Summary
Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath explores why some ideas are memorable and others fade away. Drawing on research in psychology, communication, and education, the authors introduce the SUCCESs framework—a set of six traits that “sticky” ideas share. Whether you’re a teacher, marketer, nonprofit leader, or entrepreneur, the book offers tools to make your messages more impactful, persuasive, and enduring.
Why Ideas Stick
The authors begin with a question: Why do some ideas survive while others die? Urban legends, memorable slogans, and impactful public health campaigns often outlast complex reports or expert advice. Sticky ideas have something in common—they are designed for human brains. The Heath brothers argue that anyone can make ideas stickier by following six principles, abbreviated as SUCCESs.
The SUCCESs Framework
1. Simplicity
Sticky ideas are simple—not simplistic, but essential. They strip an idea down to its core. The challenge is finding the core of the message and expressing it in a compact way.
- Example: The Golden Rule (“Do unto others…”) is a simple yet profound ethical directive.
- Technique: Use “commander’s intent”—what’s the single most important thing to communicate?
Simplicity means prioritizing and finding the deep truth that unifies all other elements.
2. Unexpectedness
To capture attention, ideas must break a pattern. Our brains are tuned to notice what’s different, surprising, or out of place.
- Example: A public service ad that begins like a car commercial but ends with a crash.
- Technique: Create curiosity gaps. Pose a question the audience doesn’t know they care about yet.
First, get attention with the unexpected. Then, hold attention with curiosity.
3. Concreteness
Concrete ideas are easier to understand and remember. Abstract language may appeal to logic, but tangible examples stick in our minds.
- Example: “A man on the moon by the end of the decade” (concrete) vs. “maximize space exploration potential” (abstract).
- Technique: Use sensory language, examples, and analogies.
Concrete language anchors ideas in real life, making them relatable and memorable.
4. Credibility
People believe ideas when they’re backed by authority, data, or self-evidence.
- Example: The anti-smoking ad that shows black goo poured out of a lung into jars—visual proof, not stats.
- Technique: Use statistics sparingly, favor human-scale examples, or leverage internal credibility (“try it yourself”).
Trust builds stickiness. The more an idea feels authentic and verifiable, the more it spreads.
5. Emotional
Sticky ideas make people care. They tap into feelings, identities, and values.
- Example: “Save the children” works better than “reduce poverty.”
- Technique: Appeal to self-interest, but also to the power of association and empathy.
Emotions are the glue of memory and motivation. To get action, make people feel.
6. Stories
Stories provide context, simulate experience, and motivate through narrative. People remember stories more than facts because stories show how, not just what.
- Example: Jared from Subway lost 245 pounds eating sandwiches—a human story became a national campaign.
- Technique: Use challenge plots (overcoming obstacles), connection plots (relationships), and creativity plots (innovative thinking).
Stories are idea carriers. They encode meaning, make abstract ideas real, and inspire action.
Applying SUCCESs: Case Studies
The book is full of real-world applications:
- Business: Southwest Airlines uses the core message “We are THE low-fare airline” to guide decisions from strategy to snacks.
- Education: A teacher makes the chemistry of memory sticky by saying, “Neurons that fire together, wire together.”
- Nonprofit: A health campaign shifts focus from “prevent obesity” to “don’t drink your calories,” improving recall and behavior change.
Each example reinforces the power of combining the SUCCESs principles for greater impact.
Combating the Curse of Knowledge
One key obstacle to sticky ideas is the Curse of Knowledge: once you know something, it’s hard to imagine what it’s like not to know it.
Experts tend to explain things in abstract or technical terms, losing their audience. The authors emphasize empathy and audience-centric thinking—use the listener’s frame of reference, not your own.
Techniques to overcome this include:
- Analogies and metaphors
- Concreteness checks
- Asking “What does my audience actually need to know?”
Breaking down complexity into digestible parts is a learned skill.
Using SUCCESs Together
While each principle is powerful alone, they are most effective when used in combination:
- Simplicity + Unexpected = Sticky Hook
- Concreteness + Credibility = Believability
- Emotion + Story = Inspiration
For example, a sticky health message might start with a surprising fact (unexpected), show a clear visual (concrete), feature a real person’s story (emotional + story), and end with a call to action (simple + credible).
Building Stickiness in Your Work
The book provides tools for various roles:
- Leaders can craft memorable vision statements and align teams.
- Marketers can shape brand messages and campaigns that resonate.
- Teachers can build lessons that students remember.
- Public speakers can structure talks that move and inspire.
The SUCCESs model is not just for content creators—it’s for anyone who needs to communicate clearly and persuasively.
Criticisms and Limitations
The Heath brothers acknowledge that:
- Stickiness is not the same as accuracy (urban legends stick too).
- Not every communication needs to be sticky—sometimes efficiency matters more.
- There’s a risk of manipulation—emotional appeal can be used unethically.
But their core argument holds: if you want your ideas to make an impact, they must be designed to stick.
Why This Book Matters
Made to Stick is one of the most actionable communication books available. It translates cognitive science into usable frameworks for better messaging. It’s especially relevant in an age of information overload, where attention is fleeting and clarity is rare.
For professionals across fields—business, education, public policy, media—it offers a durable method for improving how you inform, persuade, and inspire.
TL;DR
Made to Stick teaches that sticky ideas are Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Story-driven. Using the SUCCESs framework helps you craft messages that people understand, remember, and act on.
