Forget everything you know about communication and start over…
Brothers Chip and Dan Heath bring us Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, a book that illustrates how some ideas, concepts, points of view are forgotten and some are remembered. Why does this happen? How does it happen? Is it coincidence or is there something in common for memorable or "sticky" ideas? The book explores many different ideas, concepts and stories to see what they have in common, how we can learn from them and how you can apply these strategies to your ideas, stories, even products or companies. The knowledge in this book can be applied to business, to family or to life. The authors explain each point of what makes an idea stick with stories and case studies of urban legends, short stories, lectures, even products and memorable advertising campaigns.
The authors entertain you and keep your attention with their examples from the world of advertising, life stories and urban legends. One of my favorite stories was from the pages of an advertising company trying to find the next commercial for Subway Sandwiches. The agency discovered the real life story of Jared Fogle, a Subway customer who lost a whopping 245 pounds on his self-imposed "Subway Diet". This small town story became a national phenomenon. It was on every news channel and yes, even on Oprah. Subway's sales increased as did their franchise sales, all from a very sticky story that we can all relate to.
Yes, Made to Stickwill be great read for copywriters, marketers and executives, but I recommend this book to everyone as it can be used as a self improvement and general knowledge book. It is truly a lesson in communication as you'll learn the six principles of a memorable idea, story or concept: Simplicity, Unexpectedness, Concreteness, Credibility, Emotions and Stories. You can use this knowledge in your daily life, in writing a resume, leaving a voice mail or telling stories. Even within the book Chip and Dan Heath choose stories from many walks of life to identify with all types of readers. They include stories and examples from teachers, journalists, marketers and everyday normal people.
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