DS-3629: Development

Communication

S M Nazmus Sakib
Lecturer
Department of Development Studies
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Bangladesh University of Professionals(BUP)
Diffusion of Innovation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxVeLlTEgtU
The Diffusion of Innovations
• The Diffusion of Innovations theory (Rogers 1962) underpinning
the transfer of technology mode of communication explained
how potential users of an innovation go through five stages in
the adoption process: knowledge, persuasion, decision (accept
or reject), implementation, and confirmation (or internalization).
Cont…..
• It also identified five characteristics of an innovation
that determine its adoptability: relative advantage,
compatibility, complexity (versus simplicity),
trialability, and observability. In all, the focus was on
the innovation, not on the human beings whose
capacity and specific situations make it possible, or
impossible, to integrate a new technology into their
existing system.
Main factors that influence adoption
of an innovation
1.Relative Advantage - The degree to which an
innovation is seen as better than the idea,
program, or product it replaces.
2.Compatibility - How consistent the innovation is
with the values, experiences, and needs of the
potential adopters.
3.Complexity - How difficult the innovation is to
understand and/or use.
Cont…..
4.Triability - The extent to which the innovation can be tested or
experimented with before a commitment to adopt is made.
5.Observability - The extent to which the innovation provides
tangible results
Different Adopter Category
1.Innovators - These are people who want to be the first to try the innovation. They
are venturesome and interested in new ideas. These people are very willing to
take risks, and are often the first to develop new ideas. Very little, if anything,
needs to be done to appeal to this population.
2.Early Adopters - These are people who represent opinion leaders. They enjoy
leadership roles, and embrace change opportunities. They are already aware of
the need to change and so are very comfortable adopting new ideas. Strategies
to appeal to this population include how-to manuals and information sheets on
implementation. They do not need information to convince them to change.
Different Adopter Category
• 3.Early Majority - These people are rarely leaders, but they do
adopt new ideas before the average person. That said, they
typically need to see evidence that the innovation works before
they are willing to adopt it. Strategies to appeal to this
population include success stories and evidence of the
innovation's effectiveness.
Different Adopter Category
4.Late Majority - These people are skeptical of change, and will only adopt
an innovation after it has been tried by the majority. Strategies to appeal to
this population include information on how many other people have tried the
innovation and have adopted it successfully.
5.Laggards - These people are bound by tradition and very conservative.
They are very skeptical of change and are the hardest group to bring on
board. Strategies to appeal to this population include statistics, fear
appeals, and pressure from people in the other adopter groups.
Social Marketing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn8yYzO4G0E
 Social Marketing

• One prominent approach in

communication for social change uses
social marketing to target individual
behavior change, either in resource-
limited communities, to improve health
and living conditions, or in resource-
rich communities, encouraging
consumption and charitable giving.
Social Marketing
• Social marketing has been particularly popular in health communication
programs, intending to encourage changes in behavior that improve
individuals’ chances for longer, healthier lives.
• The model of social marketing SMC adopted and continues to practice has
two components - multi-strategy communications for initiating desired
behavior change, and suitable, affordable, readily accessible product and
service for sustaining the changed behavior using the techniques of
commercial marketing.
Suggested Reading
• Wilkins, K. G., Tufte, T., & Obregon, R. (2014). The Handbook
of Development Communication and Social Change. John
Wiley & Sons. Page (127-130) Page (64-67)
• Social Marketing: A Success Story in Bangladesh Mahbubur
Rahman, and Toslim Uddin Khan.
 Theoretical approaches
• Development Communication in the Modernization
Framework
- Diffusion of Innovation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxVeLlTEgtU
- Social Marketing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn8yYzO4G0E
- Entertainment-Education
• Development Communication in the Empowerment
Framework
- Participatory Action Research
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D492AP9JP4
- Empowerment Strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82U8uXMYGYA