Seeding on Moving Ground: How Understanding Network Instability Can Improve Message Dissemination

Publications

Download Publication

Muchnik, L., & Goldenberg, J. (2017). Seeding on Moving Ground: How Understanding Network Instability Can Improve Message Dissemination. NIM Marketing Intelligence Review, 9(2), 42-47

Year

2017

Authors

Lev Muchnik,
Jacob Goldenberg

Publication title

Seeding on Moving Ground: How Understanding Network Instability Can Improve Message Dissemination

Publication

NIM Marketing Intelligence Review

Go to download

Lev Muchnik and Jacob Goldenberg

Most analyses of the social structure of a network implicitly assume that the relationships in the network are relatively stable. We present evidence that this is not the case. The focal network of this study grew in bursts rather than monotonously over time, and the bursts were highly localized. Links were added and deleted in nearby localities and are not randomly dispersed throughout the network. Also changes in structure lead to simultaneous changes in self-stated interests of its members.

For SNA marketing applications the findings suggest interesting improvements. Local bursts around a seed can change the structure of the network dramatically and therefore a marketer’s influence and his chances of success. Therefore, network measurements should be carried out more frequently and closer to the actual implementation of a seeding campaign. To detect these abrupt, dramatic local changes marketers also use a finer resolution. Further, recommendation algorithms that simultaneously account for changes in network structure and content should be applied.

Authors

Lev Muchnik, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, School of Business Administration, Jerusalem, Israel, lev.muchnik@huji.ac.il
Jacob Goldenberg, Arison School of Business, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Herzliya, Israel, jgoldenberg@idc.ac.il

Share Publication

Copy link

Suggested Citation

Muchnik, L., & Goldenberg, J. (2017). Seeding on Moving Ground: How Understanding Network Instability Can Improve Message Dissemination. NIM Marketing Intelligence Review, 9(2), 42-47

Here you can find more exciting articles of this issue.

To the entire issue

Consumers have become always on and constantly connected. Search costs have plummeted, individuals’ abilities to digitally express …

Many social media handbooks recommend targeting customers’ close connections and encouraging consumers to spread the word about their …

In a classic seeded WOM marketing campaign, a company sends product samples to a selected group of influencers, and encourages them share …

Social TV is the simultaneous consumption of television alongside social media chatter about the programming. This topic is highly …

To avoid overtargeting consumers or targeting them at the wrong moment, mobile ads need to be relevant. Geographically, consumers have …

In the good old days shop managers knew their customers personally and were able to tailor offerings to their needs and desires. But how …

The way in which we communicate is changing radically. In the analog world, promotional communication was consumed rather passively.

Scroll to top

Other articles of the MIR issue “The Connected Consumer”