Made to Stick
Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Made to Stick, with added material is a new release by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. This updated version is now said to be “extra sticky”.

When we seek to roll out a new idea, invention or initiative, we want it to be a memorable experience for as many people as possible. We want that one in a million idea that will spread like wildfire throughout the marketplace.

The challenge is in figuring out what idea will provide the basis for that kind of unique experience, and what kind of marketing plan can be put into motion to provide the best chance for success?

The authors of Made to Stick have thoroughly researched what it takes to identify and market your next greatest product or service. They have discovered that most ‘sticky’ ideas are rooted in six core principles.

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die provides countless examples where these six principles are illustrated in great detail. The book is highly recommended as a tool to get your creative energies flowing.

Four of the six core principles for increased "stickiness" includes:

1. Simplicity - how to find the essential root of every idea. Don’t try to sell ten benefits, sell the best one or two.
2. Unexpectedness - how to properly 'violate' people's expectations. We can use surprise - an emotion whose function is to increase alertness and cause focus - to grab people's attention.
3. Concreteness - naturally sticky ideas are full of concrete images (ice-filled bathtubs, apples with razors, etc) because our brains are wired to remember concreate data
4. Credibility - create questions or other ways to help people test your ideas for themselves - a "try before you buy" opportunity that customer can easily process on their own.

   Questions like, "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" made it clear to a nation that the economy needs the attention of new leadership.

Many times ideas are best remembered when told through a story. In 'Made to Stick' readers learn the natural power of good story telling.

Another key point is that stories or key quotes will naturally be voted on by the audience. The consumer always retains the rights and power to forget anything at any time. In addition, the audience will often change the quote or story over time.

There are many examples where a famous quote is attributed to a certain individual, when in fact that person did not actual say the words attributed to them. Usually, they said something similar to the quote, but as the saying was shared over and over, the audience modified it slightly. When this happens, the end result is usually a more polished, effective and memorable quote.

Overall, Made to Stick is a highly insightful and enjoyable read. Readers will particularly appreciate that the authors have taken the time to provide an easy quick reference guide in the back of the book.

Key ideas and strategies are found easily using the quick reference guide, saving the reader countless hours of note taking.

Also, this updated version of Made to Stick includes three new sections, which include:

1. Advice for Managers
2. Advice for Teachers
3. Advice for Anyone

These new sections are all great additions! Nice job Heath brothers!

Author Bio:

Chip Heath and Dan Heath are brothers. Chip is a profesor of organizational behavior in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.

Dan is a consultant to the Policy Programs at the Aspen Institute. A former researcher at Harvard business School, he is a co-founder of Thinkwell, an innovative new-media textbook company.

For more information on Chip and Dan, visit http://www.madetostick.com

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