Ideas that "Stick"
Mandy Marney
Director,
Community
Development
Do we have ideas that “stick” with our audiences? This question is addressed in the book entitled Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. The book discusses how the “Curse of Knowledge” can blind us to what our audience doesn’t know and offers ways to create sticky ideas that will captivate our audiences.
1) Create a sense of mystery. Don’t unveil ideas all at once. We want audiences at our programs and those who watch our media clips questioning, “What will happen next?” and “How is this going to end?”
2) Inject a dose of the unexpected into your presentation, news story, video, or tip of the week. Ask yourself, “What is our audience expecting to hear?” and “What would our audience find surprising or counterintuitive about this topic?” Make sure you challenge your assumptions to keep content fresh for everyone!
3) Personal stories help you connect to others. A personal story is like a flight simulator for the human mind. If you want others to connect to your topic, bring them along with you to help them recognize the importance of your topic.
Let’s make our ideas “stick” Wildcat Team!