By Jacqueline Koch
For those who believe in the power of ideas, 2006 marked an inspiring moment in the digital space. It was the online debut of a rapidly growing collection of brief, well-choreographed, expertly lit and precisely paced lectures, or ‘talks’. They were focused at the intersection of technology, entertainment and design and are now well-known worldwide as TED. What has happened in the 10 years to follow, from 2006 to 2016? A lot.
When describing TED as a human network that ‘connects the idea-hungry elite’, Fast Company hit a nerve. But it’s not just about the elite anymore. The TED slogan, ‘ideas worth spreading’, has fueled a ravenous fascination and TED’s expanding footprint over the last decade has much to teach us. It is a unique case study: a non-profit that successfully transformed the generic keynote speech into a worldwide movement.
Consider a few figures for background. Six years after unleashing TED talks online, TED.com hit one billion views. This was just a preview of the spectacular surge to come. From 2012 to 2015, TED.com tripled the number of views to reach three billion. With 2,400 videos online today, the global appetite for TED is nothing short of insatiable.
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‘What sets TED Talks apart is that the big ideas are wrapped up in personal stories and they’re mostly from people you have never heard of before,’ said Charlie Rose in a 60 Minutes episode exploring TED’s unusual value proposition. ‘And it is those stories that have captured the imaginations of tens of millions of viewers around the world.’
Taking a closer look, TED is both non-profit and big business with a hearty following in both the digital and physical world. The original one-off conference, launched in 1984, continues to influence TEDGlobal. International luminaries, innovative thinkers and thought leaders convene to make a case, take a stand, or deliver an ingenious, credible and forward-looking talk—in 18 minutes or less.
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