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Seth, I have updated your Passion/Pop Curve

This Passion/Pop Curve was come into question by Seth Godin a few days ago. It was a very clear representation of a marketing truth of today. Seth defined the curve as:

“Here’s a new curve for you: I’m calling it the passion/pop curve.

That bell curve to the left represents acceptance by the focused/excited/taste making community. Those are the people who love microbeers and haute couture and Civil War memorabilia.

The bell curve on the right, you’ll notice, is bigger. This is a second market, a bigger market, the market of pop. These are the folks who go to the Olive Garden for a nice italian meal instead of the authentic place down the street.”

Seth is surely right, however, something in the curve triggered me to think about it. After a few days work in subliminal part of my brain, I am now here with an update to the curve. That is, I think;

Passion curve represented here can’t be really “passionate users’ curve”, since the size of the curve is not appropriate (it should be very less than its level shown on the curve, comparing to pop level). In addition, there can’t be only one passion curve although there should be exactly only one pop curve.

What I think is: The curve shown as passion curve (on the Seth’s graph) is actually the “passion pop” curve. The bell here represents a community of people which are superficially focused/excited/taste making. They are superficial intellectuals so they are reading popular books, choosing popular-authentic places to eat, listening of “the best of jazz” or “the best of classics” albums but not pop music. However, they are not really a part of these behaviors, it only seems like that. The products they consume are different from real passion curve communities do.

“Real” passion curves are under the level of this “passion pop” curve. There isn’t only one, there are several of them. They are either too far from the “pop” curve or near to it, or they may have even intersections with it. They are in different colors, representing different delicate attitudes. They drink wine story of which they already know, and they do know very well how to drink it (1, 2). They also know how to choose it and how to keep it. In contrast, Passion Pop community drink wines which is nicely packaged and positioned for them while pop community do drink their beers in the same part of the city.

In conclusion, I think there are 3 choices for marketers, not 2 as Seth suggested.

1. You can be on one of the colorful passion curves each of which is signifying only a smaller size of people. The total risk of business here is also lower since the rules are more certain.
2. You can be on the passion pop curve which means more customers with a relatively higher total risk.
3. You can be on the pop curve, you already know what this means, a herd without certain rules resulting highest risk relative to the other options. Your product may be nothing or it may be a real king.

Apart from these, I definitely agree with the conclusion of Seth, which is a recommendation of choosing your side. You should, really. I am also standing upon the idea of dynamic structure of the curves, especially the colorful ones here which may shift, extend or narrow down any time.

I would consider Internet Explorer as a Pop curve, Firefox as a Passion Pop curve and whereas Opera as a Passion curve, of course, just for now.

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