As a kid, if I ever pulled a funny face, I’d get the classic warning: “If the wind changes, you’ll stay like that!"
Decades later, that line is still crystal-clear in my memory. While an economic statistic I heard on BBC radio this morning? Already forgotten. Somehow, those early warnings left a mark, cutting deeper than logic or rationality ever could.
Now imagine you work in marketing and you really want your message to stick. Would you go for the dry radio stat, or lean into something more like the vivid scare story?
Brothers Chip and Dan Heath explore these very questions in Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.
Six tricks to make it stick
At the core of the Heath brothers’ book is the concept of “stickiness” – that magical glue that makes some ideas unforgettable.
They present six qualities that make ideas stick, encapsulated in the acronym SUCCES(s):
Simple · Unexpected · Concrete · Credible · Emotional · Stories
Side note: You can almost picture the Heath brothers staring at that acronym, debating whether to squeeze in one more "S" for the sake of neatness. I mean, SUCCESS is right there! But sometimes – as we're about to find out – simplicity wins. By sticking to six key qualities, they ensure each one stands out clearly, without overcomplicating the message.
Each element serves a purpose; it’s not that you need all six, all the time, but an idea featuring, say, four of these concepts will last longer than an idea with just two.
Just do it, because you're worth it
With simplicity, it isn’t about dumbing down; it’s about honing in on the core of the idea. It’s the proverbial “one thing” that we remember long after details have faded. Think of it as your idea’s mission statement – short enough to be memorable, but profound enough to inspire. In the book, Chip and Dan explain:
Proverbs are the Holy Grail of simplicity. Coming up with a short, compact phrase is easy. Anybody can do it. On the other hand, coming up with a profound compact phrase is incredibly difficult. What we've tried to show [...] is that the effort is worth it – that 'finding the core,' and expressing it in the form of a compact idea, can be enduringly powerful.
So let’s strike while the proverbial iron’s hot and consider some examples...
When Nike launched “Just Do It” back in 1988, did they expect it would still resonate decades later? Did they worry it was too simple? Maybe there's no such thing. What Nike’s marketers understood was that their audience wanted a sense of empowerment – a push to escape daily stress and maybe, just maybe, grab their running shoes. Feeling too tired for that evening jog? Just do it.
Similarly, remember those iconic L'Oréal ads featuring Friends star Jennifer Aniston? The tagline “Because You’re Worth It” managed to strike the perfect balance between simplicity and impact. Just four words, yet the message resonated on a personal level: you are valuable, and you deserve the best. It wasn’t just about shampoo – it was about self-worth and empowerment, which made it unforgettable.
Unexpectedness, then, is about catching your audience off guard – perhaps sending them straight to the supermarket or onto the running track. The Heaths argue that to make an idea stick, you need to defy expectations and create a gap in understanding that your audience is eager to fill:
Surprise is the opposite of predictability. But, to be satisfying, surprise must be ‘post-dictable.’ The twist makes sense after you think about it, but it's not something you would have seen coming.
This could be as simple as presenting a common problem in an entirely new light, or challenging long-held beliefs with surprising facts. I explore a range of these in my blog about confusing ideas that actually make a lot of sense.
British comedian John Robins half-jokingly claims to have invented the most effective marketing phrase in existence: “freedom you can trust”. And who am I to disagree with a BBC presenter and Edinburgh Comedy Award winner? His slogan conveys liberation and emotional security – excitement with safety. So, why isn’t Robins a marketing billionaire yet?
Well, perhaps it’s because, until it’s connected to an actual product, his phrase remains too abstract. Freedom and trust are powerful concepts, but what exactly makes us feel free, and why should we trust it? Without a tangible link to a product or experience, the message lacks the depth needed to truly resonate.
Concreteness is key to ensuring an idea is grasped and remembered. We avoid Robins-style abstractions by anchoring concepts in reality. As the Heath brothers reflect: “Trying to teach an abstract principle without concrete foundations is like trying to start a house by building a roof in the air.” So, if you're trying to convey the importance of customer service, don’t use phrases like "value-added interactions." Instead, tell a story about the barista who remembers your name and your order.
Credibility brings weight to an idea. In a world awash with misinformation and "fake news," credible details anchor an idea in truth. But credibility doesn’t just come from piling on statistics. Take an anti-smoking campaign, for example. The message becomes more impactful when a former smoker shares their personal experience with lung cancer, rather than merely quoting statistics and death rates. The authenticity of their story resonates with viewers, making the message more real and relatable – and ultimately more likely to stick, even if it's an uncomfortable truth.
Likewise, emotional engagement is crucial because emotions hook an audience on a more authentic level. Great ideas connect with something deep within the listener. We might not all relate to black-and-white statistics about widespread poverty, but the vivid, technicolor story of a child's daily struggle can ignite our empathy and drive us to take action.
Finally, stories act as simulations – like video games for the brain. A sticky idea often has a narrative structure that takes its audience on a journey. The right story can transform passive listeners into active participants, allowing them to rehearse the idea in a mental trial run. There’s a reason why certain folk tales have endured for hundreds of years (or why parental warnings last for decades!).
Our minds enjoy riding the rollercoaster of a narrative arc – full of tension, twists, and resolution. If I pull a funny face and the wind changes, will that story have a happy ending?
The moon on a stick
Chip Heath uses the first moon landing as a perfect example of "SUCCES(s)" and stickiness in action...
Simple – The mission's core message, delivered by President John F. Kennedy, was clear and direct: “put a man on the moon by the end of the decade” and return him safely to Earth. Not a simple challenge, but a simple statement with no ambiguity.
Unexpected – The sheer audacity of sending humans to the moon defied expectations and captured the world’s imagination – “the moon is a long way away and the air is thin… how will they ever achieve this?”
Concrete – The tangible elements – the astronauts, the rocket, the moon landing – were all vivid, real images that ordinary folk could easily picture, transforming the abstract concept of space exploration into something they could truly grasp.
Credible – The message came from a newly-elected, charismatic president who was willing to back up his words with substantial resources. Coupled with the full support of the scientific community, the goal of landing on the moon gained immense credibility.
Emotional – The prospect of America reaching "the next frontier" stirred powerful emotions worldwide, from national pride to awe at humanity's ability to achieve the "impossible".
Stories – The moon landing became a narrative of human ingenuity, collaboration, and the spirit of exploration. It embodied the timeless story arc of "accepting a challenge, taking a journey, and returning from it" – much like the classic structure of the best Hollywood blockbusters.
There’s an oft-repeated story from 1962, during the Apollo program, when President Kennedy visited NASA and asked a janitor what he was doing, to which the janitor replied, "I'm helping put a man on the moon".
Kennedy’s idea had stuck so effectively, that everyone had bought-in.
Conclusion
We’ve recently witnessed highly significant national elections in the US and the UK, with decisive results for the victorious parties.
Political messaging has always intrigued me, and no matter where we stand on the individuals or ideas behind them, "Make America Great Again" is an undeniably sticky, successful slogan. Such phrases, and the strategies behind them, play a crucial role in determining who we are "stuck" with as leaders for the next however many years.
Donald Trump’s return to power as the 47th (and 45th) President may just prove that it doesn’t need to be rocket science. If you want your idea to stay with people long after the campaign ends, skip the dry facts. Instead, aim for something they can see, feel, laugh about, or even complain about years down the line.
After all, sticky ideas aren’t about being unimpeachable; they’re about being unforgettable.
As we've seen, the concept of "stickiness" in messaging extends far beyond politics, influencing everything from marketing campaigns to social movements.
The Heath brothers’ framework reveals that sticky ideas don’t just become memorable by chance; they’re carefully crafted using elements that resonate on multiple levels.
When we dissect famous slogans, historic speeches, or even the warnings we heard in childhood, we see these elements in action, drawing us in and embedding themselves in our memories. So, whether you’re selling shampoo (because you’re still worth it!) or selling hope, the real challenge is finding ways to speak to our collective imagination.
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