The $100 cheesesteak, hotdogs, and a secret phonebooth. Shhhhhh! - Contagious Part I

Introduction

Howdy!

We are psyched to introduce you to Jonah Berger's book "Contagious," he breaks down the six principles of contagiousness that make content more likely to spread from person to person via word of mouth and social influence. These principles can be applied to products, ideas, messages, and even news.

Basically, anyone that is trying to get the word out about something can benefit from this book. Remember you can find recaps of all the past books HERE.

Estimated read: 4.5 minutes

The six principles, or STEPPS, are as follows:

Social Currency: People want to look smart, rich, and cool, so we need to craft messages that help them achieve these desired impressions. We need to find our inner remarkability and leverage game mechanics to give people ways to achieve visible symbols of status(The $100 cheesesteak & secret hotdogs).

Triggers: We need to prompt people to think about our products and ideas by creating stimuli that are frequently triggered by the environment(KitKats and Coffee) .

Emotion: People share things that make them feel something. We need to focus on feelings rather than function, but we also need to pick the right emotions to evoke.

Public: Making things more observable makes them easier to imitate and more likely to become popular. We need to design products and initiatives that advertise themselves and create behavioral residue that sticks around.

Practical Value: People like to help others, so we need to show them how our products or ideas will save time, improve health, or save money. We also need to highlight the incredible value of what we offer.

Stories: People don't just share information, they tell stories. We need to embed our products and ideas in stories that people want to tell, making our message so integral to the narrative that people can't tell the story without it.

We'll be exploring each of these principles over the next five days, giving you examples of how companies have used them to create successful marketing campaigns. Stay tuned!

Barclay’s $100 Cheese Steak

Let me tell you about Howard Wein, the guy who came up with a genius idea that put Barclay Prime on the map. Barclay Prime is a swanky steakhouse in Philly, and Howard's goal was to make it the best steakhouse experience ever. The place is already super fancy with its marble floors and plush sofas, and the food is out of this world. They've got everything from East and West Coast oysters to line-caught halibut from Alaska. But Howard knew that wasn't enough to make the restaurant stand out.

Did you know that over 25% of restaurants fail within the first year of opening their doors? That's why Howard needed to think outside the box. He wanted to get people talking about Barclay Prime, so he came up with the idea to create a $100 cheesesteak. Yeah, you heard that right - a $100 cheesesteak!

You might be wondering why anyone would pay that much for a sandwich that you can get for a few bucks at any old Philly sandwich shop. Well, let me tell you - this is no ordinary cheesesteak. Howard starts with a fresh, house-made brioche roll brushed with homemade mustard. Then he adds thinly sliced Kobe beef, caramelized onions, shaved heirloom tomatoes, and triple-cream Taleggio cheese. And as if that wasn't enough, he tops it off with shaved black truffles and a butter-poached Maine lobster tail. Oh, and did I mention he serves it with a chilled split of Veuve Clicquot champagne? Now that's what I call a meal fit for a king!

And guess what? The response was insane. People couldn't get enough of this sandwich! It became a viral sensation and everyone wanted to try it. Foodies and influencers were raving about it, and it got tons of media coverage. Howard had nailed it with his idea - he used social currency, the first principle of virality, to make the cheesesteak contagious.

TLDR: People like to talk about the cool stuff that they do! How can you make your products or ideas remarkable?

Please don’t tell?

Hey there hot dog lovers, have you heard about Crif Dogs in New York City? This little gem on St. Mark's Place is a classic hot dog joint that serves up some of the best franks in the city. But there's more to this spot than just hot dogs. There is vintage wooden phone booth in the corner. Well, go ahead and take a peek inside.

You'll find an old rotary dial phone hanging on the inside. Dial the number for a reservation, and to your surprise, you'll be led through a secret door hidden in the back of the phone booth.

Welcome to Please Don't Tell, a secret bar hidden behind a hot dog joint. How cool is that?

But the story behind Crif Dogs and Please Don't Tell is just as fun as the experience itself. Childhood friends Brian Shebairo and Chris Antista wanted to bring the best hot dog experience to New York City, so they rode their motorcycles up and down the East Coast to taste-test the best franks. After two years of research and development, they opened Crif Dogs in 2001, which quickly became an award-winning hot dog destination. But Brian wasn't satisfied with just serving hot dogs. He wanted to open a bar, and after three years of convincing, the neighbor next door finally gave in. But with so many bars in New York City, Brian knew he had to do something to make Please Don't Tell stand out. He found an antique phone booth and turned it into the secret door to the bar. And with no advertising or flashy website, Please Don't Tell became a sought-after spot for those in the know.

Speaking of things that are sought after, have you ever wondered why people love sharing secrets so much? Well, according to Harvard neuroscientists, sharing information about ourselves activates the same reward circuits in our brain as food and money. And people are willing to pay to share their opinions and experiences with others.

That's why word of mouth is such a potent tool for making a good impression, just like that new car or Prada handbag. It's a form of social currency, and people use it to achieve positive impressions among their families, friends, and colleagues. So how can companies and organizations harness the power of social currency? There are three ways to do it: (1) find inner remarkability; (2) leverage game mechanics; and (3) make people feel like insiders.

And speaking of making impressions, let's play a game. What can you deduce about someone just based on the car they drive or the haircut they have? For example, my colleague Carla drives a minivan. What can you guess about her just from that fact? Most people think she's somewhere between thirty and forty-five years old and has kids who play soccer. And my friend Todd has a Mohawk. What can you guess about him? Most people think he's into some sort of edgy music and shops at some sort of surf/skate store. We make educated guesses about other people based on the choices they make because choices signal identity.

So there you have it, folks. Whether you're talking about hot dogs or social currency, the key is to find ways to make yourself look good while promoting your products and ideas. And if you're ever in New York City, be sure to check out Crif Dogs and Please Don't Tell. It's a secret you'll definitely want to share with your friends!

We’re out!

Camillo