made to stick by chip and dan heath

Prepared by Colin Post – find me at www.expat-chronicles.com

Made to Stickby Chip and Dan Heath

•“The book explains why some ideas stick and some don't – and I've been on both

sides of this equation. A warning though: If you read this book, you'll revamp a lot of your marketing material (as you probably

should)." – Guy Kawasaki


Slideshow put together by:

Colin [email protected] development and e-marketing campaignsImport / export management for US-South AmericaInmersiones ingleses en CundinamarcaFreelance writingwww.expat-chronicles.com

I hope the Heath brothers approve. Buy the book.

http://www.expat-chronicles.com/


What Sticks?• Why do urban legends (e.g. chain emails)

spread like wildfire while factual ideas in the public interest can’t gain traction?

• SUCCESs Principles:– Simplicity– Unexpectedness– Concreteness– Credibility– Emotions– Stories


The Curse of Knowledge

Once we know something, it’s hard to imagine what it was like not to know it.

“The [SUCCESs] principles presented earlier are your best weapons … to transform your ideas to beat the Curse of Knowledge.”


Simple1. Army management issues simple objectives because “no plan survives

contact with the enemy.” (predictability)1. E.g. “have the hill cleared of the enemy, with only ineffective remnants remaining,

so we can protect the flank of Third Brigade as they pass through the lines.”

2. Finding the core:1. Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines on proposals to change operations: “Will [that

proposal] make us THE low-fare airline from Houston to Las Vegas? Because if it doesn’t help us become the unchallenged low-fare airline, we’re not [doing your] damn [proposal].”

3. Don’t bury the lead:1. Journalists present info in inverted order of importance.

4. If you say three things, you don’t say anything:1. Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign: “It’s the economy, stupid.”

5. Decision paralysis6. “A bird in hand is better than two in the bush.”7. Use schema – collection of generic properties of a concept or category.

1. “A pomelo is basically a supersized grapefruit …”

8. Speed was “Die Hard on a bus.” Alien was “Jaws on a spaceship.”


UnexpectedGet attention by breaking a pattern.

Surprise gets attention, interest keeps it.

1. Nordstrom’s unexpected service (i.e. gift-wrapping competitor products, or refunded tire chains they didn’t sell)

2. Surprise Brow evolution: widened eyes see more.3. Enclave ad seems like minivan, then crash and Buckle

Up message.4. Start with a mystery question – science professor

kept class attention until resolution.5. Gap Theory: “What will happen? Was I right?”

1. Curiosity keeps audiences longer, especially after challenges.


ConcreteLanguage is often abstract, but not life.

Help people understand and remember, coordinate.• Fox and the Grapes – illustrates “sour grapes.”• The Nature Conservancy raised money for “landscapes”

with names instead of acres, etc.• Concrete is sensed – V8 engine vs. high performance.• Concrete is memorable – Kidney Heist’s ice-filled bathtub.• Schoolteacher’s superior / inferior brown-eyed and blue-

eyed kids never forgot evils of racism.• Experts (with Curse of Knowledge) think in abstracts,

novices think in details.• Megachurch pastor Rick Warren uses “Saddleback Sam” as

a template consumer profile to test.


Help people believe with external and internal credibility.

• Scientist swallowed H.pylori bacteria because nobody believed he’d cured ulcers.

• Authorities are a reliable source of credibility.– Honesty and trustworthiness stronger than status

• The power of details: internal credibility• Statistics also create credibility (BBs representing atomic

bombs in the world)• Use human-sized scales to assess whether the content of

a message is credible• The Sinatra Test: when one example alone is enough to

establish credibility– If you’ve catered the White House, you can cater anywhere.

• Testable credentials: Where’s the Beef?

Credible


EmotionalMake people care.• Mother Teresa: “If I look at one, I will act.”– People donate more to ‘Rokia’ than her country.

Use Power of Association• Transforming “sportsmanship” into “honoring

the game”Appeal to self-interest.• “They laughed when I sat down at the piano…”Appeal to identity.• Don’t mess with Texas: Texans don’t litter.


Stories

Get people to act.

• Stories as simulation (tell people how to act)– Police, firefighters, high pressure jobs all use

stories• Stories as inspiration– Jared from Subway– 3 key plots: Challenge, Connection, Creativity

made to stick by chip and dan heath

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