Crossing the Chasm

Infobox Book
name = Crossing the Chasm
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Book Cover
author = Geoffrey A. Moore
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
subject = Marketing high-tech products
genre = Non-fiction
publisher = Harper Business Essentials
release_date = 1991
english_release_date = 1991
media_type = Book
pages = 227
isbn = 0-06-051712-3
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers" (1991, revised 1999), is a marketing book by Geoffrey A. Moore that focuses on the specifics of marketing high tech products. Moore's exploration and expansion of the diffusions of innovations model has had a significant and lasting impact on high tech entrepreneurship. In 2006, Tom Byers, Faculty Director of Stanford Technology Ventures Program, described it as "still the bible for entrepreneurial marketing 15 years later". [ [http://edcorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=1563 Educators Corner: Tom Byers, Stanford Technology Ventures Program - Ten Enduring Success Factors for High Technology Entrepreneurship ] ] . The book's success has led to a series of follow-up books and a consulting company, The Chasm Group. [ [http://www.chasmgroup.com/whoWeAre/history/ You May Know Us From Our Books ] ]

Synopsis

In "Crossing the Chasm", Moore begins with the diffusion of innovations theory from Everett Rogers, and argues there is a chasm between the early adopters of the product (the technology enthusiasts and visionaries) and the early majority (the pragmatists). Moore believes visionaries and pragmatists have very different expectations, and he attempts to explore those differences and suggest techniques to successfully cross the "chasm," including choosing a target market, understanding the whole product concept, positioning the product, building a marketing strategy, choosing the most appropriate distribution channel and pricing.

"Crossing the Chasm" is closely related to the Technology adoption lifecycle where five main segments are recognized; innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards. According to Moore, the marketer should focus on one group of customers at a time, using each group as a base for marketing to the next group. The most difficult step is making the transition between visionaries (early adopters) and pragmatists (early majority). This is the chasm that he refers to. If a successful firm can create a bandwagon effect in which the momentum builds and the product becomes a de facto standard. However, Moore's theories are only applicable for disruptive or discontinuous innovations. Adoption of continuous innovations (that do not force a significant change of behavior by the customer) are still best described by the original Technology adoption lifecycle. Confusion between continuous and discontinuous innovation is a leading cause of failure for high tech products. [cite web |url=http://www.hightechstrategies.com/10_reasons.html |title=Ten Reasons High-Tech Companies Fail |publisher=High Tech Strategies Inc. |accessdate=2007-03-13]

Sales figures

Moore and his publisher originally thought that the book would sell around 5,000 copies. By 2002, 10 years after the first publication, more than 300,000 copies had been sold. Moore attributes this to word-of-mouth marketing, resonating initially with high-tech managers, then to engineers, venture capitalists and finally business schools. [Citation
last = Moore
first = Geoffrey
title = Author Essay by Geoffrey Moore
date = April 2002
year = 2002
url = http://www.harpercollins.com/author/authorExtra.aspx?authorID=6863&isbn13=9780060517120&displayType=bookessay
accessdate = 2007-07-11 ] The book's success led to a number of sequels including "Inside the Tornado", "Living on the Fault Line" and "The Chasm Companion". "Crossing the Chasm" is available in several prints, one is ISBN 0-06-051712-3.

ee also

*Marketing
*diffusion
*Diffusion of innovations
*Technology adoption lifecycle
*Whole product
*Product life cycle management

References