Adopt Adapt: Survival of a New Idea

Posted on 26th Mar 2012 by Olivia Gossett in Blog

We've been taught how resistant human beings are to change, but anyone that keeps up with consumer behavior knows that this has, well, changed. We are not only going through frequent changes ourselves, but, through modern communication channels, are constantly updated on other people's. Change has become an unavoidable part of our everyday lives.

And when change is the norm, moving people is easier than we think — it just takes adaptation.

A mind that has adapted, has changed. And more importantly, it's one that doesn't momentarily agree with a message, but organically starts to accept a different truth. For movement leaders out there, this is fantastic news, because when people believe in something, they are more likely to share it with others.

My movement's goal is to snap the fashion world out of its stagnant state by shedding light on underexposed talented designers and brands. A big part of having people adapt to this change will not only be educating people on rising fashion designers, but changing how these up-and-coming designers are perceived.

Presenting emerging fashion on a platform that maintains a high-end feel throughout is a top priority of ours. The intention is to encourage people to stop seeing rising fashion on a lower-end, Etsy-type level, and instead to promote it in a photo-editorial worthy, top-taste way. It's all in an effort to ensure our society's views on rising fashion can adapt accordingly.

And, seeing is believing, and I know this, because I've seen it. Skullcandy's game changing approach to headphones, for example, allowed people to see how a product, that is nothing more than a personal audio tool, could be "cool." They did this by designing their headphones with edgy images and colors, and showcasing their product, not only at new technology conventions, but the likes of skateboarding events as well. People didn't only learn about Skullcandy's headphones through reviews on tech blogs, but they saw them in "cool" settings and with eye-catching designs.

So, you can change the way a product or idea is perceived — and people, followed by markets, will adapt. Because of Skullcandy's fresh approach, there's been a shift in the audio technology market. Konrad Bergström President of Zound Industries, a trendy headphone company that surfaced post Skullcandy's success, explains, "I think this is just the beginning, and we will continue to see more and more companies enter this market. Just like sunglasses, which in the beginning were viewed as a functional product, it then evolved into being a lifestyle product. There are now thousands of brands producing sunglasses, and this is where I see the headphones market going."