Considering the Measure of Network Effects,

Recall our visits to the Sante Fe Institute to talk network effects, but also having a hard time establishing good measures.   Later talking the establishment of our Tremor effort.   And the ultimate difficulty measuring influence of such effects in context.  

Here an article touching on this.

Assessing the Strength of Network Effects in Social Network Platforms  by Marco Iansiti  in HBSWK

Network-specific traits, such as the degree of clustering and the prevalence of multihoming, influence the strength and competitive impact of network effects. However, network size alone is often misleading, and network effects should be examined on a case-by-case basis. ...

Author Abstract:

Network effects have risen to the forefront of platform competition discussions (e.g., the House Judiciary investigation of competition in digital markets, claiming that Facebook, for example, is entrenched due to strong network effects and high switching costs). While newer literature has developed much more sophistication in characterizing network effects, common regulatory perspective often assumes more simplistic views. ... ' 

Full paper PDF

Scale Free Networks

Technical but interesting view here, we examined and experimented with the SantaFe Institute about using consumer networks to market and advertise,  To some success, but not as good as we wanted.   Hints and previous writings on this in the tags below.  Are there further capabilities to drive advantage in Barabasi's work?  This is about training, but consider an advertising angle.
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Q&A: Albert-László Barabási on the diversity of networks
The author of Network Science talks about his foundational work in that field and developing resources for online learning.    By Melinda Baldwin  in Physics Today

Network science is a new and rapidly growing field, with applications ranging from protein interactions to the internet. However, the sheer breadth of areas in which network analysis might be useful presents a daunting challenge to potential textbook authors.

In Network Science (Cambridge University Press, 2016), Albert-László Barabási tackles that challenge. The result, writes reviewer Zoltán Toroczkai in the April issue of Physics Today, is “a hands-on and engaging textbook” that also makes good use of accompanying online resources, such as animations and other pedagogical tools.

Physics Today recently talked to Barabási about his pioneering contributions to network science, the challenges of writing a textbook in an interdisciplinary field, and his approach to developing online resources. ... "

Alchemy.Codes for eCommerce Experience

Brought to my attention.  Via Procter & Gamble   Alchemy.codes  Much more at the link.  Note the mention of the Olay Skin Advisor, which I have written about here.  Recall P&G had previously tried startup style initiatives with Tremor, which utilizes consumer networks for brand engagement and efficient marketing.  Also relates to the Mr Clean and stain advisor work based on chatbot style AI systems.  All discussed here.

About Alchmy.codes:  (excerpts)

Our aim is to build disruptive technologies and business models that give our partners an unfair competitive advantage in the marketplace.

TRANSACTIONAL LEARNING EXPERIMENTS (TLES)

Thoughtful experimentation is in our DNA. We help you gauge new business opportunities through rapid prototyping and consumer feedback. Get to experimentation phase in days instead of months.

DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER 3.0 (DTC)
From strategy to execution, we provide everything that your brand needs to create a rich eCommerce experience. But we don’t stop at delivery - your Alchemy team will then obsess over growing your online business through constant experimentation, user testing and in-market iterations.

Our tried-and-tested approach enables us to provide strategic direction, data-informed designs, and thoughtful execution.

The voice of the consumer — ensures feature prioritization, roadmap management, and product success through critical KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).

Featured Work:    Olay Skin Advisor
Redesigned for excellence and rebuilt for performance, the new skin advisor has redefined the standard for brand engagement. We’re calling it, the gold standard.

Alchemy is reinventing the way that P&G brands connect with and deliver value to consumers.... "   

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The Alleged Spontaneity of Viral and Tremor

My former colleague Kevin Ashton writes about the 'Harlem Shake', which I admit I just noticed a few weeks ago.  My connectedness is more about the technical than the social.  He suggests that the swift movement of the meme was more about what corporations wanted to spread than the spontaneous eruptions of the  'hive mind'.  He tracks the emergence of the idea in early February, and how it was promoted by the press.  With lots of video examples.   Chicken and egg here.  It is scary, though that commercial interests may be able to build the wave to their purposes.   Or inevitable.  Reminds me of Tremor, which I had just heard has been abandoned by its corporate sponsors.  Or has it?  More about Tremor written here.

Degrees of Separation

In CACM:  Reexamining the popular meme of tight connectivity of our social network.  The small world.    In 2000 we visited the Santa Fe Institute for a workshop on the use of such connectivity to understand the flow of marketing and the message, leading to a number of word of mouth experiments.  Well before social networks.  Leading to Tremor and other successful methods.

P&G's Tremor Launches Debit Card

Procter & Gamble's fabled word of mouth group Tremor, built during the early days of consumer social network understanding,  has not been in the news lately,  now news it is trying something quite new:

"Procter & Gamble Co.Latest from The Business JournalsNo need to fear the rise of service industries BVI Networks helps retailers track customer behaviorGrowth spurs advisory firms to expandFollow this compan Tremor word-of-mouth marketing division and its Vocalpoint online community have partnered with BillMyParents to offer a six-month “free trial” of its Spend Smart Card, a prepaid debit card targeted to teens ... "

The Paradox of Common Sense

Another inspiration from SFI, Duncan Watts, who led us indirectly to things like Tremor. Here a new article leading to his forthcoming book on the connections between human common sense and science. Links well with the common sense in the realm of the consumer as well.

Tremor CEO Interview

A CGT interview with Steve Knox, CEO of P&G's Tremor. " ... Have you ever wondered why consumers talk? Thought-leader Steve Knox shares tricks for building consumer advocacy for your brands through cognitive psychology ... "