Contagious: Why Things Catch On

What makes things popular? If you said advertising, think again. People don’t listen to advertisements, they listen to their peers. But why do people talk about certain products and ideas more than others? Why are some stories and rumors more infectious? And what makes online content go viral?

Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger has spent the last decade answering these questions. He’s studied why

In Contagious, Berger reveals the name of the game science at the back of word-of-mouth and social transmission. Discover how six basic principles drive all sorts of things to transform contagious, from consumer products and policy initiatives to workplace rumors and YouTube videos. Learn the way a luxury steakhouse found popularity through the lowly cheesesteak, why anti-drug commercials might have if truth be told increased drug use, and why more than 200 million consumers shared a video about one of the crucial boring products there is: a blender.

Contagious provides specific, actionable techniques for helping information spread—for designing messages, advertisements, and content that people will share. Whether you’re a manager at a big company, a small business owner trying to spice up awareness, a politician running for office, or a health official trying to get the word out, Contagious will show you how to make your product or idea catch on.