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Contents
Intr
oduction: Why Things Catch On
Why
$100 is a good price for a cheesesteak . . . Why do some things become popular? . . .
Whi
ch is more important, the message or the messenger? . . . Can you make anything
contagious? . . . The case of the viral blender . . . Six key STEPPS.
1. Social Currency
Whe
n a telephone booth is a door . . . Ants can lift fifty times their own weight. . . . Why frequent
flier miles are like a video game . . . When it’s good to be hard to get . . . Why everyone wants a
mi
x of tripe, heart, and stomach meat . . . The downside of getting paid . . . We share things that
make us look good.
2. Triggers
Whi
ch gets more word of mouth, Disney or Cheerios? . . . Why a NASA mission boosted candy
sales . . . Could where you vote affect how you vote? . . . Consider the context . . . Explaining
Rebecca Black . . . Growing the habitat: Kit Kat and coffee . . . Top of mind, tip of tongue.
3. Emotion
Why
do some things make the Most E-Mailed list? . . . How reading science articles is like
standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon . . . Why anger is like humor . . . How breaking guitars
can make you famous . . . Getting teary eyed about online search . . . When we care, we share.
4. Public
Is the Apple logo better upside down than right side up? . . . Why dying people turn down kidney
tr
ansplants . . . Using moustaches to make the private public . . . How to advertise without an
advertising budget . . . Why anti-drug commercials might increase drug use . . . Built to show,
built to grow.
5. Practical Value
How an eighty-six-year-old made a viral video about corn . . . Why hikers talk about vacuum
cleaners . . . E-mail forwards are the new barn raising . . . Will people pay to save money? . . .
Why
$100 is a magic number . . . When lies spread faster than the truth . . . News you can use.
6. Stories
How stories are like Trojan horses . . . Why good customer service is better than any ad . . .
Whe
n a streaker crashed the Olympics . . . Why some story details are unforgettable . . . Using a
panda to make valuable virality . . . Information travels under the guise of idle chatter.
Epilogue
Why
80 percent of manicurists in California are Vietnamese . . . Applying the STEPPS.
Acknowledgments
Readers Group Guide
Questions for Discussion
Expand Your Book Club
A Conversation with Jonah Berger
Ab
out Jonah Berger
Notes
Ind
ex
To
my mother, father, and grandmother.
Fo
r always believing in me.
In
tr
oduction: Why Things Catch On
By the time Howard Wein moved to Philadelphia in March 2004, he already had lots of experience
in the hospitality industry. He had earned an MBA in hotel management, helped Starwood Hotels
launch its W brand, and managed billions of dollars in revenue as Starwood’s corporate director of
fo
od and beverage. But he was done with “big.” He yearned for a smaller, more restaurant-focused
environment. So he moved to Philly to help design and launch a new luxury boutique steakhouse
called Barclay Prime.
The concept was simple. Barclay Prime was going to deliver the best steakhouse experience
imaginable. The restaurant is located in the toniest part of downtown Philadelphia, its dimly lit entry
paved with marble. Instead of traditional dining chairs, patrons rest on plush sofas clustered around
small marble tables. They feast from an extensive raw bar, including East and West Coast oysters and
Ru
ssian caviar. And the menu offers delicacies like truffle-whipped potatoes and line-caught halibut
FedExed overnight directly from Alaska.
But Wein knew that good food and great atmosphere wouldn’t be enough. After all, the thing
restaurants are best at is going out of business. More than 25 percent fail within twelve months of
opening their doors. Sixty percent are gone within the first three years.
Restaurants fail for any number of reasons. Expenses are high—everything from the food on the
plates to the labor that goes into preparing and serving it. And the landscape is crowded with
competitors. For every new American bistro that pops up in a major city, there are two more right
around the corner.
Li
ke
mo
st small businesses, restaurants also have a huge awareness problem. Just getting the word
out that a new restaurant has opened its doors—much less that it’s worth eating at—is an uphill battle.
And
unl
ike the large hotel chains Wein had previously worked for, most restaurants don’t have the
resources to spend on lots of advertising or marketing. They depend on people talking about them to
be successful.
Wein knew he needed to generate buzz. Philadelphia already boasted dozens of expensive
steakhouses, and Barclay Prime needed to stand out. Wein needed something to cut through the clutter
and give people a sense of the uniqueness of the brand. But what? How could he get people talking?
—————
How about a hundred-dollar cheesesteak?
The standard Philly cheesesteak is available for four or five bucks at hundreds of sandwich shops,
burger joints, and pizzerias throughout Philadelphia. It’s not a difficult recipe. Chop some steak on a
gr
iddle, throw it on a hoagie (hero) roll, and melt some Provolone cheese or Cheez Whiz on top. It’s
delicious regional fast food, but definitely not haute cuisine.
Wein thought he could get some buzz by raising the humble cheesesteak to new culinary heights—
and attaching a newsworthy price tag. So he started with a fresh, house-made brioche roll brushed
with homemade mustard. He added thinly sliced Kobe beef, marbleized to perfection. Then he
included caramelized onions, shaved heirloom tomatoes, and triple-cream Taleggio cheese. All this
was topped off with shaved hand-harvested black truffles and butter-poached Maine lobster tail. And
just to make it even more outrageous, he served it with a chilled split of Veuve Clicquot champagne.
The response was incredible.
People didn’t just try the sandwich, they rushed to tell others. One person suggested that groups get
it “as a starter . . . that way you all get the absurd story-telling rights.” Another noted that the
sandwich was “honestly indescribable. One does not throw all these fine ingredients together and get
anything subpar. It was like eating gold.” And given the sandwich’s price, it was almost as expensive
as eating gold, albeit far more delicious.
Wein didn’t create just another cheesesteak, he created a conversation piece.
—————
It worked. The story of the hundred-dollar cheesesteak was contagious. Talk to anyone who’s been
to Barclay Prime. Even if people didn’t order the cheesesteak, most will likely mention it. Even
people who’ve never been to the restaurant love to talk about it. It was so newsworthy that USA
Today, The Wall Street Journal , and other media outlets published pieces on the sandwich. The
Discovery channel filmed a segment for its Best Food Ever show. David Beckham had one when he
was in town. David Letterman invited Barclay’s executive chef to New York to cook him one on the
Late Show. All that buzz for what is still, at its heart, just a sandwich.
The buzz helped. Barclay Prime opened nearly a decade ago. Against the odds, the restaurant has
no
t only survived but flourished. It has won various food awards and is listed among the best
steakhouses in Philadelphia year after year. But more important, it built a following. Barclay Prime
caught on.
WHY
DO PRODUCTS, IDEAS, AND BEHAVIORS CATCH ON?
There are lots of examples of things that have caught on. Yellow Livestrong wristbands. Nonfat Greek
yo
gur
t. Six Sigma management strategy. Smoking bans. Low-fat diets. Then Atkins, South Beach, and
the
low-carb craze. The same dynamic happens on a smaller scale at the local level. A certain gym
will be the trendy place to go. A new church or synagogue will be in vogue. Everyone will get behind
a new school referendum.
These are all examples of social epidemics. Instances where products, ideas, and behaviors diffuse
thr
ough a population. They start with a small set of individuals or organizations and spread, often
from person to person, almost like a virus. Or in the case of the hundred-dollar cheesesteak, an overthe
-top, wallet-busting virus.
But while it’s easy to find examples of social contagion, it’s much harder to actually get something
to catch on. Even with all the money poured into marketing and advertising, few products become
popular. Most restaurants bomb, most businesses go under, and most social movements fail to gain
tr
action.
Why
do some products, ideas, and behaviors succeed when others fail?
—————
One reason some products and ideas become popular is that they are just plain better. We tend to
prefer websites that are easier to use, drugs that are more effective, and scientific theories that are
tr
ue
rather than false. So when something comes along that offers better functionality or does a better
job, people tend to switch to it. Remember how bulky televisions or computer monitors used to be?
They were so heavy and cumbersome that you had to ask a couple of friends (or risk a strained back)
to carry one up a flight of stairs. One reason flat screens took off was that they were better. Not only
did they offer larger screens, but they weighed less. No wonder they became popular.
Ano
the
r reason products catch on is attractive pricing. Not surprisingly, most people prefer paying
less rather than more. So if two very similar products are competing, the cheaper one often wins out.
Or if a company cuts its prices in half, that tends to help sales.
Advertising also plays a role. Consumers need to know about something before they can buy it. So
people tend to think that the more they spend on advertising, the more likely something will become
popular. Want to get people t

Kết quả (Việt) 1:

Cảm ơn bạn đã tải về này eBook Simon & Schuster.Tham gia danh sách gửi thư của chúng tôi và nhận được cập nhật về bản phát hành mới, giao dịch, nội dung bổ sung và các cuốn sách tuyệt vời từ Simon & Schuster.CLICK VÀO ĐÂY ĐỂ ĐĂNG KÝhoặc ghé thăm chúng tôi trực tuyến để đăng ký tạieBookNews.SimonandSchuster.comNội dungIntroduction: lý do tại sao những điều bắtTại sao$100 là một mức giá tốt cho một cheesesteak... Tại sao làm một số điều trở nên phổ biến? . . .Which là quan trọng hơn, tin nhắn hoặc messenger? . . . Bạn có thể thực hiện bất cứ điều gìlây nhiễm? . . . Trường hợp của máy xay sinh tố virus... 6 phím STEPPS.1. xã hội thuWhen một gian hàng điện thoại là một cánh cửa... Loài kiến có thể nâng năm mươi lần trọng lượng của riêng họ.... Tại sao thường xuyênPhi công dặm là giống như một trò chơi video... Khi nó là tốt để được khó khăn để có được... Lý do tại sao mọi người đều muốn mộtMix tripe, trái tim và dạ dày thịt... Nhược điểm của nhận được thanh toán... Chúng tôi chia sẻ những điều đólàm cho chúng ta nhìn tốt.2. gây nênWhich được thêm từ của miệng, Disney hoặc buổi? . . . Tại sao một nhiệm vụ NASA thúc đẩy mạnh mẽ kẹobán hàng... Có thể nơi bạn bình chọn ảnh hưởng đến cách bạn bỏ phiếu? . . . Hãy xem xét bối cảnh... Giải thíchRebecca Black... Phát triển môi trường sống: Kit Kat và cà phê... Đầu của tâm trí, mũi của lưỡi.3. cảm xúcTại saomột số điều làm cho danh sách đặt email? . . . Làm thế nào đọc bài viết khoa học là nhưđứng ở rìa của Grand Canyon... Tại sao sự tức giận cũng giống như hài hước... Làm thế nào phá vỡ guitarcó thể làm cho bạn nổi tiếng... Nhận được teary-eyed mắt về tìm kiếm trực tuyến... Khi chúng tôi quan tâm, chúng tôi chia sẻ.4. PublicIs the Apple logo better upside down than right side up? . . . Why dying people turn down kidneytransplants . . . Using moustaches to make the private public . . . How to advertise without anadvertising budget . . . Why anti-drug commercials might increase drug use . . . Built to show,built to grow.5. Practical ValueHow an eighty-six-year-old made a viral video about corn . . . Why hikers talk about vacuumcleaners . . . E-mail forwards are the new barn raising . . . Will people pay to save money? . . .Why$100 is a magic number . . . When lies spread faster than the truth . . . News you can use.6. StoriesHow stories are like Trojan horses . . . Why good customer service is better than any ad . . .When a streaker crashed the Olympics . . . Why some story details are unforgettable . . . Using apanda to make valuable virality . . . Information travels under the guise of idle chatter.EpilogueWhy80 percent of manicurists in California are Vietnamese . . . Applying the STEPPS.AcknowledgmentsReaders Group GuideQuestions for DiscussionExpand Your Book ClubA Conversation with Jonah BergerAbout Jonah BergerNotesIndexTomy mother, father, and grandmother.For always believing in me.Introduction: Why Things Catch OnBy the time Howard Wein moved to Philadelphia in March 2004, he already had lots of experiencein the hospitality industry. He had earned an MBA in hotel management, helped Starwood Hotelslaunch its W brand, and managed billions of dollars in revenue as Starwood’s corporate director offood and beverage. But he was done with “big.” He yearned for a smaller, more restaurant-focusedenvironment. So he moved to Philly to help design and launch a new luxury boutique steakhousecalled Barclay Prime.The concept was simple. Barclay Prime was going to deliver the best steakhouse experienceimaginable. The restaurant is located in the toniest part of downtown Philadelphia, its dimly lit entrypaved with marble. Instead of traditional dining chairs, patrons rest on plush sofas clustered aroundsmall marble tables. They feast from an extensive raw bar, including East and West Coast oysters andRussian caviar. And the menu offers delicacies like truffle-whipped potatoes and line-caught halibutFedExed overnight directly from Alaska.But Wein knew that good food and great atmosphere wouldn’t be enough. After all, the thingrestaurants are best at is going out of business. More than 25 percent fail within twelve months ofopening their doors. Sixty percent are gone within the first three years.Restaurants fail for any number of reasons. Expenses are high—everything from the food on theplates to the labor that goes into preparing and serving it. And the landscape is crowded withcompetitors. For every new American bistro that pops up in a major city, there are two more rightaround the corner.Li
ke
mo
st small businesses, restaurants also have a huge awareness problem. Just getting the word
out that a new restaurant has opened its doors—much less that it’s worth eating at—is an uphill battle.
And
unl
ike the large hotel chains Wein had previously worked for, most restaurants don’t have the
resources to spend on lots of advertising or marketing. They depend on people talking about them to
be successful.
Wein knew he needed to generate buzz. Philadelphia already boasted dozens of expensive
steakhouses, and Barclay Prime needed to stand out. Wein needed something to cut through the clutter
and give people a sense of the uniqueness of the brand. But what? How could he get people talking?
—————
How about a hundred-dollar cheesesteak?
The standard Philly cheesesteak is available for four or five bucks at hundreds of sandwich shops,
burger joints, and pizzerias throughout Philadelphia. It’s not a difficult recipe. Chop some steak on a
gr
iddle, throw it on a hoagie (hero) roll, and melt some Provolone cheese or Cheez Whiz on top. It’s
delicious regional fast food, but definitely not haute cuisine.
Wein thought he could get some buzz by raising the humble cheesesteak to new culinary heights—
and attaching a newsworthy price tag. So he started with a fresh, house-made brioche roll brushed
with homemade mustard. He added thinly sliced Kobe beef, marbleized to perfection. Then he
included caramelized onions, shaved heirloom tomatoes, and triple-cream Taleggio cheese. All this
was topped off with shaved hand-harvested black truffles and butter-poached Maine lobster tail. And
just to make it even more outrageous, he served it with a chilled split of Veuve Clicquot champagne.
The response was incredible.
People didn’t just try the sandwich, they rushed to tell others. One person suggested that groups get
it “as a starter . . . that way you all get the absurd story-telling rights.” Another noted that the
sandwich was “honestly indescribable. One does not throw all these fine ingredients together and get
anything subpar. It was like eating gold.” And given the sandwich’s price, it was almost as expensive
as eating gold, albeit far more delicious.
Wein didn’t create just another cheesesteak, he created a conversation piece.
—————
It worked. The story of the hundred-dollar cheesesteak was contagious. Talk to anyone who’s been
to Barclay Prime. Even if people didn’t order the cheesesteak, most will likely mention it. Even
people who’ve never been to the restaurant love to talk about it. It was so newsworthy that USA
Today, The Wall Street Journal , and other media outlets published pieces on the sandwich. The
Discovery channel filmed a segment for its Best Food Ever show. David Beckham had one when he
was in town. David Letterman invited Barclay’s executive chef to New York to cook him one on the
Late Show. All that buzz for what is still, at its heart, just a sandwich.
The buzz helped. Barclay Prime opened nearly a decade ago. Against the odds, the restaurant has
no
t only survived but flourished. It has won various food awards and is listed among the best
steakhouses in Philadelphia year after year. But more important, it built a following. Barclay Prime
caught on.
WHY
DO PRODUCTS, IDEAS, AND BEHAVIORS CATCH ON?
There are lots of examples of things that have caught on. Yellow Livestrong wristbands. Nonfat Greek
yo
gur
t. Six Sigma management strategy. Smoking bans. Low-fat diets. Then Atkins, South Beach, and
the
low-carb craze. The same dynamic happens on a smaller scale at the local level. A certain gym
will be the trendy place to go. A new church or synagogue will be in vogue. Everyone will get behind
a new school referendum.
These are all examples of social epidemics. Instances where products, ideas, and behaviors diffuse
thr
ough a population. They start with a small set of individuals or organizations and spread, often
from person to person, almost like a virus. Or in the case of the hundred-dollar cheesesteak, an overthe
-top, wallet-busting virus.
But while it’s easy to find examples of social contagion, it’s much harder to actually get something
to catch on. Even with all the money poured into marketing and advertising, few products become
popular. Most restaurants bomb, most businesses go under, and most social movements fail to gain
tr
action.
Why
do some products, ideas, and behaviors succeed when others fail?
—————
One reason some products and ideas become popular is that they are just plain better. We tend to
prefer websites that are easier to use, drugs that are more effective, and scientific theories that are
tr
ue
rather than false. So when something comes along that offers better functionality or does a better
job, people tend to switch to it. Remember how bulky televisions or computer monitors used to be?
They were so heavy and cumbersome that you had to ask a couple of friends (or risk a strained back)
to carry one up a flight of stairs. One reason flat screens took off was that they were better. Not only
did they offer larger screens, but they weighed less. No wonder they became popular.
Ano
the
r reason products catch on is attractive pricing. Not surprisingly, most people prefer paying
less rather than more. So if two very similar products are competing, the cheaper one often wins out.
Or if a company cuts its prices in half, that tends to help sales.
Advertising also plays a role. Consumers need to know about something before they can buy it. So
people tend to think that the more they spend on advertising, the more likely something will become
popular. Want to get people t