Contagious: Why Things Catch on

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When it comes to emotion, this refers to the fact that phenomena that evoke highly arousing emotions, both positive and negative (such as awe, excitement, anger and anxiety), are more likely to be shared, and hence spread; while phenomena that evoke less arousing emotions (such as sadness and contentment) are less likely to be shared. The share-ability of things that evoke highly arousing emotions helps explain why Susan Boyle went viral. When it comes to pricing, “diminishing sensitivity” can influence buyer behavior, which is where the “Rule of 100” becomes handy. It helps merchants increase the likelihood that people buy your product and share with others. The general rule: Public' factor)...you get the point -- these are just my examples; they weren't mentioned in the book - although they would have been good stories for Berger to include. 3) People can become emotional about why some things have become contagious - they can be in awe/angry over ideas and triggered to talk about what they have read in this book. 4) The book is "Public" - its cover is bright orange. Eyeballs will be attracted to it; curiosity will be aroused. 5) The topic attempts to explain a phenomenon of which an understanding would undoubtedly prove of great practical value, especially if you have something to sell/spread. Lastly, 6) it contains (attempts to contain) some entertaining stories to hopefully have a place in your memory prevalent enough for you to tell others about this book.

Another example is when he goes on and on about the fact that things that are remarkable are interesting, moving us to share about it. This is why certain cute or remarkable YouTube videos spread virally; we like to share articles or videos we think our friends or family will find interesting. You need research to make such a statement? Or when he claimed he tested at length whether something that inspires awe in us, will evoke us to tell others about it. Such common sense notions like this are laid out and overanalyzed throughout the book. The author needed to conduct research to discover that awe drives people to share? Come on, dude. Human minds are hardwired to remember only about 20% of what we see and roughly 65% of what we hear. In terms of virality, this means that the easiest way to get people to remember your product is to find a clever way to incorporate it into a real-world experience.

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. Triggers and cues lead people to talk, choose, and use. Social currency gets people talking, but Triggers keep them talking. Top of mind means tip of the tongue. 3. Emotion Making things more observable makes them easier to imitate, which makes them more likely to become popular.” Jonah Berger

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. This book is a dumbing-down of common knowledge, contributing to the pain of plowing through the book. If not for my habit of sheer reading discipline despite my extreme boredom, I would not have finished this book. I don't need to be instructed that the Nobel Prize is prestigious along with a paragraph of examples. Why do I need to know it was a cold, wintery day when Daniel Kahneman gave a lecture on bounded rationality? Irrelevant fillers like this spread throughout the book - makes for bad writing. There are interesting nuggets of info through some of Berger's examples/stories but they, in no way, compensate for the fact that this book regurgitates what most marketers already know. Most of the material covered in this book is widely known common knowledge in the industry. He reports on why the status/points system works for airlines. Airlines know it works - that's why they entice frequent fliers with status and levels. Game theory is widely applied in marketing. Video game makers have been applying the psychology of levels/goals attainment in their designs for decades. PDF / EPUB File Name: Contagious_Why_Things_Catch_On_-_Jonah_Berger.pdf, Contagious_Why_Things_Catch_On_-_Jonah_Berger.epubWhat makes things popular? 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?

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.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. Unsurprisingly, it’s a matter of being contagious. So, what makes a video contagious? Jonah Berger has broken down some factors that make up the core of what makes a video go viral, which I’ll review below in the Contagious book summary. Contagious Book Summary Key Points 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.

Humans think in terms of narratives, which is why we frequently recall and share stories. If you find a great bargain, you will probably describe your entire experience when you recommend the deal to your friends. Berger writes in a sprightly, charming style that deftly delineates the intersection of cognitive psychology and social behavior with an eye toward helping businesspeople and others spread their messages. ” — Publishers Weekly Of the six principles of contagiousness that Berger discusses in the book, Practical Value may be the easiest to apply. 6. Stories When it comes to CTV, sharing metadata and contextual information is key, as are traditional TV metrics such as about time of the day and where and how to best reach the audiences. This information can be all put together to create a relevant ad experience for consumers. The whooping cough vaccine protects babies and children from getting whooping cough. That's why it's important to have all the routine NHS vaccinations.Public. People tend to follow others, but only when they can see what those others are doing. There is a reason why baristas put money in their own tip jar at the beginning of a shift. Ideas need to be public to be copied. In community: the question should be: what is the behavior we want repeated and how to we publicly model it. Jonah Berger is as creative and thoughtful as he is spunky and playful. Looking at his research, much like studying a masterpiece in a museum, provides the observer with new insights about life and also makes one aware of the creator’s ingenuity and creativity. It is hard to come up with a better example of using social science to illuminate the ordinary and extraordinary in our daily lives.” — Dan Ariely, James B. Duke professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University and bestselling author of Predictably Irrational 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. There are three ways to do that: (1) find inner remarkability; (2) leverage game mechanics; and (3) make people feel like insiders." If you're pregnant you should also have the whooping cough vaccine – ideally between 16 and 32 weeks.