Marketing Leaders Book Club - Made to Stick

treasure-data-horizontal-logo

We're bringing you the best insights written in the world of marketing today, thanks to our sponsors at Treasure Data.

“It will join The Tipping Point and Built to Last as a must-read for business people," says Guy Kawasaki, on why the book Made to Stick is vital for anyone in the industry. 

made to stick

Since its release in 2007, Made to Stick has maintained its popularity, with a wide range of people, from managers to marketers, teachers to ministers, to entrepreneurs. Basically, it's For anyone with good ideas who wants to capture an audience," according to Time magazine.

We're bringing you the best insights written in the world of marketing today, thanks to our sponsors at Treasure Data! Stay tuned for more! 📖📚

Why Made to Stick is Vital for Any Modern Marketer

This book continues the idea of "stickiness" popularised by Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point. This refers to what makes an idea or concept memorable or interesting to people. From urban legends to business stories, to inspirational tales, each chapter reveals demonstrations of the principle's application. 

The book's outline follows the acronym "SUCCES". Each letter refers to a characteristic that can help make an idea "sticky":

  • Simple – find the core of any idea or thoughts
  • Unexpected – grab people's attention by surprising them
  • Concrete – make sure an idea can be grasped and remembered later
  • Credible – give an idea believability and credibility
  • Emotional – help people see the importance of an idea
  • Stories – empower people to use an idea through narrative

About the Authors

Authors Chip and Dan are brothers, who have co-authored four books together. Chip Heath is a professor of organisational behaviour at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. Dan Heath, a former researcher at Harvard, is a consultant and developer of innovative textbooks. They also write a regular feature for Fast Company magazine.

Top Takeaways

So, the book delves deep into why some ideas thrive, while others die. Understanding this is important; with this information, marketers can improve the chances of worthy ideas. 

Using case studies, the reader can put the principle into practice. We get to see examples from the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who drank a glass of bacteria to prove a point about stomach ulcers to the charities that make use of the Mother Teresa Effect, to the elementary-school teacher’s simulation that actually prevented prejudice.

In her review in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Judith Samuelson observed that "The Heath brothers have taught me that if anyone is going to 'get' my idea – need it, buy it, fund it, use it – I need to radically shorten my elevator pitch.

So, what are the main lessons? Well:

Lesson 1: A sticky idea will always make us listen up because it’s unexpected.

Lesson 2: You can use curiosity gaps to keep your listener’s attention, once you have it.

Lesson 3: The best way to get your ideas to stick is to tell great stories.

Link to purchase page

Purchase Made to Stick on Amazon or Audible

Other Books You May Be Interested In

Stay tuned for more! 📖📚