Contagious: Why Things Catch on

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There are some funny and delightful parts to this book; seriously. It is also written in very simple terms (as mentioned before), which makes it a bit dry and boring. Examples are used, throughout, like I said, and this increases the reader's ability to understand the concepts discussed. CEO’s, marketers, politicians, sociologists, and entrepreneurs alike, expend excessive time and resources to explore new ways to fuel buzz around their latest products, service, advertisements, campaigns or causes – yet without clear structure, it’s easy to spend millions of marketing dollars on methods that miss the mark every time. But what if we could use research in a way that helps us understand how things go viral?

What makes things popular? If you said advertising, think again. People don’t listen to advertisements, they listen to their peers. But why do people talk about certain products and ideas more than others? Why are some stories and rumors more infectious? And what makes online content go viral? Built to show, built to grow. The more public something is, the more likely people will imitate it. Design products and initiatives that advertise themselves (e.g. red bottom shoes) and create some visible behavioural residue. Sporting a business degree (advertising/PR/Marketing) under my belt means that I view the world, consumer and otherwise, in a marketing sense. Although I can predict trends and see market value; I was very curious about why ideas and brands affect us. That is where Jonah Berger’s “Contagious: Why Things Catch On” came into the picture. When it comes to stories, this refers to the fact that people tend to enjoy telling and hearing stories. Therefore, ideas, products and behaviors that are wrapped in narratives (and especially compelling narratives) are more likely to be shared than those that are just presented as information. Google’s ‘Parisian Love’ commercial, The Dove ‘Evolution’ commercial, and Panda’s ‘Never say no to Panda’ campaign are all good examples of products being wrapped in compelling narratives. Hospital treatment is usually needed if you have severe whooping cough, or your baby is under 6 months old and has whooping cough.Making the private public” suggests that if you can bring something to the surface that others previously had been too embarrassed to talk about – you can eliminate stigma around products, services, and ideas that were previously consumed privately and help it catch on with people who had previously felt uncomfortable discussing this out loud (i.e. online dating, supporting certain causes like Mustache November… where participants raise money growing a beard during there month of November… these things start a conversation). There are numerous other uninspiring moments in this book, similar to this. For example, in his discussion relating to "practical value", he instructs us that if you find a good Ethiopian restaurant, you are more likely to share your recommendation of it than you would had you had found a good American restaurant. The reason being you probably have many more friends who like American food than Ethiopian food; therefore, you will feel much more conviction to tell those fewer applicable friends about the Ethiopian restaurant. You simply know too many people who would be interested in American food to compel you to recommend the American restaurant. What an unremarkable observation. Blah. We’ve collaborated with the world’s leading academics, dug deep into our unique data set and carried out our own research into why some videos get shared in their millions while others are a flop. If Social Currency is about information senders and how sharing makes them look, Practical Value is mostly about the information receiver. The book is designed with two (overlapping) audiences in mind. You may have always wondered why people gossip, why online content goes viral, why rumors spread, or why everyone always seems to talk about certain topics around the water cooler. Talking and sharing are some of our most fundamental behaviors. These actions connect us, shape us, and make us human. This book sheds light on the underlying psychological and sociological processes behind the science of social transmission.

How do you promote your book, and how do you grow your brand? How do you get more people to come to your author’s signing? Also, How do you create a buzz around your podcast? You might also like to read Behind The Cloud Summary. Word of Mouth-The most important marketing strategyThese are all triggers that go beyond just seeing your logo on something. They’re a part of or connected to the person’s daily routine, so the likelihood of them thinking of your product increases naturally.

Berger’s research has revealed that there are 6 main factors that help explain social pandemics. They are 1. Social Currency; 2. Triggers; 3. Emotion; 4. Public; 5. Practical Value; and 6. Stories Just as people use money to buy products or services, they use social currency to achieve desired positive impressions among their families, friends, and colleagues,” writes Berger. “So to get people talking, companies and organizations need to mint social currency. Give people a way to make themselves look good while promoting their products and ideas along the way.” Think of it as the practical companion to Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point.”— Tasha Eichenseher, DiscoverOne of the main tenets of prospect theory is that people don’t evaluate things in absolute terms. They evaluate them relative to a comparison standard, or “reference point.”

Contagious reveals the secret science behind word-of-mouth and social transmission. Discover how six basic principles drive all sorts of things to become popular. From consumer products and policy initiatives to B2B services and ideas and initiatives within organizations. If you’ve ever wondered why certain ideas get shared, brands get more word of mouth, or videos go viral, this book explains why. It provides a set of specific, actionable techniques for helping information spread—for designing messages, advertisements, and information that people will share. Whether you’re a manager at a big company, a small business owner trying to boost awareness, or a health official trying to get the word out, this book will show you how to make anything more contagious. Leverage game mechanics” – use elements of a game to make something fun, interesting, and hook the consumer. “Good game mechanics keep people engaged, motivated, and always wanting more.” i.e. hotel and airline rewards programs… people will go out of their way to achieve status and to fly with their preferred airline (even if it means making multiple layovers), moreover they love telling others that they are a Diamond Medallion member with Delta and what their experience is as a Medallion member.If people get something not everyone else has, it makes them feel special, unique, high status,” writes Berger. “And because of that, they’ll not only like a product or service more, but tell others about it. Why? Because telling others makes them look good. Having insider knowledge is social currency.” 2. Triggers Ultimately I found it boring, and the writing style dry. I approached this novel like I would any text book, and it met those expectations. The information, while informative didn't appear to be that novel or innovative, and it was my perception that it took existing literature/information (note: I don't mean plagiarized) on the topic and put it together into a catchy model. It probably won't contribute much to an academic setting, and while I am not certain, I strongly believe a more comprehensive book exists. This will most likely be one of those tag along secondary books marked as 'optional' on a syllabus. Why do some ideas seemingly spread overnight, while others disappear? How can some products become ubiquitous, while others never gain traction? Jonah Berger knows the answers, and, with Contagious, now we do, too.”— Charles Duhigg, author of the bestselling The Power of Habit