Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger. I was really looking forward to Contagious as my followup to his excellent book The Catalyst. Jonah is a marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
However, I found this does not hold the same spark. Actually, Contagious is really about common sense that most already understand. Many suggest a Malcolm Gladwell book which can share these ideas in his more impactful style. Perhaps they are correct.
But the world is much different for college students still facing COVID in 2022. For example, the quick use of Discord by college classes.
Here is a sample of how attempting to create an idea that will certainly catch on with college students meets hacking in 2022. In skipping the well established LMS for the cool features that appeals to students, it is only then that FERPA data has leaked across Discord servers. In addition, those same servers are running malware including drive by attacks on browsers. The malware is proving to also steal student’s data including their personal identifiable data and in many cases digital money used across Discord.
STEPPS is a shot across the bow
So then, Jonah’s position is to successfully launch a product or idea today, one needs to build the solution into as many STEPPS as possible. He is teaching the acronym: Social currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories throughout the book.
Based upon the unfortunate demands of social media, Social Currency is the spark to make your product or idea look cool or interesting. There are plenty of examples of why, across the surface would be appealing. Yet, when you dig deeper you find flaws. Those include fatal flaws that lurk for the unsuspecting.
Jonah suggests if you can develop your product or idea to automatically include easy clues, it has a Trigger effect. Obviously for an internet-driven society, Emotion for your product or idea should invoke good, positive vibes. You can also include Public and Practical Value into categories regarding how easy it is to communicate your product or idea because it will be gaining downstream impact. Finally, no good product or idea can be successful with a strong and impactful Story.
Barclay Prime to upside down Apple logos
A few examples certainly standout. Barclay Prime who sells a $100 cheese stake. And many will drop a photo on their Instagram account. The Friday song and Kit Kat with coffee drives sales because coffee is consumed everyday and so should a Kit Kat. The Public idea of the upside down Apple logo is perhaps his best example of common sense. Yet, honestly you certainly do not need a Wharton education to understand these examples.
Too little common sense today
Regrettably, many may view this as a ‘simpleton’ view of marketing today. However common knowledge is not so common today. In conclusion, Jonah does provide samples of interesting ideas. However. I found this to be in sharp contrast to his bestseller The Catalyst. This is a shame.