Have you ever wondered why you can remember a catchy jingle from a decades-old advertisement but forget the key points of a presentation you heard last week? Why do some concepts, from ancient proverbs to modern marketing slogans, embed themselves in our collective consciousness, while others, potentially more important, vanish without a trace? At Inspirationfeed, we explore the intersection of human behaviour and effective communication, and the phenomenon of “stickiness” is central to this. The question of why ideas stick is not just about luck or charisma; it’s a measurable science rooted in psychology, neurology, and strategic communication. This article will dissect the core principles that transform fleeting thoughts into enduring memes of the mind.

The Core Framework: The SUCCESS Model of Sticky Ideas

Brothers Chip and Dan Heath, in their landmark book Made to Stick, distilled decades of research into six key principles that make ideas sticky. They form the acronym SUCCESS: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Stories. Let’s break down each component.

1. Simplicity: The Power of the Core

Sticky ideas are profoundly simple. This doesn’t mean they are dumbed down, but rather prioritized and distilled to their most critical essence. The goal is to find the core message—the single most important thing you need to communicate.

• Pro Tip: Use the “Commander’s Intent” approach. Instead of a complex, multi-step plan, a military commander states the single, most important goal (e.g., “Take the bridge to cut off enemy supply lines”). This allows for adaptation while preserving the core objective.

• Example: Apple’s “Think Different.” This simple, two-word phrase encapsulated an entire brand philosophy of innovation, creativity, and challenging the status quo.

2. Unexpectedness: Breaking the Pattern

Our brains are wired to ignore the predictable and pay attention to surprises. Sticky ideas break our guessing machines by creating a gap in our knowledge—a curiosity gap that we feel compelled to close.

• How to apply it: Identify the counterintuitive aspect of your message. Start with common sense, then challenge it.

• Example: A classic journalism headline that reads, “Man Bites Dog,” is inherently stickier than “Dog Bites Man” because it violates our schema of how the world works.

3. Concreteness: Making Ideas Tangible

Abstract language is the enemy of understanding and memory. Sticky ideas are explained in terms of human actions, sensory information, and real-world objects. Concreteness ensures that everyone imagines roughly the same thing.

• Why it works: The brain finds it easier to process and store concrete information. Think of the difference between the abstract goal of “maximizing shareholder value” versus the concrete instruction to “make every customer leave smiling.”

• Example: “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” is a concrete, memorable way to express the abstract concept of risk aversion.

4. Credibility: Ideas We Can Believe

An idea must be credible to stick. While external authorities and statistics can help (e.g., “4 out of 5 dentists recommend…”), there are more powerful, internal ways to build credibility.

• The “Human Scale” Principle: Statistics are hard to grasp. Instead, use a relatable, testable example. The “Subway Jared” campaign was incredibly credible because it presented a tangible, human story, not just weight-loss statistics.

• The “Testable Credential”: Allow people to test the idea for themselves. Wendy’s old slogan, “Where’s the beef?” invited a direct, personal comparison with competitors.

5. Emotional: Making Us Care

People are motivated by emotion, not just information. To make an idea stick, you must make people feel something. We care about ideas that connect to things we already care about: ourselves, our identity, our loved ones.

• Focus on Benefit, Not Feature: Don’t sell the drill bit (feature); sell the hole (benefit). Don’t sell a 0.1% interest rate; sell peace of mind or a dream holiday.

• Appeal to Identity: Tapping into a person’s sense of self (“Be a Marvel hero,” “Think like an innovator”) is a powerful emotional driver.

6. Stories: The Ultimate Vehicle

Stories are the oldest and most natural form of human communication. They act as mental flight simulators, preparing us to respond more quickly and effectively to real-life situations. Stories provide context, emotion, and a memorable structure all in one package.

• The Three Basic Plots: The Heath brothers highlight challenge plots (underdog), connection plots (bridging gaps), and creativity plots (a breakthrough). Each inspires differently.

• Example: The story of David and Goliath is a timeless, sticky idea about overcoming overwhelming odds through cleverness and courage.

Beyond SUCCESS: Additional Psychological Drivers

While the SUCCESS model is foundational, other powerful psychological forces contribute to an idea’s stickiness.

• The Mere-Exposure Effect: We tend to develop a preference for things simply because we are familiar with them. Repetition, when done creatively, breeds stickiness.

• The Power of Association: Linking a new idea to an existing, well-understood mental model (a “conceptual hook”) makes it easier to grasp. This is often called the “Velcro Theory of Memory.”

• Visual Imagery: Ideas that easily generate a mental image are stickier. This is why metaphors and analogies are so powerful.

Sticky vs. Non-Sticky Ideas: A Comparative Table

Applying Stickiness: From Theory to Practice

Understanding why ideas stick is useless unless you can apply them. Here is a practical checklist for crafting your own sticky ideas:

1. Find the Core: If you said only one thing, what would it be? Prioritize ruthlessly.

2. Audit for Curiosity: Where is the surprise? What counterintuitive truth can you lead with?

3. Translate to Concrete: Replace every abstraction with a real-world image, action, or object.

4. Bolster Credibility Internally: Can you provide a “testable credential” or an anti-authority story?

5. Connect to Emotion: Ask: “What does this help my audience achieve or feel? How does it relate to their identity?”

6. Wrap in a Story: Can you present this as a challenge, connection, or creativity plot?

Real-World Application:
Consider Southwest Airlines’ core sticky idea: “THE low-fare airline.” This simple, concrete core guided every decision—no assigned seating (saves time), no meals (saves cost), only 737s (saves on maintenance training). It was unexpected in an industry chasing luxury, emotionally appealing to budget-conscious travellers, and credible because they consistently delivered on it. Their entire operation told the story of efficiency and value.

The Role of Memory and Context

An idea’s environment is crucial. An idea might be perfectly crafted, but fail because:

• It’s presented at the wrong time (cognitive overload).

• There’s no mechanism for its spread (lacking a “talkable” hook).

• It conflicts with a deeply held cultural narrative.

The stickiness of an idea is not just about its internal attributes (the SUCCESS principles) but also about its external trajectory, how it is shared, by whom, and within which social network. This is often called social currency; sharing the idea must make the sharer look good.

Conclusion: Mastering the Art and Science of Stickiness

The fate of an idea—whether it sparks a movement, sells a product, or changes a habit—is not left to chance. By deconstructing why ideas stick, we uncover a reliable playbook. It requires the discipline to simplify, the creativity to surprise, the empathy to make it concrete and emotional, and the wisdom to wrap it all in a credible story. At its heart, making ideas sticky is an act of service. It’s about respecting your audience’s time and cognitive architecture to ensure that your most important insights don’t fade away but take root, grow, and inspire action. The principles explored here provide a timeless framework for anyone, from leaders to teachers to marketers, seeking to make their messages last.

1. A seminal study on narrative and memory from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a .gov resource: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4445577/

2. A .edu resource from the University of California, Berkeley on the Psychology of Persuasion: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_ways_to_make_your_ideas_stick

3. An industry perspective on the “Velcro Theory” from the American Psychological Association: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/08/memory-recollection