Terms You Need to Know [July 2021]

Tinkerbell Effect: Psychologist Frank Durgin coined The Tinkerbell Effect in 2002. It’s based on J.M. Barrie’s play “Peter Pan” (1904). Audience members are asked to applaud if they believe in the fairy. Tinkerbell becomes real only if enough people believe she is. It’s used often with crypto currency, as headlines link bitcoin with Tinkerbell. Communicators know the term well. When enough people believe something–real or fake–about your company, it’s not easy to scotch Tinkerbell.

Green Hydrogen: A slight misnomer, in that it’s a colorless gas. Green Hydrogen is a fuel made from renewable sources (wind, solar, hydro) instead of fossil fuels. Advocates say it will power things and processes too large to run on electricity.