Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
originally posted January 26, 2016|last updated January 26, 2016
In 100 Words or Less: Even boring ideas can be made memorable. Sticky ideas follow a basic formula, SUCCESs; they are Simple Unexpected Concrete Credentialed Emotional Stories. Simplicity means finding the core, not dumbing things down. ("Don't bury the lead".) Unexpected means something counterintuitive or surprising; creating mystery. To be concrete is to be specific and clear. (Arguably the simplest step.) Credibility comes from expert testimony, trusted friends, relevant statistics or in sharing many details. Emotional connection is formed in associating things we don't know or care about to things we do and in answering, "what's in it for me (or my group?)". Finally, stories make everything real.