In very simple terms, Reed’s Law states that a network of 2 people quickly becomes a network of 1092. The math is involved, but the concept is simple. Take two people. Let’s say each of these people has ten friends. I hope most people have more than 10 friends. Each of these people has ten friends, and so on. Let’s say you have some meaningful content. You share this content with your friend who shares with his friends. Suddenly this content is an important thing. This is why social media is so manly, why it’s such a powerful force. Reed’s Law is basic to why social media is such a powerful force and why it has revolutionized modern marketing.
We have seen truly revolutionary things happen recently in our world because of social media. The Tunisian government was recently overthrown. This happened because a sidewalk fruit vendor was abused and pushed. Someone in his circle of friends knew about social networks. Protests were organized and people emerged with legitimate grievances. Social media platforms provided a common place for people to meet. Soon the Tunisian government was overthrown. There are few African-Americans in Iowa. Through social media, Barack Obama was able to spread his message across Iowa in an organized way. The rapid movement of social networks allowed Barack Obama to obtain a victory that he had not seen in recent years.
To explain how a global brand can be created overnight through the virility of social media, I want to use a high school student named Dino Ignacio as an example. Using Photoshop, Dino took pictures of Bert from Sesame Street dating Osama Bin Laden. Networks began to interact with each other. Networks that were unrelated to each other, but networks brought together through social media platforms created a world class brand, Bert and Osama hanging out.
On the other side of the world, a Bangladesh-based publisher scanned the web for Bin Laden images to print on anti-American posters, banners and T-shirts. The Arab world had no concept of Sesame Street or Bert or Ernie. The editor came across the image of Bin Laden’s Dino interacting with Bert. These images were printed on thousands of posters and distributed throughout the Middle East.
There was an anti-American rally. CNN reported the unlikely sight of a crowd of angry protesters marching through the streets chanting anti-American slogans and waving signs showing Bert and Bin Laden hanging out, the best of Buds.
This is what we have. Someone created engaging content. You shared this content on a social platform. Someone took the images off the platform and put them on signs, posters, and T-shirts. These items were used in a large demonstration. This rally was picked up by the mainstream media. This outlet placed it on their newscast, which was picked up by local newscasts around the world. We can see how a network of 2 is now a network of millions.
The creators of Sesame Street complained vehemently. This created more engagement as this story now had legs. The protest, anti-protest complaints created even more points of contact and exposure. He created a bigger brand.
From his bedroom, Dino Ignacio had created an international incident and he had created an international brand. Think about the touch points. He came out of the Photoshop computer in Ignacio’s bedroom. He went to a printing house in Bangladesh. He then he traveled to the demonstrators in an Arab street. CNN picked it up from the street. Local news stations around the world picked up the CNN broadcast. This is how a strong brand was created so easily by accident. Think how strong this brand would have become if it had been organized.
From this little glance, we can see how manly social media is and how powerful it is in brand building. We can see why Reed’s Law is so important in the study of social networks.