Contagious: Why Things Catch On

by Jonah Berger

Review by Monica Di Santi

May 15, 2019

If your aim is to have a thorough understanding of human psychological behavior and social processes behind public communication this book is a must-read. After years of research Author Jonah Berger has developed his own techniques to design a campaign and make it spread with a life of its own.

Humans shape their thoughts, desires and actions based on the information that reaches them through people they trust. Bear in mind this when you launch your new product and you'll create a mighty promotion easily.

Word of mouth from regular consumers is very powerful because announcements reach targeted people you don't even have the chance to meet or know, and they are really interested in your service. An amazing fact Author Berger reveals is that offline oral messages are much more persuasive than online scattered rumors via social platforms everybody is so keen on these days.

Sharing is a basic human behavior that helps people feel connected to others and that's why individuals love to talk and let others know what they have just experienced, heard or seen. The brain area that's activated when they see food or money is the same that arouses them while whispering some good news into their friends' ears. That's why gossiping is so popular.

Making matters public comes as a result of unstoppable urge mortals feel so they will be seen as cool or knowledgeable. Also, they need to speak up when they are successful because that's a way to celebrate. They inform others when they feel frustrated because that allows them to get rid of that negative feeling.

Reading Jonah Berger's guide you can learn:

  • what activities motivate people internally or trigger comparison with others.
  • under what circumstances men and women are keen on sharing information or ideas.
  • how you can get advantage of gamification and make people feel happy.
  • how association of ideas can trigger certain behaviors.
  • why people speak about certain things more than others.
  • how to use stories to wrap your core idea and turn it into friendly chat.

On the whole, this easy-to read and practical information packed book tells you how to successfully spread an idea, story or campaign taking advantage of natural human behavior and create a great success.

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