Contagious By Jonah Berger
Why do some things catch on while others never do? Jonah Berger has the research—and the recipe.
Word of mouth is still the most powerful form of marketing. In Contagious: Why Things Catch On, Wharton professor Jonah Berger explains what makes people talk about and share products, ideas and stories.
It isn’t luck, and it isn’t just about social media. Berger identifies six principles that drive sharing, and shows how any business can build them into what it does. He also shows that you don’t need a huge budget or a celebrity endorsement to be talked about. You need to understand what makes people want to share in the first place.
Berger backs every principle with research, from why some recipes are shared more than others to why a $100 cheesesteak got people talking.
Pivotal takeaways
- Social currency. People share things that make them look good. Give them something remarkable to talk about.
- Triggers. Top of mind means tip of tongue. Link your brand to everyday cues that remind people of you.
- Emotion. When we care, we share. High-arousal emotions like awe, excitement and even anger drive people to pass things on.
- Public, practical and stories. Make your product visible, genuinely useful and wrapped in a story people want to tell.
Why it’s a must-read
At Pivotal, we think every campaign should be built to be shared. Berger’s STEPPS framework is a brilliant checklist for turning a good idea into one that spreads on its own. The best ideas are built to travel.
The research is fascinating, the examples are memorable and the lessons are immediately practical for brands of any size.
It’s also a useful reminder that most word of mouth happens offline, in everyday conversations. Great marketing gives people a reason to bring you up.
Rating: ★★★★☆
An engaging, evidence-based guide to word of mouth. Well worth passing on—which is rather the point. The next time you plan a campaign, run it through the six STEPPS principles and ask a simple question: why would anyone tell a friend about this?
Over to you. What’s the last thing you shared with a friend, and why? Share in the comments, and let’s work out what made it contagious.