• by Cory Treffiletti , Featured Contributor, March 15, 2006

In a number of recent presentations, I've stated that emerging media formats are important when they achieve critical mass, but not everyone agrees with my definition of what critical mass is, so I thought I'd ask you what you think.

My definition of "critical mass" is when a new media format enters the mind of the mainstream audience, which can be measured by when it shows up in an article in Time, Entertainment Weekly or People (none of which I am affiliated with in any way). When any of these media vehicles includes the item in an article, or writes a piece specifically about it, then middle America knows it exists. I don't believe critical mass can be measured by a number anymore, because of my other belief that mass media is dying a slow and painful death. The audience is segmenting, and though you may find an aggregate audience that cumes to a larger number, you will never be able to find a large aggregation of like-minded people influenced by the same media again.

The T-Mobile Sidekick reached critical mass when Paris Hilton's got hacked. Google reached critical mass when it showed up as a verb in "Sex and The City." The iPod reached critical mass when it showed up in a 50 Cent video, and therefore showed up in Entertainment Weekly as a "hot gadget". As soon as the mainstream press identifies a gadget or technology and mentions it to my parents, then it's entered the mainstream consciousness and has achieved critical mass (I got excited two years ago when I saw my Treo in a Nelly video).

My definition is not textbook by any means, as there are certainly other mainstream media watchdogs that fall under the blanket definition I propose. CNN certainly falls under the scope, which is why MySpace is now at critical mass due to a number of recent reports on the news station about what ails MySpace (but as the second or third largest site on the Internet, it can't really be considered ailing, I think.).

Blogs became news when they were covered in the mainstream press, even though the audience for most blogs is still less than 10 percent of the overall audience. With the democratization and globalization of technology, we see the audience narrowing down to a larger number of smaller segments rather than a large mass-media audience. That means you may never see the large aggregate of people with a similar mindset again. It's all about the niche and the "tribes" of people you are looking to reach.

So what is critical mass? I think it's when people know about it, or have heard of it, and can base a discussion on a point of reference to start from. You may not know a lot about a new technology--in much the same way that you may not know about what is going on in the Sudan--but you are aware of the fact there is an issue. That provides you with a starting point from which to learn. That means it's reached critical mass.

What do you think? Is there a better definition?