Science of Spread: Learning Formats

The Science of Spread

Learning Formats
1. Introduction to Spread
Interest is growing in understanding how ideas, behaviors, and products and services spread. After all, spread is the goal of many types of significant human activity. Orcasci is a unique strategy and marketing agency, pioneering the Science of Spread. We have combined several scientific disciplines, from the science of how individuals behave to the science of complex systems, to create a new scientific framework, one that helps organizations spread good things more effectively.

What is Spread? Spread is propagating or expanding a thing, a concept, a behavior, or an action. A company wants to spread its products. It is looking to grow its business through new product introductions and growing market share. At the same time it wants to spread good behaviors and practices within the organization. A government wants to spread positive behaviors regarding health and society. Non-profits are trying to spread their message and provoke action to address a variety of world issues. A person like Steve Jobs wanted to spread his view of insanely great, and package that concept into products. And so on. How is Spread different from Marketing and PR? Spread is the end goal for organizations. There are several ways of achieving spread, and these include marketing and PR. However, these areas are subsets of the overall spread activities. Often the thing that needs to be spread, say a product, has not been packaged to be spreadable, and so the product fails to take off. Our concept of spread, therefore, is a meta-concept, a higher-order concept that encompasses several areas, rather than being confined to a narrow space like marketing.

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Science of Spread: Learning Formats

Isnt Spread mainly about Social Media? No. Social media is a subset of spread, both in its concept of networks, specifically social networks, and in its toolset of technologies. However, a good spread program includes various tactics, which may or may not include social media. One of the key starting points we establish when working on a spread problem is whether our challenge is about convincing a large number of people to do things, or a small number. Usually, the smaller the number, the more we need to rely on behavioral science and neuroscience rather than on mass communication techniques. What is the Benefit of Spread? Effective spread tactics can dramatically boost revenue, increase profits, accelerate customer adoption rates, implement internal change programs faster and more effectively, and in general engage people more actively through messages. A welldesigned spread program usually costs you a lot less money than traditional methods, and yields more certain benefits in a shorter timeframe. Spread makes great commercial sense! Why turn it into a Science? Hope is not a business model. Many of us believe we have some intuitive knowledge about how to spread things. At the same time, we have found that smart people regularly make fundamental mistakes in some key spread areas we often suffer from a form of spread-blindness. Organizations need methods that can be repeated, have some form of predictive capacity, and actually work in practice. We have invested years in synthesizing different strands of science to develop the science of spread. This allows us to repeat the methods with confidence, and help organizations design effective, high-impact spread initiatives. Why sign up to a Learning Session? Spread is a specialist discipline, a new discipline, one that can have a huge positive impact for all organizations. Even if some of the techniques can be guessed, it is complex and broad enough to require specialist insight and knowledge. Our Learning Sessions are designed to provide individuals and organizations with the knowledge

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they need to design effective spread programs, based on solid scientific understanding and real-life cases. Yes, you can keep muddling your way through. But, how much better would it be to know what you are doing?

2. Our Learning Sessions

We have designed a variety of Learning Formats to introduce you to the subject area, to explore the core elements of spread, and in some cases, to work hands-on with the concepts to develop solutions to your problems. Our Science of Spread Learning Formats are based around a set of modules. Each module contains a short presentation, a Q & A session, an interactive exercise, and a reading list. In each case, theories and scientific insight are illustrated by practical examples. This document describes the Modules, the Learning Formats, and how you can engage with Orcasci to determine the best way your organization can learn about the new knowledge of the Science of Spread.

3. The Modules
Each Learning Format covers all modules. Depending on your choice of format, the modules are presented in more or less detail.

The Brain

What do we know about the functioning of the brain through advanced neuroscience and from the latest applied research on human behaviors? The module covers differences between men and women, and

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adults and children. The session does not require any scientific knowledge of biology or neuroscience. The Person What do we know about how people behave as individuals, outside of a group context? This module combines insight from neuroscience with the latest findings in behavioral science, studying people using scientific research techniques. The module includes persuasion techniques, attitudes towards money and altruism, concepts of happiness, etc. A study of the individual is a fundamental component of learning about groups and networks, and hence spread. The Group What do we know about peoples behavior when they are in a group setting? This module is based on behavioral science, and describes other situations and drivers than The Person module. People often behave differently when they believe there are other people watching their behavior. A study of social dynamics is essential to building up a concept of networks and spread. The Network What do we know about how people and things connect together and form networks, and how these networks function? This module is based on network science, including social graph techniques. The network is viewed in two ways: as a structure, and as a means of allowing messages and actions to flow. Our work in this area goes beyond basic network theory. It delves into the differing roles of nodes in the network, how network flows impact the underlying structures of networks, and how networks can be utilized to achieve significant end results.
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A study of networks is critical to understanding how spread works, and as a framework for designing spread programs. The System What do we know about how dynamic, non-linear systems in other words, just about all systems function? This module is based primarily on the theory of complex systems, providing a framework and a toolset to understand interaction and feedback loops. The topic explores emergent patterns, driven by The Rules (see module below). This session also covers synchronization, exploring how some types of system develop cyclical patterns, seemingly out of chaos. A study of complex systems provides the key foundation to connecting the world of the small and large, and helps to define how systems progress over time. The Rules What do we know about the heuristics, or rules of thumb, that create patterns in complex systems? In some sense, these rules are a component of complex systems, but in the Science of Spread they play such an important role that they are worthy of a session in their own right. One can adapt rules that already exist, or create rules to embed in a system, to help design spread programs. The Spread What do we know about how to tie together these different strands of thinking and science to propagate ideas, behavioral changes, and products and services? This module includes a problem-solving toolkit that helps understand the fundamental components of a problem. It provides a framework and a path to stitching together different techniques to form a plan to spread the desired outcome.

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4. Learning Formats
Orcascis Science of Spread sessions are available in a variety of formats: A) 3 Hour Lecture Includes the core content from each module, is less interactive than other formats. B) 2 x 1.5 Hour Lectures Content of the 3 hour lecture is delivered on two separate days. C) 1 Day Learning Workshop Covers each module in detail, including worksheets. Open discussion format to explore questions from participants. D) 1 Day Learning + Problem Solving Workshop A shortened version of the Learning Workshop with about 2/3 of the time spent on addressing a specific organizational challenge. This workshop requires additional preparation time, which impacts the cost of the workshop. E) 2 or 3 Day Workshop Covers the main modules in greater depth, with worksheets and interactive exercises. This format may also include a Problem Solving Workshop component, depending on requirements.

5. Fees
There is no standard fee schedule for these deliverables. The fees depend on the option chosen, the availability of key staff, and travel time and cost. For a quote, please email Mark Turrell (mark_turrell@orcasci.com) or call him on +1 323 825 3855 (US) / +44 208 133 9445 (UK).

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6. Further Information
About Orcasci
Orcasci (www.orcasci.com) is a strategy and marketing agency specializing in designing straightforward programs that spread products, ideas and behavioral change, for consumers, non-profit organizations, and B2B channels. We have developed a toolset and methodology that leverages scientific insight and social networking technology to help you get people engaged. The company was founded in 2010, drawing on almost two decades of experience working on innovation and collective intelligence projects, and taking advantage of advances in thinking around the new Science of Spread. The Science of Spread Toolset Orcasci's Science of Spread toolset is based on behavioral science (the science of people), neuroscience (the science of individual brains), the science of complex systems, network science, and the practice of innovation management. Our toolset is designed for all types of situation, and specific methods are tested and developed to apply to particular industry challenges. How We Work Our clients are major corporations, media properties, and non-profit organizations / NGOs, based mostly in the US and Europe. We work on engagements on a project fee and/or a success fee basis to design programs to help organizations spread their offerings: accelerate the adoption of new products and services increase the adoption of in-market products and services

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accelerate the adoption of ideas and behaviors

Orcasci provides strategic and tactical insights, and creative problem-solving capacity. In addition to developing a results-focused and easy-to-implement marketing plan, our projects often include a validation of the customer's project approach and the underlying business strategy.

About Mark Turrell Mark Turrell is the CEO and founder of Orcasci. He is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and Technology Pioneer. He has worked with hundreds of multinational organizations to help them design and implement enterprise innovation, change and spread programs. His clients have included Allianz, Boeing, Cargill, Dow Chemical, Hallmark, Kraft, Lexmark, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Whirlpool, Yahoo!, and Xerox.

Prior to Orcasci, Mark founded Imaginatik plc, an innovation software and consulting firm. During his fifteen years at Imaginatik, he pioneered the use of crowdsourcing and collective intelligence techniques within organizations for innovation, efficiency projects, and complex problem solving.

Mark Turrell is also an Associate Professor at IXL Center / Hult International Business School.

Reading List

http://astore.amazon.com/orcasci-20

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