All Great Ideas Have Six Traits

Some ideas live and some ideas die. Why?

Chip and Dan Heath in their book, Made to Stick: Why some Ideas Survive and Other Die, identified six traits of an idea that sticks, or catches on with an audience or customer segment.*  They used the acronym “SUCCES” to cover the concepts:

1) Simple: eliminate everything unessential.  Get to the core point.

2) Unexpected: surprise people and get their attention.

3) Concrete: create the idea to be memorable and easy.

4) Credibility: make the idea believable.

5) Emotion: make sure the audience sees how important the idea is.

6) Stories: use narrative and metaphor to tell the story.

So a “sticky” ideas just does not happen.  It takes time, thought, and includes a purpose and a simple plan.  And, just like the first attribute of a great idea, it’s simple.  Keep it simple marketer, and for that matter, what ever industry you’re in.

Any ideas?

*Chip Heath and Dan Heath, Made to Stick: Why some Ideas Survive and Others Die (NewYour: Random House, 2007).