Contagious: Why Things Catch On book club questions

1. 1.

   Which of the STEPPS principles do you see most underused by companies in an industry you know well? What would it look like if they applied it deliberately?

2. 2.

   Berger argues that triggers — environmental cues — are more powerful drivers of word of mouth than traditional advertising. What triggers does a product you love have, and how did they develop?

3. 3.

   Can a boring or functional product be engineered for word of mouth? What would it take to make a payroll software or industrial supply company contagious?

4. 4.

   High-arousal emotions drive sharing more than low-arousal ones. Does that mean negative emotions are sometimes useful in marketing? Where's the line?

5. 5.

   Berger distinguishes between sharing that is driven by the message and sharing that is driven by the messenger. Which matters more, and how does a brand influence the latter?

6. 6.

   The book was published in 2013, before TikTok and before the current creator economy. Which of the STEPPS principles are more powerful now, and which are less relevant?

7. 7.

   What's the difference between something that is engineered to go viral and something that earns organic word of mouth? Does the distinction matter to consumers?

8. 8.

   Think of something you shared recently — an article, a product recommendation, a story. Which of the six principles explains why you shared it?

9. 9.

   Berger says embedding your message in a story makes it more shareable and memorable. What are the constraints on that approach when the message is complex or technical?

10. 10.

    Social Currency relies on exclusivity and inside knowledge. Is that strategy inherently self-limiting, or can it scale?

11. 11.

    What's a product or idea you've seen that had strong word of mouth but failed commercially anyway? What does that tell you about the limits of contagiousness?

How to run the discussion

• Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
• Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
• Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
• Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.