How to Create Viral Products: Insights from Jonah Berger’s "Contagious"

In today’s fast-paced digital world, creating a viral product is the holy grail for marketers, entrepreneurs, and businesses alike. But what makes a product, idea, or message go viral? According to Jonah Berger’s Contagious: How to Build Word of Mouth in the Digital Age, there’s a science behind virality—one that can be understood and leveraged by anyone looking to make an impact.

Berger, a professor of marketing at the Wharton School, has spent years studying why certain things catch on and others don’t. In Contagious, he reveals six key principles that make things more likely to be shared, discussed, and ultimately become viral. By understanding and applying these principles, you can create products, campaigns, or ideas that spread like wildfire.

Let’s break down the principles and how you can use them to create a viral product.

1. Social Currency: Make People Feel Like They’re in the Know

People share things that make them look good or feel important. Social currency is the idea that sharing something makes the person sharing it seem more knowledgeable, interesting, or part of an exclusive group. When designing a product, think about how it will make people feel. Does it offer insider knowledge? Does it help them feel special or connected to a unique community?

How to apply this:

• Create exclusivity: Offer limited-time promotions or special access that people can share with others.
• Design for status: Create a product that’s intriguing, unique, or rare enough that owning or using it gives people status.
• Leverage “insider” content: Provide information, features, or insights that only a select group knows about.

Example: Think of Apple’s product launches. The sense of exclusivity and belonging to an “elite” group of tech-savvy consumers makes people want to share their excitement about the new product.

2. Triggers: Link Your Product to a Common Cue

A trigger is something that prompts people to think about your product. These triggers are external cues in our environment that prompt thoughts, which can then lead to behavior. The more frequently people encounter a trigger related to your product, the more likely they are to talk about it.

How to apply this:

• Identify natural triggers: Choose a trigger related to your product that people encounter regularly. For instance, if you sell a popular snack, you might link your product to a common activity, like watching movies or hanging out with friends.
• Create memorable associations: Think about everyday events or experiences that will remind people of your product and encourage them to talk about it.
• Use sensory cues: These could be sounds, smells, or visuals related to your product that stick in people’s minds.

Example: Kit Kat’s famous tagline, "Have a break, have a Kit Kat," ties the product to the idea of taking a break, creating a natural trigger whenever people think about or take a break.

3. Emotion: Make People Feel Something

Emotion plays a central role in driving people to share. The more emotionally charged an experience, the more likely it is to be shared. According to Berger, people are more likely to share things that make them feel either high-arousal positive (excitement, awe) or high-arousal negative (anger, anxiety).

How to apply this:

• Create a strong emotional connection: Focus on products or campaigns that evoke strong emotions—whether it’s humor, joy, or even outrage.
• Inspire action: Products or messages that stir emotions lead to social sharing and action. Ask yourself, "What will people feel when they interact with my product?"
• Tap into universal feelings: Appeal to shared human experiences and values to create content that resonates on a deeper level.

Example: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge became viral because it invoked strong emotions—fun, excitement, empathy for a good cause, and even a sense of urgency.

4. Public: Make It Visible

The more visible your product is, the more likely people are to talk about it. People are influenced by what others are doing or using, especially when they can see it in public spaces. A product that’s easy to spot and recognize is more likely to spread.

How to apply this:

• Design for visibility: Think about how your product can be made visible in the real world or online. Are there ways to get people to show off the product in public or post about it on social media?
• Encourage public consumption: Whether it's through social media challenges or creating shareable moments, make it easy for people to display their connection to your product.

Example: The I ❤ NY t-shirts are a perfect example of a product that became public through simple design and widespread visibility. People wearing them became walking billboards for New York City.

5. Practical Value: Offer Something Useful

People love to share things that are practical, helpful, or valuable. If your product solves a problem or makes life easier, people will naturally want to share it with others who may benefit.

How to apply this:

• Solve a problem: Identify a common pain point in your target audience’s life and offer a simple solution.
• Share helpful tips: Provide practical advice or content that people can easily pass along to others.
• Offer discounts or deals: People love to share good deals. Providing practical value through discounts or freebies is a great way to encourage word-of-mouth sharing.

Example: The "Life Hacks" trend took off because it offered practical value—tips and tricks that made everyday life easier, often shared by people looking to be helpful.

6. Stories: Tell a Memorable Narrative

People don’t just share facts; they share stories. The best viral content often tells a compelling story that is easy to remember, repeat, and pass on. A great story gives people something to talk about and share with others, often connecting the product to the narrative.

How to apply this:

• Craft a compelling narrative: Build a story around your product that people will want to share. It should be memorable, relatable, and evoke an emotional response.
• Create a hero journey: Position your product or idea as a key part of a larger narrative, making it part of something bigger that people want to talk about.
• Incorporate storytelling into marketing: Use storytelling in ads, social media, or content marketing to bring your product to life.

Example: Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign works because it ties the brand to powerful personal stories of perseverance, achievement, and overcoming challenges—stories that people are eager to share.

Conclusion: Crafting Your Own Viral Product

In the end, virality isn’t about luck—it’s about applying principles that have been shown to drive sharing behavior. By using the six principles from Contagious—social currency, triggers, emotion, public visibility, practical value, and storytelling—you can create products that are more likely to spread naturally.

To summarize the steps:

1. Design your product for social sharing.
2. Connect it to triggers that remind people to think about it.
3. Make it emotionally engaging.
4. Ensure it’s visible and easy to share.
5. Offer practical value that people can pass along to others.
6. Tell a compelling story that people want to share.

By integrating these principles into your product design and marketing strategy, you can set the stage for viral success. So, the next time you’re trying to create something that catches on, remember: it’s not just about the product—it’s about how it makes people feel, what it triggers, and the story it tells.