Launching market-breaking innovations requires long-term thinking and acknowledging that most disruptive technologies take time to penetrate and change consumer behavior; the “value action gap” (as it is often called), particularly in the area of sustainability, where purchasing behavior continues to lag behind stated consumer values regarding environmental protection.
Innovations often require significant behavioral changes, are a tough sell for most people, and often require a significant investment of time and training. Think solar panels or electric vehicles (EVs) or even the ubiquitous iPhone. None of these became widely adopted overnight, and only took off when they reached the inflection point of the S curve, allowing them to scale, reduce costs, and deliver the features needed for wider adoption.
Pushing innovations to these milestones often requires government incentives to build new technology infrastructure or a cultural shift. Once you do this, change can happen quite quickly, as we are now starting to see in the field of sustainability. Take solar energy, whose share of global electricity production has increased from 0.15% in 2010 to 4.5% in 2022, exceeding even the most optimistic forecasts.
If you work in innovation, you probably first read E.M. You may be familiar with the S adoption curve, developed by Rogers in 1962 as the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. The basic theory is that innovation adoption is nonlinear and follows an S shape. It starts slowly, then grows exponentially and plateaus at market saturation. The S curve has been proven time and time again in many disruptive technologies.
DESIGN THAT WILL SATISFY YOUR CONSUMER AT EVERY STAGE
Mastering the S curve of innovation starts with consumers. You really need that early adopter support. This requires a deep understanding of who they are and designing to please them. Airbnb founder Brian Chesky used design thinking to determine how to delight his first customers, famously asking them what it would take to rate their experience an 11 out of 10. While there’s no magic formula, creating an experience that early adopters can’t help but share is a way to build a bridge to the next group.
When innovations fail to spread to larger segments, there is likely a lack of fit within the product consumer segment. Trying to win over early adopters with products that appeal to the middle or end of the curve (or vice versa) doesn’t work. Chasing the majority of consumers with early adopter products is almost always a recipe for failure. The majority are not open to trying new innovations or willing to pay a premium. This is especially true with foods that are so strongly tied to our cultural and emotional ties.
As the CEO of a mushroom-based food tech startup that launches retail products, I can tell you that asking people to eat differently and choose our mushroom-based foods because they’re better for the environment or their health is no small feat.
Even if innovations have an obvious benefit, they can be difficult to sell; Getting people to try it means overcoming deep-rooted resistance to innovation and change, especially food. So we started by identifying our early adopters, a small group we call Optimistic Advocates, who felt they had the power to change their diets because they understood the connection between food and climate change.
START SCALING AT THE RIGHT TIME
Early adopters often see the reward of trying new products based on their own evaluations, not the evaluations of others. Majority groups further down the curve are more risk averse and delay purchasing, seeking social proof from early adopters. Therefore, it is crucial to get more of these early adopters to try the product. Because tasting is believing, we’ve focused almost exclusively on tasting our mushroom-based foods, offering nearly a million samples last year through digital channels, retail demos, and community events.