I don’t know anybody working in communications who doesn’t frequently ponder what magical, mythical, elusive characteristics make some content “go viral.” It’s kittens, right? But kittens alone can’t deliver. Just think of all the gazillions of adorable kitten videos that don’t get millions of views or shares or likes.
Whether it’s political messages, videos, or memes, or ideas that spread like wildfire via word of mouth, some things catch on while others don’t. So, is it just luck? Humor? Pulling at our heartstrings? A good story?
Is there a calculus for contagious content
These are exactly the questions Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger has spent the last decade trying to answer (he’s a disciple of Chip Heath of Made to Stick fame). Berger studies why people share some things rather than others—a.k.a. the psychology of social transmission.
Turns out there is a science to it. Berger and his team have analyzed thousands of pieces of online content and tens of thousands of products and brands in an attempt to understand why some things take off.
In his book and on his blog, Berger has boiled the findings down to Six Principles of Contagiousness (luck and timing—and kittens—still can’t hurt either)!
