Contagious Summary
|

Contagious Summary and Review | Jonah Berger

Why Things Catch On

The book Contagious details how to make ideas and products shareable. By following Berger’s six principles, you can create contagious ideas.

Keep reading to learn about the top 8 key takeaways of Contagious by Jonah Berger. 

DISCLAIMER: This is an unofficial summary and analysis.

Introduction

Contagious by Jonah Berger is a book about how messages spread and why some people catch on more than others.

The main idea behind this text, as expressed through its title “Contagious”, seems to center around whether or not we should let social media influencers dictate what content goes viral rather than focusing our attention elsewhere. Berger also discusses why some people will always be more influential than others.

Berger points out that some people will always be more influential than others. That’s how influencers dominated social media. But the thing about influencers is that they often overlook the value of a company’s message when they collaborate. So, marketers shouldn’t place all their energy into one place when running a campaign for their company.

The six principles in this book describe how to influence people with your ideas and make them shareable. These simple but powerful insights can help anyone grow their customer base by engaging with their target audiences on a deeper level, rather than relying on mainstream modes. And the six principles are easy to remember:

·         Social currency

·         Triggers

·         Emotions

·         Public

·         Practical value

·         Stories

contagious by jonah berger summary review by chapters ebook free audiobook pdf quotes
  • Save

About Jonah Berger

Jonah Berger is a world-renowned marketing expert who has written extensively on the topic. His work can be found in books like Catalyst and How Ideas Spread, where he discusses topics from consumer behavior to how certain things catch on while others don’t. In addition, he’s been featured in articles for publications like the New York Times and Harvard Business Review.

Berger is more than just an expert in marketing, he is also a professor of this subject at the University of Pennsylvania. Here, he teaches the university’s highest-rated online course. His knowledge has been sought out by companies like Nike, Apple, and Google for their own programs to help them better understand customer needs. 

StoryShot #1: Contagious Ideas Are a Result of Smart Planning

Some products are destined to be popular, but their popularity often comes from clever planning and intentional design. The Barclay Prime Steakhouse in Philadelphia is a prime example of this concept.

The restaurant gained popularity after adding one item on their menu: A $100 cheesesteak made from Kobe beef, lobster tail, and black truffles, all served with champagne. This item was designed to be an unforgettable experience that people couldn’t pass up.

And it worked because cheesesteaks are famous in Philadelphia, and people wanted to know what made the cheesesteak worth $100. It made the news and celebrities dropped by to grab a bite.

Despite the outrageous price, the positive dining experience kept people coming back to the restaurant. So, while popular ideas, products, and behaviors are not always naturally sharable, popularity can be a result of clever planning and intentional design. 

StoryShot #2: Word of Mouth Is More Important Than People Realize

A well-planned and intentional advertising campaign doesn’t guarantee success. Your idea needs a few other things to catch on. 

One of those things is word of mouth.

Despite being mostly online, word of mouth is still an influential form of marketing. Even the most seemingly insignificant online interactions make waves. Research shows that word of mouth makes up one-quarter of all the purchases we make. 

The main reason is that people tend to trust and value personal opinions over ad campaigns. It’s easier to listen to a friend talk about their experiences — good or bad — and make our own judgments about a product after. But that doesn’t mean we should toss out advertising completely. It just means adding it to your marketing arsenal. 

StoryShot #3: People Share Things That Make Them Look Good

The idea of sharing things that make us look or feel good is an old concept. Whether it’s personal opinion or insider information, sharing has the same effect on our brains as money or food does according to one study.

Sharing is also a form of social currency. It buys the favor and interest of others around us — meaning, people will like us more if we share more. And because social currency is so powerful, many use it to their advantage.

In his book Contagious, Berger shares a prime example: Please Don’t Tell. A prestigious New York bar where customers use a secret entrance to go inside. It gives the illusion that they’re part of something else — something important and exclusive.

Another company that uses social currency to its advantage by way of game mechanics is Snapple. All their iced tea bottle caps have trivia printed inside. People who buy Snapple bottles read these notes and share them to impress others with their knowledge. They use this to generate conversation, and at the same time, they share the brand’s name. 

StoryShot #4: Some Ideas and Products Are Triggering

Yes, some ideas and products are triggering. And no, not in the sense that it will dredge up unresolved traumas. 

Contagious ideas prompt an association to their context or environment. 

The hit song “Friday” by Rebecca Black is an example of a good trigger. The song became a smash hit because it triggered people’s yearning for the end of the work week. 

Another great example in Contagious is Kit Kat. Their new ad campaign placed a Kit Kat bar next to a cup of coffee, with the slogan “a break’s best friend.” The ad campaign connected eating a Kit Kat and taking a coffee break, an everyday activity that most people do. Thanks to a relatable and triggering ad campaign, Kit Kat made a huge comeback.

While social currency is important to making an idea contagious, it’ll only do so for a few minutes. By making ideas that trigger associations, you create long-lasting contextualized imprints in people’s minds. 

StoryShot #5: Sharable Ideas Arouse Strong Emotions

A fascinating study proves that ideas are most contagious when they arouse emotion. This study showed that the most shared New York Times articles were on health and science, which usually triggers amazement in readers. This leads people to feel connected with the content because it scratches their itch of curiosity or desire to learn more about something.

The same study highlighted that some emotions are stronger than others. It showed that people enjoy sharing positive articles over negative ones.

The way that people share content on social media can have a big effect on what others feel and how they act. And this goes beyond articles. It explains why some videos get more views than others.

StoryShot #6: We’re Influenced by Things We Constantly Observe

It’s really hard to avoid being influenced by what we see around us. The more time you spend observing something, the stronger your urge is to interact with it and vice versa. When we see someone doing something regularly, chances are we will want to do it too.

People tend to imitate the behaviors and actions of others. So, the products others regularly use become desirable and enticing to us. The book Contagious uses the “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign to drive this point home. Despite its intention, the campaign actually increased drug use because it was so widely advertised.

A more positive example of this is Movember which began in 2003. A global community of rockstars wanted to draw attention to men’s health issues, including suicide and cancer. The cause “challenged” other men to grow out their beards throughout November.

As awareness of Movember grew, so too did participation. People were more likely to join in because other folks were doing it.

According to psychology, it is only natural that we imitate other people’s behavior. This is a form of social proofing — we do what is popular because if others are doing it, there must be a good reason behind it.

StoryShot #7: Contagious Ideas and Products are Simple, Practical, and Useful 

While the above things make an idea or product contagious, it’s not enough. Some of the most share-worthy ideas and products are simple, practical, and useful. 

A prime example of this is a simple farming video showing an easy hack for taking husks off corn. In the video, Ken craig popped the ears of corn in his microwave, let them heat up, and pulled the husks off easily. He did all this without leaving a shred of corn silk behind. Craig’s video garnered over five million views, making his video viral.

Marketing agencies tend to use simple, practical, and useful strategies to save their clients’ money. One key example is how discounts are presented in a specific way to drive sales.

Businesses do this by using the Rule of 100 principle. If the price of a product is below $100, a percentage discount, like 10% off, looks more appealing than $10 off. But, if a product is over $100, a numerical discount like $10 is more attractive.

So, when making products or ideas contagious, remember to consider the target market. Targeting larger audiences isn’t always the most effective way to get more conversions. Products targeting small, focused groups of people are more successful. This is because a niche market feels special and seen. As a result, they’re more likely to share the product or idea with others.  

StoryShot #8: Stories and Narratives Are Powerful 

The power of storytelling is undeniable. From the first man to tell an entertaining tale, stories have been passed on for centuries and will continue to be popular as long as human beings exist.

The myth of the Trojan Horse proves that stories are powerful and should be cherished. The story remains popular for two reasons: it’s entertaining and teaches a good lesson.  The tale teaches us not to trust easily and never celebrate prematurely. 

Stories have always been an important part of sharing information. They’re even more contagious when we use them to share ideas in a large group.

In simpler terms, narratives are effective because they plant ideas into our minds. This is true even when stories aren’t factual. When narratives are entertaining, we seldom question their validity. 

Entertaining stories are also far more contagious. 

Take Jared Fogle’s Subway Diet as an example. His story is about losing over 240 pounds while only eating sandwiches from Subway. This outrageous tale became a contagious advertising campaign for Subway. Their message? Having a Subway sandwich daily is part of having a healthy and satisfying diet. 

Final Summary and Review of Contagious

The key takeaway of Contagious by Jonah Berger is to follow STEPPS – his six principles. Social currency, triggers, emotions, public, practical value, and stories. 

Some ideas and products are naturally contagious. But with the help of STEPPS, any idea can become viral. 

Do you want to read more books like Contagious, Jonah Berger? Then you’ve come to the right place. 

StoryShots is a one-of-a-kind microlearning company. It offers easy-to-follow summaries and takeaways from best-selling non-fiction books. Devour content like Jeff Bezos by either reading, listening, or watching our summaries. 

What did you learn from Contagious? What was your favorite takeaway? Is there an important insight that we missed? Comment below or tweet to us @storyshots.

Similar Posts

2 Comments

    1. Thanks for the comment! We’re happy to hear that StoryShots is helping you discover exciting reads.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.