“Contagious: Why Things Catch On” by Jonah Berger Essay (Book Review)

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Central Theme

In his book, Berger addresses the issue of why and how something becomes popular. Today, with all these impressing amounts of information surrounding an individual, it can be easily observed that information is not disseminated evenly. Moreover, the intensity and speed of dissemination do not seem to be directly connected to the value of information, its meaningfulness, or importance. Rather, some other mechanisms work.

Berger attempts to explore these mechanisms closer. In the modern world, during the information age, as communication becomes more and more important for every aspect of individual lives as well as historical processes, there is a growing recognition of the need to study and pay special scholarly attention to how communication is transforming. One of the aspects of this transformation is how certain things are discussed more than other things. Seemingly simple, this phenomenon may turn out to be complex, as one tries to explain why one product catches on, while a different one does not, and why some ideas ignite thousands of people, while some pass unnoticed. It can be put in an even simpler way: why did this video you recently watched online go viral?

Berger argues that the reasons for things to be caught on should be addressed from the human perspective, not communication perspective. The author primarily refers to the concepts of word-of-mouth and social transmission as mechanisms of making something popular. Moreover, Berger stresses that word-of-mouth is much more effective than conventional advertising methods. But again, not everything gets to be talked about and willingly shared by many people. One of the main conclusions that Berger makes is that things are not born word-of-mouth worthy, i.e. there are no inherent characteristics of certain news, ideas, or products that will make them inevitably popular or successful because of that news, ideas, and products will be automatically discussed and spread. Rather, the author argues that virality is made, i.e. the effort of marketers, public relations practitioners, and similar professionals are what can make things catch on.

Critical Analysis

The book presents research findings, which makes it look reliable. At the same time, vivid examples are provided, which makes the book appealing. The writing is simple, which makes the content understandable for anyone interested in the subject. The simplicity and appeal of the book are its main strengths. The lack of a formal academic framework might be considered a weakness because it takes away from the book’s validity as a source of scientific knowledge. However, the book provides a valuable perspective, data, and examples of how things become popular, which is why reading the book will most likely be useful for marketers.

Main Takeaways

Berger’s book is structured into pieces describing the six basic principles (the author’s classification) that explain how things become contagious, i.e. achieve popularity through being shared and disseminated using word-of-mouth and social transmission. These principles constitute the article’s main takeaways, as they provide practical guidance on how to make something contagious, i.e. make it catch on. The principles are also known as STEPPS; those are six steps to encourage people to talk about certain content and share it actively.

The first step is social currency. This is a concept that recognizes that people talk about things that make them look good. With clothes people wear or cars people drive, they often choose those options that will impress everyone around to a larger extent. Similarly, people choose to talk about things that make them look smart rather than silly, sophisticated rather than vulgar, interesting rather than dull, and cool rather than “uncool.” The importance of the latter factor—the “coolness”—for using content as a social currency is particularly stressed by Berger.

The second step is triggered. From the very beginning, marketers should think about stimuli, i.e. things that will remind people about given products or ideas and make people start talking about them. The third step is emotion. Communication practitioners should never disregard the importance of emotional appeal. Emotion is a much more profound level of perception and reaction than rational thinking, which is why bonds established through emotions tend to be stronger and less vulnerable than those established through reasoning with a neutral tone. Overall, it can be concluded that people are more likely to share a piece of information they care about than one they do not care about.

The fourth step is public. It refers to perceptions of what is acceptable, what is trending, and what is rewarded. When people see others do something, they become more likely to imitate those behaviors. Simply put, it means that people get to want something when they are shown how everyone else wants it. The fifth step is practical value. This principle declares that people like it better to share information (e.g. news and ideas) that is useful, i.e. capable of helping someone, than sharing something of no practical value.

Finally, the sixth principle is stories. It is easier to share some information when it is presented as a narrative, i.e. as a succession of events with a beginning, an end, and several developments in between. Following the six principles, according to Berger, is supposed to help make certain information contagious.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, November 17). "Contagious: Why Things Catch On" by Jonah Berger. https://ivypanda.com/essays/contagious-why-things-catch-on-by-jonah-berger/

Work Cited

""Contagious: Why Things Catch On" by Jonah Berger." IvyPanda, 17 Nov. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/contagious-why-things-catch-on-by-jonah-berger/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) '"Contagious: Why Things Catch On" by Jonah Berger'. 17 November.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. ""Contagious: Why Things Catch On" by Jonah Berger." November 17, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/contagious-why-things-catch-on-by-jonah-berger/.

1. IvyPanda. ""Contagious: Why Things Catch On" by Jonah Berger." November 17, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/contagious-why-things-catch-on-by-jonah-berger/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. ""Contagious: Why Things Catch On" by Jonah Berger." November 17, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/contagious-why-things-catch-on-by-jonah-berger/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1