Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Contagious (Infected, #2)” as Want to Read:
Rate this book
See a Problem?
Contagious Summary Berger starts with the example of a Wein selling not just another cheesesteak, but a conversation piece. He did it by using great ingredient and asking for an exorbitant price: a hundred dollars.
We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Contagious by Scott Sigler.
Not the book you’re looking for?Preview — Contagious by Scott Sigler
(Infected #2)
From the acclaimed author of Infected comes an epic and exhilarating story of humanity's secret battle against a horrific enemy.
Across America, a mysterious pathogen transforms ordinary people into raging killers, psychopaths driven by a terrifying, alien agenda. The human race fights back, yet after every battle the disease responds, adapts, using sophisticated strategie...more
Across America, a mysterious pathogen transforms ordinary people into raging killers, psychopaths driven by a terrifying, alien agenda. The human race fights back, yet after every battle the disease responds, adapts, using sophisticated strategie...more
Published December 30th 2008 by Crown (first published 2008)
To see what your friends thought of this book,please sign up.
To ask other readers questions aboutContagious,please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
DruI read Contagious and had NO idea it was a sequel. I disagree with Sarah, in that I did 'get' all the characters and felt it wasn't necessary to have…moreI read Contagious and had NO idea it was a sequel. I disagree with Sarah, in that I did 'get' all the characters and felt it wasn't necessary to have read the first book.
I'm also pretty sure I don't need to read the 3rd book (didn't even know there was one), as the story ended at a point where there didn't need to be a 3rd book.(less)
Best Free AudiobooksI'm also pretty sure I don't need to read the 3rd book (didn't even know there was one), as the story ended at a point where there didn't need to be a 3rd book.(less)
165 books — 504 voters
Books Available as Podcasts 48 books — 37 voters
More lists with this book...
Rating details
|
2.5 stars
As fast paced and exiting this book was, I can't get over the bland, emotionless style of the writer. This guy had an ok idea and decided to write a novel about it. I'll give him kudos for the work but I really can't say he's a great author. The characters are flat, reach life-altering decisions in a heartbeat, change their behaviour and opinions on a whim. Maybe it's just me but I hated every chapter title in this book because it couldnt be drier - like a weather forecast: 'Margaret H...more
Sep 24, 2015✿ℎazℯℓ - thℯ ℛock Cℎick ℱairy✿ rated it it was amazing
THE ACTION.
THE THRILL.
THE umm.. gross parts..
THAT AMAZING PLOT!!!!
All of these contribute to my perfect rating!
That was one amazing adventure / horror / thriller story!
THE THRILL.
THE umm.. gross parts..
THAT AMAZING PLOT!!!!
All of these contribute to my perfect rating!
That was one amazing adventure / horror / thriller story!
Jun 04, 2009Michael rated it really liked it
Following up on last year's 'Infected,' 'Contagious' is both a sequel and an expansion of Scott Sigler's twisted universe where an alien virus is trying to take over the planet.
'Infected' kept the stakes fairly limited--following the traumatic infection and steps taken by Perry Dawsey to 'cure' himself. With 'Contagious,' Sigler takes a much wider view, showing us how the virus is working to establish a beach-head on our planet and possibly take over.
'Contagious' takes a few pages to get going,...more
Oct 26, 2017Alondra rated it really liked it'Infected' kept the stakes fairly limited--following the traumatic infection and steps taken by Perry Dawsey to 'cure' himself. With 'Contagious,' Sigler takes a much wider view, showing us how the virus is working to establish a beach-head on our planet and possibly take over.
'Contagious' takes a few pages to get going,...more
Shelves: horror-chills-and-thrills, science-fiction, books-i-own
Jan 26, 2009Tressa rated it it was amazing Shelves: horror
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Wow. This novel was great! I liked how it provided more background information on the aliens and their hidden agenda towards Earth it gave the story more depth and the story is well rounded out. As in Infected, I also liked how there are scientific terms and theories, but it was easily explained and not complicated to understand. We all know some science fiction novels have a lot of technological jargon and you're left wondering if you're reading an encyclopedia on physics or rocket science. Her...more
Jul 01, 2015Karen’s Library rated it really liked it
Well the whole team is back which I was happy to see. Perry, Dew, Margaret... and a few new players.
Although still quite gory and disturbing, this book didn't have that same WTF!? impact that Infected had on me. At least I could read it without having to look away at some parts.
As usual, Scott's science in each of his books is mind boggling and detailed but not overwhelming. He has the perfect blend of science and action to give his stories a realistic and terrifying feel. This one was the same...more
Although still quite gory and disturbing, this book didn't have that same WTF!? impact that Infected had on me. At least I could read it without having to look away at some parts.
As usual, Scott's science in each of his books is mind boggling and detailed but not overwhelming. He has the perfect blend of science and action to give his stories a realistic and terrifying feel. This one was the same...more
this series is dumb but a lot of fun
I have come to a realization that Scott Sigler is one of the hardest working authors out there. I first heard about Mr. Sigler while listening to his interview on The Dragon Page podcast. They were discussing his book Infested and the ‘radical’ methods that he uses to get his work recognized, such as, releasing it as a free e-book and offering the free audio version. Soon after the podcast was finished a free copy of Infested appeared in my iTunes que. I am pretty sure the publisher did not know...more
Contagious picks up right where Infected left off, featuring most of the same characters and dealing with much the same basic issue: an alien species is attempting to create a portal from their world to ours, that they might invade. To do so, they need workers, and these workers grow from human bodies (turning the host paranoid and violent before finally killing them entirely during the 'birthing' process). The new twist introduced in the second book is that certain humans who've been infected w...more
Part 2 of the Infected horror story is Contagious. It continues the story after the military has stopped the first wormhole from opening. They have now recruited Perry Dawsey because he can 'hear' the communication between the hatchlings and something else to figure out where more of these gates are being built by these hatchlings.
In this book, I enjoyed that it gave some back story into the how to of the blue triangles and hatchlings, etc. Basically, there is a very complex satellite, of sorts...more
In this book, I enjoyed that it gave some back story into the how to of the blue triangles and hatchlings, etc. Basically, there is a very complex satellite, of sorts...more
Take the plot of the original book and amp that fucker to the tenth power. This follow-up to 'Infected' has more guns, more carnage, and lots and lots of shit blowing up. In other words, this book kicks major ass.
Sigler is a master at breathing life into his characters, and the 'bad guy' here is one of the creepiest, most well-designed, that you'll ever meet on the page or screen.
<- SPOILER ALERT ->
My only quibble with this book is that Contagious begins some time after Infected ends. In f...more
Sigler is a master at breathing life into his characters, and the 'bad guy' here is one of the creepiest, most well-designed, that you'll ever meet on the page or screen.
<- SPOILER ALERT ->
My only quibble with this book is that Contagious begins some time after Infected ends. In f...more
Apr 20, 2009Thomas Shaw rated it really liked it
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
The second book in the Infected trilogy finds Dew Phillips, grizzled CIA operative, along with Scary Perry Dawsey, survivor of the alien contagion from the first novel, working with government agents and CDC doctors in a desperate race to prevent the contagion from spreading and opening a gate for something far deadlier to emerge into our world. Written in Sigler's trademark fast and choppy prose and short chapters, this novel rockets along like a bullet train to Hell, to a blazingly shocking cl...more
![Summary Summary](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123715654/922160498.jpg)
Shelves: action-adventure, americas, favourites, virus-disease, aliens, horror, space, spy-intel-services
There's often the danger when you have a fantastic grabbing first novel in a trilogy that the follow up sequel will be unable to match the level of the first, or worse, a total let down. I am pleased to say Contagious is every bit as good as Infected, maybe even a little better.
As an immediate sequel to Infected there's not a great deal of character development which takes place as everyone has already been backgrounded in the prior instalment. The main exception to this is Perry Dawsey who cont...more
As an immediate sequel to Infected there's not a great deal of character development which takes place as everyone has already been backgrounded in the prior instalment. The main exception to this is Perry Dawsey who cont...more
May 02, 2013Jinto Menachery rated it it was amazing
This is what called as 'A Thriller', this kind of books make us want to read more than watch some squeezed out movie based on some books. Chauncey and Chelsea were really cute and I will miss them bad. Waiting for the next book in this series desperately...:)
After reading his 3 books in a row(Nocturnal, Infected and Contiguous) I wouldn't mind to call Scott Sigler today's Stephen king. His imagination is superb, books are real page turners and he always do his home works well. So I wouldn't mind...more
After reading his 3 books in a row(Nocturnal, Infected and Contiguous) I wouldn't mind to call Scott Sigler today's Stephen king. His imagination is superb, books are real page turners and he always do his home works well. So I wouldn't mind...more
Whatever skills Sigler has gained as a writer in this second volume, he undermines with casual sexism, racism, and homophobia. He introduced a character who is a woman of colour in a position of power, and at first I was pleased to see her until it became clear that she only existed for the white male protagonist to bully, discredit, humiliate, and triumph over.
Nov 20, 2014Mauoijenn ~ *Mouthy Jenn* ~ rated it really liked it Shelves: 2014-rc, we-come-in-peace, end-times-almost, fantasy-sci-fi, creepy-fun-times, dying-dead-death, back2-the-dystopia-future
I need to read the first book in this series. This was kind of hard to get into not knowing what was going on or to expect, but I really got into it. Interesting story line.
Dec 11, 2008Ben Babcock rated it liked it Shelves: from-library, 2009-read, science-fiction
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
I am listening to this series on audio. Second in the series there was some predictability but had many good fast paced exciting moments and a few surprises. There continues to be portions of pretty good scientific explanation of different processes - some people won't like that but I did. I was wondering how the author was going to get to the 3rd sequel given how the second book was developing and although I didn't expect him to go that route, I kind of feel like it was a bit weak for that link...more
Aug 04, 2018Dean Macholl rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Exellent
I gave the first book in the series five stars. So this gets 5+ It's a very good book. The infection is tweaked and causes more trouble than before. This book also has some answers to some of the questions I had from the first one, but not all. The story goes pretty much none stop with very few, if any, slow parts. I cannot wait to read the next book.
I gave the first book in the series five stars. So this gets 5+ It's a very good book. The infection is tweaked and causes more trouble than before. This book also has some answers to some of the questions I had from the first one, but not all. The story goes pretty much none stop with very few, if any, slow parts. I cannot wait to read the next book.
Oct 02, 2017David Veith rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
![Contagious Book Summary Contagious Book Summary](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123715654/943183856.jpg)
5.0 Great fun! Picks up where the last one left off and just keeps going! The 'triangles' try a new strategy, and a cute little girl turns into an evil little monster. Very fast paced, easy to read, and lots of action. Really lets you get to know some of the characters, but without over doing it. I would recommend this to anyone. Not sure where the 3rd books will go?
May 18, 2015Robb Bridson rated it did not like it · review of another edition
I liked Infected... but beneath the things I liked about it was a terrible book.
Infected held together because of the intense horror of Perry's condition, and its terrible cliches were defensible due to the B-movie, tongue in cheek feel of it all.
There was not even one likable character or any character that wasn't a depthless stereotype.. but you didn't need to like Perry in order to sympathize with him. And the actions of the parasite were interesting thanks to Sigler's skill at writing about...more
Infected held together because of the intense horror of Perry's condition, and its terrible cliches were defensible due to the B-movie, tongue in cheek feel of it all.
There was not even one likable character or any character that wasn't a depthless stereotype.. but you didn't need to like Perry in order to sympathize with him. And the actions of the parasite were interesting thanks to Sigler's skill at writing about...more
Jul 15, 2010Theresa Leone Davidson rated it liked it
Three and a half stars, actually. Reasons I enjoyed the novel are first. Yes, it was very exciting, a race against the clock kind of thing to save humanity, literally, from aliens. The novel Infected was the first, it introduced the characters that are in Contagious, and the action takes place mere weeks after Infected ended. It is about triangles that embed themselves under the skin of unsuspecting human hosts, grow, and pop out (killing the host, of course) as ugly little creatures that are in...more
Nov 11, 2016Sandy rated it really liked it Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, library, horror
They’re back and they’re more determined to set up a base in the U.S but time is running out. This series takes right off where Infected left off with Perry hearing the triangles conversing; only something is different this time. The chatter is different this time and there is one voice which is dominating the conversation. Perry doesn’t want to confront this voice and the feeling is mutual as Chelsea is told to stay away from this powerful force who is trying to track her down. This is not the...more
Oct 26, 2012Bill rated it really liked it · review of another edition
The voices are back. Don’t worry, it’s just the voices in your head…or maybe it’s the contagion. Will you obey?
Scott Sigler nails the sequel to his sci-fi/horror novel “Infected”. This time the stakes are even higher. Scott picks up where he left off in the first book and takes you on a wild action ride (again). This time his rag tag group of heroes must battle the contagion and keep it from destroying an entire city. The infection is evolving, getting smarter, getting more violent and is comple...more
Scott Sigler nails the sequel to his sci-fi/horror novel “Infected”. This time the stakes are even higher. Scott picks up where he left off in the first book and takes you on a wild action ride (again). This time his rag tag group of heroes must battle the contagion and keep it from destroying an entire city. The infection is evolving, getting smarter, getting more violent and is comple...more
The story was really pretty good but I purchased this as an audio book. I saw the author, Scott Sigler, also did the narration. I thought this was a good thing because the author would know how he wants his characters to sound and how the story should be read. Unfortunately, now I truly know why there are professional narrators. While the story was good, Scott Sigler lacks the skill to narrate his book. This really impacted how much I enjoyed the story. So in summary, while this story might be a...more
Apr 06, 2011Joe Stamber rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Fine follow up to my first SS experience, 'Infected'. The story picks up sometime after Infected, with the main character somehow kept alive and in the (sort of) employ of the government. He's used to track down the alien bad guys, and as is usual with alien bad guys, the scientists/agents around him have different agendas. Contagious has a broader scope than Infected, and is a more satisfying read because of it. Of course, it's important that Infected is read first, as this draws the background...more
Aug 08, 2011Matt rated it really liked it
This was my first foray with Scott Sigler and boy did I enjoy it. He really knows how to write a page turner.
I was a little disappointed to find out that this was a follow-up to his Infected novel (which I didn't know when I first started it). It would have been nice of the publishers to include somewhere in the book that this was the case. It could definitely be read as a standalone but I am a stickler on these things and now I feel if I go and try and read Infected, my enjoyment will be taint...more
I was a little disappointed to find out that this was a follow-up to his Infected novel (which I didn't know when I first started it). It would have been nice of the publishers to include somewhere in the book that this was the case. It could definitely be read as a standalone but I am a stickler on these things and now I feel if I go and try and read Infected, my enjoyment will be taint...more
Apr 23, 2013Nancy Johnson rated it really liked it · review of another edition
I forgot that I'd already heard this book on audio before. I enjoyed it, though I loved the first book, Infected, much much better. This one was more about the fight against the invaders than their effect on humankind. Many of the characters were enjoyable, but those tough, mean military guys get cloned too often. I don't remember what I thought about the ending, but remember liking the book as a whole.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.Be the first to start one »
Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates
See similar books…
Add a comment
See top shelves…
Get Scott's free, unabridged weekly audiobook episodes from iTunes by subscribing to his podcast.
#1 New York Times best-selling author Scott Sigler is the creator of fifteen novels, six novellas and dozens of short stories. He gives away his stories as weekly, serialized, audiobooks, with over 40 million episodes downloaded.
Scott launched his career by releasing his novels as author-read...more
Infected(3 books)
“The problem began with his telomeres. What is a telomere? Picture the little plastic bits on the end of your shoelaces. Imagine each time you tie your shoes, you have to clip off a little bit of that plastic part to get it to go through the lace holes. After you’ve done this enough times, the plastic tip is gone and the shoelace starts to unravel. Once the laces unravel enough, it’s impossible to tie your shoes, and you walk around looking like a goober.” — 0 likes
“You think I’m some inbred trailer-trash hick that watches the Springer show?” — 0 likes
More quotes…In Contagious, you will learn techniques to generate buzz, focused on businesses with few financial resources, bringing fast and extraordinary results. Mastering just six techniques can generate countless gains.
Jonah Berger‘s proposal is tempting: to understand the principles that turn content into a contagious viral, which will be shared thousands of times every second, generating brand visibility and, of course, a positive impact on sales.
By knowing and applying the six principles of Contagion: Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories, you will be accredited to leverage business and also individual ventures that have gained prominence in the current market in crisis. Want to learn the science of viral? Come with us!
“Contagious PDF Summary”
Key Lesson 1: Social Currency
The most powerful marketing is the personal recommendation. Of course, we have the desire to share our thoughts, opinions, and experiences. Did you know that 40% of what people say about their personal experiences and relationships?
Do not think that talking about personal experiences and relationships is vanity. It is more than vanity. It is pleasurable. Telling about experiences and personal relationships activates brain circuits that react to rewards, similar to the pleasure of, for example, having money in your wallet or eating a large chunk of a delicious chocolate cake.
But not all personal experiences and relationships become an agenda of the day. People speak more of some thoughts than others. We share things that make us seem more fun, smart and cool, that is, we need to offer people shareable content that triggers inner notability.
But how? Simple! To provoke internal notability, offer unusual, extraordinary content worthy of note and attention. Break the pattern that people are accustomed to waiting for. You can find internal notability in any product or idea.
Think of content that will make people appear remarkable in sharing information, after all, the desire for approval is a fundamental human motivation.
How about an example? In 2002, the Executive Vice President of Snapple’s advertising agency, Marke Rubenstein, was looking for a new way to bring entertainment to its customers.
The company already used the media in a non-conventional way, as in the case of the Snapple Lady – a Snapple employee who played a new middle-aged Yorker who responded to the company’s fan mail.
The ads had positive repercussions and were very well accepted by the consumers, who were amused by the loaded accent and the humorous tone of the announcements.
Snapple’s goal was to keep the humorous tone on something similar. During a meeting, someone suggested that the bottle cap of Snapple was an idle site and that it could be used to advertise.
A failed attempt to use the bottle cap to make jokes made Rubenstein afraid to repeat the mistake, but eventually gave a different attempt. The idea was to put in fact facts and strange scientific curiosities that people did not know and that too they did not know they’d like to know in the caps.
Fact # 36, for example, said that the sound emitted by a duck did not produce an echo. It’s the kind of thing that can seem extremely volatile and without content, but that certainly generates comments and a great repercussion.
Snapple’s curiosities are remarkable, provide social currency and, even if for a short time, generate discussion and public engagement. Are you in doubt that Instagram would be full of photos of Snapple caps if the idea were launched ten years later?
Key Lesson 2: Triggers
Marketing is also spreading the love. It’s about touching true enthusiasm for products and services and therefore talking naturally about products, brands, and organizations all the time.
Did you know that American consumers mention brands more than three billion times a day? Talking about brands is almost like breathing, but you need to provide consumers with triggers that are small environmental reminders for concepts and related ideas to lead to action.
It seems complicated, but it’s not! Think about the context in which your target audience is immersed daily. Think of some message that represents a situation that people who consume, or can consume, live routinely.
Ready! You’ve linked your brand or product to a day-to-day stimulus from your consumer. Whenever he takes that action, he will remember his brand or product. Attention: do not connect your brand or product to a stimulus already associated with a lot.
The color red became irrelevant when associated with several different things, like romance, fast cars, and Coca-Cola.
Be original. Triggers lead people not only to speak but to choose and use.
Another example? Walt Disney World. The mere sound of these three words awakens the most varied emotions in anyone who hears it. It is a magical world for children, an adventure for the young, a return to adulthood for children and a business class for entrepreneurs.
So much so that The Disney Way of Enchanting Customers is a world-famous book in business and the company itself is a benchmark in customer service and user experience.
However, when comparing Disney with Honey Nut Cheerios – a breakfast cereal very common in the United States that appeals to various audiences – the entertainment company loses points in the word-of-mouth. Daily consumption of cereal triggers are much more frequent than the holiday destination triggers.
Key Lesson 3: Emotions
When we care, we share! Build your content filled with excitement. Traditional marketing works with information. Information, purely, does not motivate people to share. Emotions, yes! They connect and strengthen relationships.
In your content, select high excitement emotions that make people act. Positive Emotions: Always animate and inspire by showing that people can make a difference. Negative emotions make people haunted or angry.
Haunting people is not so difficult. The word haunting may seem negative when it comes to a person, but it is much simpler than it looks. We can use as an example the winner of Britain’s Got Talent, Susan Boyle.
Old-fashioned clothes, looking as if they were 20 years older than their real age and the timid way of walking, caused a pejorative sensation in the audience of one who was witnessing a person completely displaced in an environment that did not belong to him.
When asked about her dreams, Susan stammered and replied that she wanted to be a professional singer. The lack of similarity of her with the most famous singers of the time caused an even greater astonishment in the audience, which came to see the competitor as a joke.
She also chose a particularly difficult song. I dreamed the dream is part of the classic musical Miserables, which makes it well known and recognized complex.
But Susan’s voice made the entire audience silent for three whole minutes, in which she performed flawlessly the beautiful track that rocked the musical. The audience’s unbridled crying and excitement contributed to the shame of the contestant exalting herself further, making her leave the stage the moment she finished singing.
That proves that she also felt out of place for not being equal to the other participants, but the fact that she got a standing ovation from the audience and jurors proves that haunting is an important part of sharing and haunting people is something positive when done right.
Contagious
Forget the sadness. It leads to passivity, with 16% less possibility of sharing compared to pleasant emotions.
Forget the sadness. It leads to passivity, with 16% less possibility of sharing compared to pleasant emotions.
Key Lesson 4: Public
“Monkey sees, the monkey does”. Often people imitate those around them. By observing others doing some things, people become more prone to do too. Why does it happen? Our tendency to imitation reduces our uncertainties. We assume that if others are doing it, it must be a good idea.
That is one of the principles of viralization and the new creation of trends. Going back a bit to the past, we can use the Hotmail case of success. In a universe where your e-mail box should be accessed through the platform of a provider tied to a single computer, an e-mail service that could be accessed on any machine was a tremendous revolution.
Basing the service on a browser was a huge breakthrough for digital communication and a freedom for the user. It is no wonder that the day chosen for the launch of the service was the Independence Day of the United States, certainly the largest possible representation of freedom for an advertisement of the time.
Therefore, the social currency soon gained space among users. Those who used Hotmail liked to talk about the service, as this gave them social status and a certain differentiation among others. Being free is also a factor of extreme relevance, as the Practical Value has gained space in the midst of so many benefits offered to users.
In contrast, emails sent through Hotmail accounts carried a message in the footer that said: “Get your private email for free at www.hotmail.com.” That generated Social Validation and made users feel good about sending an email containing the message.
Just over a year ago, 8.5 million subscribers and several million dollars more in market value, Microsoft acquired Hotmail for $400 million. The strategy is similar to the one adopted by Apple when offering as the default email signature the message “Sent from my iPhone.”
The Social Coin is of extreme value and causes several users to opt to keep the default signature instead of customizing it with a signature of their own. Ideas that advertise themselves are excellent triggers and, when well executed, can yield absurd values.
Key Lesson 5: Practical Value
Practical Content is content with relevant information that can help others. We share these contents to be useful to others, after all, the direct opportunities to help people are rare nowadays. Practical Content is an easy and quick way to help, which makes us feel good.
Viral videos are proof that Practical Value is an important part of gaining viewers and word of mouth. An excellent example is Ken Craig, an 86-year-old man who turned over a video about peeling corn.
The efficient manner in which you thrashed the spike without the hair of the corn clinging to it made Ken have more than 5 million views in his video, which was shared solely and exclusively for a Practical Value. People like to pass on information that they find useful and practical.
The small everyday life hacks are of extreme practical value and very shared by those who want to help others.
Other information with great practical value is the offer. By sharing offers, we are helping each other to save money. Emphasize the incredible value of the offers, taking into account scarcity and exclusivity, that is, make the offer appear valuable and have limited time to obtain.
One more trick to make the offer seem irresistible is to apply the Rule of 100: High-value products tend to be better accepted in bids if it is done in percentage and relative values.
In low-value products, the absolute structuring of the discount gives more visibility to the offer, and this tends to have a greater acceptance.
Key Lesson 6: Stories
Entertain, engage and transmit messages. These are the main characteristics of Stories. They have a beginning, a middle and an end, and if the story slaps the person still in the beginning, he will want to know everything else.
The original form of entertainment remains as part of our culture, even with so many other ways to have fun in the 21st Century, as well as being a quick and easy way to get a lot of knowledge in a lively and engaging way.
How about building a narrative that will be transported from one person to another, talking about a product or idea? There are great examples of ideas and stories passed down for generations without losing the main concept.
The Subway sandwich network, for example, has seven options with less than six grams of fat in its menu. But the information has no context if it is transmitted without a background. So you need to build a trojan horse for your information, something that gets people looking for that reference during a conversation.
An interesting way to do it is to build a narrative, a true storytelling that carries together an idea or a product. Controversial Benetton campaigns or brand-driven viral infections are excellent examples.
Like this summary? We’d Like to invite you to download our free 12 min app, for more amazing summaries and audiobooks.
“Contagious Quotes”
People don't think in terms of information. They think in terms of narratives. But while people focus on the story itself, information comes along for the ride. Click To TweetMaking things more observable makes them easier to imitate, which makes them more likely to become popular. Click To TweetWhy does it matter if particular thoughts or ideas are top of mind? Because accessible thoughts and ideas lead to action. Click To TweetContagious content is like that—so inherently viral that it spreads regardless of who is doing the talking. Click To TweetEven in cases where most people are doing the right thing, talking about the minority who are doing the wrong thing can encourage people to give in to temptation. Click To TweetFinal Notes:
You have met the six principles of Contagion: Social Coin, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories. They can lead to surprising results. So let’s recall these principles quickly?
- Social Currency: what we say influences how others see us. The messages we deliver are crafted to deliver the desired impressions.
- Triggers: they are stimuli that incite people to think of related objects, products or brands.
- Emotion: contagious content that transmits and provokes sensations.
- Public: people observe and imitate attitudes.
- Practical Value: People like to help others. Why not showcase products or ideas that will save time, improve health, or save people money?
- Stories: Engage your idea, product or brand in a narrative.
Learn more and more, in the speed that the world demands.