Knowing how to create word of mouth and get our message to spread, is something that is important to all of us in Singapore (and anywhere else in the world for that matter).
In his book, Contagious: Why Things Catch On, Wharton professor Jonah Berger provides some insights into generating word of moght.
Jonah aims to answers questions such as:
- Why do we talk about some things and not others? What creates word of mouth?
- We all share on the internet. Why do some things get shared, while others do not?
- Why do we pay for some products and services but not others?
One example in the book is of a new high-end steak house in Philadelphia. It entered a very competitive market, in which most restaurants close due to tough competition. Yet the restaurant was successful and managed to create a lot of buzz. One way it did this was by introducing a $100 cheese steak.
This move was a hit because it had many elements of Jonah’s word of mouth framework - STEPPS:
- Social Currency: People talk about things which make them look cool/good and elevates their status as an insider/person-in-the-know.
- Triggers: Fill in the blanks - Peanut butter and _________. Rum and _________. Here Peanut and Rum are triggers for jelly and Coke (i.e. reminders that make us think about related things). If something is top of mind, it’s also going to be tip of tongue.
- Emotion: When we care, we share. The more we care about something and the more we’re feeling physiologically aroused, the more likely we are to talk about it.
- Public: People often respond to social influence and tend to imitate others. So it makes good sense to make an idea/message easy for people to see.
- Practical Value: People like to help others and are more likely to pass on something that has high practical value.
- Stories: Everyone likes to tell and hear a good story.
Whether as an individual or as a firm in Singapore, spreading your message and creating word of mouth is valuable. Listen to this interview with Professor Berger for insights on how to do this and for more detail on the steakhouse example.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 44:42 — 43.7MB)
Amit Puri - Managing Consultant, Sandbox Advisors
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