If you have a curious mind like me you ask yourself questions like, how does this thing work? How come this idea/concept is the way it is? Or how come the current state of affairs are the way they are? And in this era of information overload another question I often ask myself is, why do certain ideas get a ton of attention and others don’t? What makes them so special? Luckily, I’m not the only one to have asked these questions. Apparently enough people have asked similar questions to the point where Jonah Berger felt it necessary to address them in his book Contagious: Why Things Catch On.
Contagious: Why Things Catch On is all about the potential virality of pretty much anything. Believe it or not ideas, products, trends and content of all shapes and sizes have the potential to go viral, but as we’ve seen in our daily lives, not everything does. Why? According to Jonah, contagiousness is determined by six key principles: social currency, triggers, emotion, publicity, practical value and stories. All six principles don’t have to be met in order for something to be contagious, but at least one of them will be present if you go back and analyze some viral moments from years past. I won’t go into detail about the principles (you can enjoy the discovery of each of them if you decide to purchase a copy of the book), but all six key STEPPS are vital to contagiousness.
Much like other marketing books, the key takeaways in Contagious are all about human connectedness, emotion and survival. It is innate that humans share. Sharing information is vital to our well being, and as Jonah says, “when we share, we care.” When linked to survival, the concept of sharing information can seem selfish and self-promoting, but it is in fact about providing value to and looking out for our tribe. We feel a sense of connection and build relationships by doing so. We fulfill several needs by sharing information including the need to belong, a sense of security and a desire for status. So the next time someone sends you a video of a cat playing piano on Youtube, thank them. Their act of sharing resonates on a much deeper level than you may think ;)
It’s no surprise that contagiousness (and virality) is intricately linked to the human psyche. When we start to understand what influences us, societal extensions of the human experience, including marketing and advertising, make much more sense. Contagious: Why Things Catch On is a must for anyone who is dedicated to studying the delicate interplay of human psychology and marketing in our modern world, and if you have a growing list of marketing books I suggest adding this one.
“Talking and sharing are some of our most fundamental behaviors. They connect us, shape us and make us human.”