{Short description|Early customer of a company, product, or technology}} |
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{{refimprove|date=May 2024}} |
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| last = Rogers |
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| first = Everett M. |
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| ⚫ | An '''early adopter''' or '''lighthouse customer''' is an early [[customer]] of a given [[company]], [[product (business)|product]], or [[technology]]. The term originates from [[Everett M. Rogers]]' ''[[Diffusion of Innovations]]'' (1962).<ref>{{cite book |last=Rogers |first=Everett M. |author-link=Everett Rogers |year=1962 |title=Diffusion of Innovations |publisher=Free Press of Glencoe, Macmillan Company}}</ref> |
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| author-link = Everett Rogers |
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| year = 1962 |
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| title = Diffusion of Innovations |
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| publisher = Free Press of Glencoe, Macmillan Company |
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}}</ref> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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Typically |
Typically, early adopters are customers who, in addition to using the vendor's product or technology, also provide considerable and candid feedback to help the vendor refine its future product releases, as well as the associated means of distribution, service, and support.{{according to whom|date=November 2020}} Early adoption could also be referred to as a form of testing in the early stages of a project. |
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[[File:DiffusionOfInnovation.png|thumb|Early adopters as shown in the [[Technology adoption lifecycle|Rogers' bell curve]]|384x237px]] |
[[File:DiffusionOfInnovation.png|thumb|Early adopters as shown in the [[Technology adoption lifecycle|Rogers' bell curve]]|384x237px]] |
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The relationship is [[synergy|synergistic]] |
The relationship is [[synergy|synergistic]]. The customer receives early (and sometimes unique, or at least uniquely early) access to an advantageous new product or technology. In return, the customer may also serve as a kind of [[Human subject research|guinea pig]].{{cn|date=November 2020}} |
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In exchange for being an early adopter, and thus being exposed to the problems, risks, and annoyances common to early-stage product testing and deployment, the lighthouse customer is sometimes given especially attentive vendor assistance and support, even to the point of having personnel at the customer's work site to assist with implementation. The customer is sometimes given preferential pricing, terms, and conditions, although new technology is often very expensive, so the early adopter still often pays quite a lot.{{cn|date=November 2020}} |
In exchange for being an early adopter, and thus being exposed to the problems, risks, and annoyances common to early-stage product testing and deployment, the "lighthouse customer" is sometimes given especially attentive vendor assistance and support, even to the point of having personnel at the customer's work site to assist with implementation. The customer is sometimes given preferential pricing, terms, and conditions, although new technology is often very expensive, so the early adopter still often pays quite a lot.{{cn|date=November 2020}} |
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The vendor, on the other hand, benefits from receiving early revenues, and also from a lighthouse customer's endorsement and assistance in further developing the product and its go-to-market mechanisms. Acquiring lighthouse customers is a common step in new product development and implementation. The real-world focus that this type of relationship can bring to a vendor can be extremely valuable.{{cn|date=November 2020}} |
The vendor, on the other hand, benefits from receiving early revenues, and also from a lighthouse customer's endorsement and assistance in further developing the product and its go-to-market mechanisms. Acquiring lighthouse customers is a common step in new product development and implementation. The real-world focus that this type of relationship can bring to a vendor can be extremely valuable.{{cn|date=November 2020}} |
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Early adoption does come with pitfalls: early versions of products may be buggy and/or prone to malfunction. Furthermore, more efficient, and sometimes less expensive, versions of the product usually appear a few months after the initial release ([[Apple iPhone]]).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080412172758/http://money.aol.com/top5/general/gadgets "Top 5ive Gadgets You Shouldn't Buy"], AOL Money & Finance (page saved by the Internet Archive, April 12, 2008)</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121026010826/http://news.cnet.com/8301-13508_3-9790142-19.html Making sense of the million-dollar iPhone lawsuit], C|Net, October 3, 2007 (page saved by the Internet Archive on October 26, 2012)</ref> The trend of new technology costing more at release is often referred to as the "early adopter tax".<ref>{{cite web | |
Early adoption does come with pitfalls: early versions of products may be buggy and/or prone to malfunction. Furthermore, more efficient, and sometimes less expensive, versions of the product usually appear a few months after the initial release ([[Apple iPhone]]).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080412172758/http://money.aol.com/top5/general/gadgets "Top 5ive Gadgets You Shouldn't Buy"], AOL Money & Finance (page saved by the Internet Archive, April 12, 2008)</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121026010826/http://news.cnet.com/8301-13508_3-9790142-19.html Making sense of the million-dollar iPhone lawsuit], C|Net, October 3, 2007 (page saved by the Internet Archive on October 26, 2012)</ref> The trend of new technology costing more at release is often referred to as the "early adopter tax".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-early-adopters-gamble/ |title=The Early Adopter's Gamble |website=[[CBS News]]}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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{{ |
{{Wiktionary}} |
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* [[Alpha consumer]] |
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* [[Beta test]] |
* [[Beta test]] |
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* [[Coolhunting]] |
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* ''[[Crossing the Chasm]]'' |
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* [[Diffusion (business)]] |
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* [[Diffusion of innovations]] |
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* [[Dominance (economics)]] |
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* [[Eating your own dog food]] |
* [[Eating your own dog food]] |
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* [[Eric von Hippel]] |
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* [[Experimental techniques]] |
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* [[Focus group]] |
* [[Focus group]] |
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* [[Hipster (contemporary subculture)|Hipsters]] |
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* [[Innovation]] |
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{{col-break}} |
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* [[Lead user]] |
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* [[Learning-by-doing (economics)]] |
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* [[Marketing]] |
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* [[Observational techniques]] |
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* [[Participatory design]] |
* [[Participatory design]] |
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* [[Product lifecycle management]] |
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* [[Qualitative marketing research]] |
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* [[Quantitative marketing research]] |
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* [[Technology adoption lifecycle]] |
* [[Technology adoption lifecycle]] |
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* [[Toolkits for user innovation]] |
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* [[User innovation]] |
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* [[Empathic design]] |
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* [[Whole Product]] |
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{{col-end}} |
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{{Wiktionary}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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[[zh-yue:早期客]] |
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{{Science and technology studies}} |
{{Science and technology studies}} |
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[[Category:Memetics]] |
[[Category:Memetics]] |
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[[Category:Science and technology studies]] |
[[Category:Science and technology studies]] |
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[[Category:Stage theories]] |
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[[Category:Sociology of culture]] |
[[Category:Sociology of culture]] |
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[[Category:Technological change]] |
[[Category:Technological change]] |
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Latest revision as of 01:10, 1 September 2024
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2024) |
An early adopter or lighthouse customer is an early customer of a given company, product, or technology. The term originates from Everett M. Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations (1962).[1]
History
[edit]Typically, early adopters are customers who, in addition to using the vendor's product or technology, also provide considerable and candid feedback to help the vendor refine its future product releases, as well as the associated means of distribution, service, and support.[according to whom?] Early adoption could also be referred to as a form of testing in the early stages of a project.
The relationship is synergistic. The customer receives early (and sometimes unique, or at least uniquely early) access to an advantageous new product or technology. In return, the customer may also serve as a kind of guinea pig.[citation needed]
In exchange for being an early adopter, and thus being exposed to the problems, risks, and annoyances common to early-stage product testing and deployment, the "lighthouse customer" is sometimes given especially attentive vendor assistance and support, even to the point of having personnel at the customer's work site to assist with implementation. The customer is sometimes given preferential pricing, terms, and conditions, although new technology is often very expensive, so the early adopter still often pays quite a lot.[citation needed]
The vendor, on the other hand, benefits from receiving early revenues, and also from a lighthouse customer's endorsement and assistance in further developing the product and its go-to-market mechanisms. Acquiring lighthouse customers is a common step in new product development and implementation. The real-world focus that this type of relationship can bring to a vendor can be extremely valuable.[citation needed]
Early adoption does come with pitfalls: early versions of products may be buggy and/or prone to malfunction. Furthermore, more efficient, and sometimes less expensive, versions of the product usually appear a few months after the initial release (Apple iPhone).[2][3] The trend of new technology costing more at release is often referred to as the "early adopter tax".[4]
See also
[edit]
Look up early adopter in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
References
[edit]- ^ Rogers, Everett M. (1962). Diffusion of Innovations. Free Press of Glencoe, Macmillan Company.
- ^ "Top 5ive Gadgets You Shouldn't Buy", AOL Money & Finance (page saved by the Internet Archive, April 12, 2008)
- ^ Making sense of the million-dollar iPhone lawsuit, C|Net, October 3, 2007 (page saved by the Internet Archive on October 26, 2012)
- ^ "The Early Adopter's Gamble". CBS News.
