After Hype

Neil Pollock is Professor of Innovation and Social Informatics at the University of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. He is an award-winning researcher of digital innovation and has authored several influential books on technology and markets, including How Industry Analysts Shape the Digital Future (Oxford University Press, 2016). Robin Williams is Professor of Social Research on Technology at the University of Edinburgh. A pioneer in the social shaping of technology, he has led interdisciplinary research in Science and Technology Studies for over forty years; founded the Institute for the Study of Science, Technology and Innovation; and chairs the UK Association for Science, Technology and Innovation Studies.

'Hype has become a defining feature of contemporary capitalism. Not as a spontaneous force, but as something increasingly organized, managed and strategically deployed. This groundbreaking book lays the foundations for a systematic study of hype, offering a compelling analysis of how it is produced and sustained through managerial practices. By uncovering the mechanisms behind the orchestration of hype, the authors provide an original and timely contribution to the performative dynamics shaping today's markets.' Jens Beckert, author of Imagined Futures: Fictional Expectations and Capitalist Dynamics

• Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction: we live in a world of hype; Part I. Reframing Hype: 2. What is hype?; 3. Decision-making about unpredictable technology futures; Part II. The Gatekeepers of Hype: 4. The second most important pitch; 5. Cool vendors; Part III. The Promissory Products That Make Hype Actionable: 6. Navigating the hype cycle with Najmeh Hafezieh and Marian Gatzweiler; 7. Categorising the sea of hype; Part IV. Competing For Ranking and Recognition: 8. Managing the metrics; Part V. What Comes After Hype?: 9. Managed channels in the wild sea of hype; 10. Towards hype studies; Appendix 1: research design and methods; Bibliography; Index