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Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath explores why some ideas are memorable while others fade away. The authors introduce the SUCCESS Framework, which includes six principles—simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions, and stories—that can help make messages unforgettable. By applying these principles, anyone can transform their ideas into impactful messages that resonate with audiences.
Today, we're diving into Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath. This book explores why some ideas thrive and become memorable while others vanish without a trace. It offers a fascinating look at the science of stickiness and uncovers the secrets to making your own messages unforgettable.
The Kidney Heist: A Sticky Urban Legend
To illustrate the concept of stickiness, the Heath brothers start with a memorable urban legend known as the kidney heist. In this story, a friend of a friend is drugged, wakes up in an ice-filled bathtub, and finds a note warning them about a stolen kidney. This disturbing tale is incredibly sticky; most people who hear it remember it vividly and can retell it accurately. In contrast, the dry, jargon-laden prose often found in reports is instantly forgettable.
The central question posed by Made to Stick is: why do some ideas, even ridiculous ones, stick, while others, even important ones, disappear? The authors argue that it's not just about the inherent interest of a topic. For example, the Center for Science in the Public Interest's campaign, "Popcorn is Fatty," could have simply presented the statistic that a medium-sized popcorn contains 37 grams of saturated fat. Instead, they compared that fat content to a whole day's worth of unhealthy meals, making the idea stick and leading to widespread changes in how movie theaters prepared popcorn.
The SUCCESS Framework
The Heath brothers introduce the SUCCESS Framework, an acronym representing six principles that make ideas sticky:
Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Stories
Let's unpack each principle.
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Simplicity
Simplicity is about finding the core of your message—your commander's intent. This principle emphasizes prioritizing relentlessly and choosing one idea over many good ones. For instance, Southwest Airlines focuses on being the low fare airline, guiding countless decisions within the company. Similarly, James Carville distilled the 1992 Clinton campaign's message to three phrases, the most famous being, "It's the economy, stupid." This approach avoids burying the lead, ensuring that the most important information comes first.
Unexpectedness
To grab attention, you must break a pattern. The Heath brothers cite flight attendant Karen Wood, who transformed a boring safety announcement into a comedy routine. Unexpectedness disrupts the audience's existing mental models, creating a moment of insight. However, the surprise must be post-dictable, meaning it should make sense in retrospect. For example, Nordstrom uses "Nordi stories" to illustrate its commitment to customer service, showcasing unexpected acts that rewrite employees' schemas of customer service.
To maintain attention, create curiosity by presenting knowledge gaps. A science writer captivated readers by posing the question, "What are Saturn's rings made of?" This approach draws readers in, making them eager to uncover the answer.
Concreteness
Abstract language is often forgettable, while concrete ideas are memorable. Aesop's fables endure because of their vivid imagery. The Nature Conservancy shifted its message from talking about acreage to specific landscapes, making their mission more tangible. Concrete ideas provide more hooks for our memories, making them easier to recall.
For instance, Jane Elliott's brown eyes, blue eyes exercise made the abstract concept of prejudice brutally concrete and unforgettable, leading to long-term reductions in prejudice among her students.
Credibility
To make people believe in your ideas, you can use external authorities, anti-authorities, or compelling details. For example, Pam Laffin, a smoker dying of emphysema, starred in powerful anti-smoking ads, while the Beyond War group used a bucket of BBs to illustrate the scale of the world's nuclear arsenal. The visceral understanding created by such details is more impactful than the statistics themselves.
Another effective method is the Sinatra test, which finds one example that proves your point definitively. Safexpress, an Indian shipping company, won over a skeptical Bollywood studio by highlighting their successful handling of the Harry Potter book release.
Emotions
To make people care, evoke emotions. The Save the Children study showed that donations increased when people were presented with a single-named child, Rokia, rather than an abstract cause. The Truth Anti-Smoking campaign tapped into teenagers' anti-authority sentiments, encouraging them to rebel against big tobacco.
Emotions can also be linked to existing feelings, but be cautious of semantic stretch, where overused emotionally charged words lose their power. The Positive Coaching Alliance replaced the term sportsmanship with "honoring the game" to maintain its emotional impact.
Stories
Stories serve as simulations, showing us how to act and providing inspiration. The story of a nurse who saved a baby by overriding a faulty heart monitor reminds us to be cautious of technology. Jared Fogel's weight loss journey simplifies the complexity of weight loss into an inspiring challenge plot.
There are three core plots in inspirational stories: the challenge plot, the connection plot, and the creativity plot. Spotting existing stories is often easier and more effective than creating them from scratch.
Conclusion
The SUCCESS checklist is a powerful tool for making your ideas sticky:
Simple: Find the core and prioritize.
Unexpected: Break patterns and generate curiosity.
Concrete: Use sensory language to make ideas real.
Credible: Employ details, statistics, or testable credentials.
Emotional: Make people care by appealing to self-interest or identity.
Stories: Use simulations and inspiration to engage.
The key takeaway from Made to Stick is that sticky ideas are made, not born. By understanding and applying the six principles of stickiness, you can transform your messages from forgettable to unforgettable, from inert to inspiring. It doesn't require genius; it requires focus and a willingness to break free from the curse of knowledge.
FOR YOUR WALLET
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