Final answer:
Customers drawn to new products that inspire imagination and creativity are called Early Adopters. These individuals are instrumental in connecting innovators with the more conservative Early and Late Majority consumer clusters, fostering product diffusion in society.
Step-by-step explanation:
Customers who desire a product because it stokes their imagination and creativity are known as Early Adopters. These are the individuals who tend to purchase and use a product soon after it has been introduced, but before the product has been widely accepted by the majority. Early adopters are key to the diffusion of new products and ideas as they help bridge the gap between innovators, who first create or try new concepts, and the larger sections of the population, such as the Early Majority and Late Majority.
Early adopters are attracted to products that promise innovation and they are willing to take risks on newer technologies or styles, unlike the Late Majority or Laggards, who tend to be more conservative in their purchasing decisions, often requiring more convincing and proof of a product's utility. The Early Majority follows the early adopters, accepting and using new ideas or products once they have been proven by the early adopters, whereas the late majority waits until an innovation has become the norm.
Understanding these consumer categories is crucial for businesses, especially in industries where the pace of innovation is high and where the bandwagon effect can be a powerful tool in marketing strategies.