Contagious Summary: Jonah Berger's STEPPS for Sellers in 2027
Contagious: Why Things Catch On is a book by Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger, published by Simon & Schuster in 2013 (Open Library). Its argument is that word of mouth is not luck and not about cats: six principles, which Berger calls STEPPS, explain why people talk about and share products and ideas (Knowledge at Wharton).
The six are Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value and Stories. Berger says anyone can build them into a product or message, and that the book applies to B2B services and ideas inside organizations as well as consumer products (Jonah Berger).
This is a short summary in our own words, not a chapter-by-chapter retelling. The book is not a sales method, so the "for sellers" notes below are our own paraphrase of how each principle could apply to selling, not claims from Berger. If you want a sales-specific book, see our Challenger Sale summary.
The six STEPPS principles
STEPPS is Berger's acronym, and the short definitions below follow his own description in a Knowledge at Wharton interview. Each one covers a different reason people pass something on.
- Social Currency. People talk about things that make them look good rather than bad.
- Triggers. Things that are top of mind are things we talk about, and cues in the environment bring them to mind.
- Emotion. When we care, we share; physiological arousal makes us more likely to pass something on.
- Public. When we can see other people doing something, we are more likely to imitate it.
- Practical Value. News you can use: we share information to help others.
- Stories. We often share things wrapped up in stories or narratives.
Social Currency
Berger's point is that people share what makes them look good. Remarkable things get talked about, but he stresses that it is only one of several drivers of sharing.
For sellers (our paraphrase): Give your champion something that makes them look smart in front of their own boss, such as a benchmark, a sharp insight or an early look at a result. A champion who can repeat your point internally is selling for you.
Triggers
Berger's example is peanut butter reminding you of jelly: a cue in the environment brings a related thing to mind and makes people talk about it. He says companies rarely ask what in the environment will remind customers of their product.
For sellers (our paraphrase): Tie your message to something that recurs in the buyer's working week, such as a quarterly review, a budget cycle or a tool they open every day, so your name comes back to mind without you being in the room.
Emotion
Berger's summary is that when we care, we share, and that the more we are physiologically aroused, the more likely we are to pass something on. He also says that a product that is not naturally emotional is not a reason to give up.
For sellers (our paraphrase): Lead a story or case example with the feeling behind the result (relief, pride, a near miss) rather than only the metric. Buyers pass on what made them feel something.
Public
Berger says that when we can see other people doing something, we are more likely to imitate it, which is why a full restaurant draws more people in.
For sellers (our paraphrase): Make adoption visible: named customer logos, user groups, a shared dashboard or a visible badge. A prospect who can see peers using your product has less to prove to their own committee.
Practical Value
Berger calls this news you can use: people share information to help others and make them better off.
For sellers (our paraphrase): Package what you know into something a buyer can forward as-is, such as a one-page checklist, a short teardown or a template. Useful content gets forwarded to the people in the deal you cannot reach.
Stories
Berger says people often share things wrapped up in stories. His Blendtec example is a blender company whose marketing hire filmed the CEO putting items into a blender; Berger says the Will it blend series has over 150 million views and was made on a $50 budget, with the brand carried inside the story rather than stamped on it (Knowledge at Wharton).
For sellers (our paraphrase): Give the buyer a story they can retell in their own words, such as a customer's before-and-after, with the brand inside it rather than on top. Berger says people do not want to share things that look like ads.
Key takeaways for sales leaders
- Think about what gets repeated, not just what gets said. A deal often moves when your champion retells your message to people you never meet. Design the message to be retellable.
- You do not need a big budget. Berger's own example is the Blendtec videos, made on a $50 budget according to his Wharton interview.
- Build content that does not look like an ad. Berger's Trojan horse idea is an exciting exterior with the benefit hidden inside.
- Check each asset against the six principles. Berger's site offers a STEPPS framework and a Crafting Contagious workbook as free resources (Jonah Berger resources).
- Aim to raise odds, not to guarantee a hit. Berger says he cannot guarantee a billion views, only a better chance that people talk about and share your ideas.
Criticisms and limits
The book is widely praised, including in press quotes collected on Berger's site, which come from outlets such as the Financial Times, Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. We did not find a published critical review we could cite, so the limits below are our own assessment.
- Built for spreading content, not closing deals. Word of mouth among consumers is a different problem from a B2B buying committee, so sellers have to translate the ideas themselves.
- Luck still plays a part. Berger says so himself: there is some luck, and a snowball effect on the web.
- Examples are memorable but not proof. Case stories such as Blendtec illustrate a principle; they do not show it will work for your product.
- Dated examples. The book came out in 2013, so its web and social examples predate current platforms.
Questions people ask
Who wrote Contagious and when was it published?
Jonah Berger, a marketing professor at the Wharton School, wrote it. Simon & Schuster published it in 2013 (Open Library, Wikipedia).
What does STEPPS stand for?
Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value and Stories (Knowledge at Wharton).
Is Contagious a sales book?
Not primarily. Berger says the principles apply to consumer products, B2B services and ideas inside organizations (Jonah Berger), but how to apply them in a sales process is our own interpretation.
Can the book guarantee something goes viral?
No. Berger says he cannot guarantee a billion views, but that the principles raise the likelihood people talk about and share your ideas (Knowledge at Wharton).
Is there a free STEPPS framework?
Berger's resources page lists a STEPPS framework, a Crafting Contagious workbook and a discussion guide; access asks for an email address (Jonah Berger resources).
Sources
- Jonah Berger: Contagious · Author's book page, the six-principles description and press quotes
- Jonah Berger: Resources · STEPPS framework, workbook and discussion guide
- Knowledge at Wharton: Jonah Berger on Why Things Catch On · Berger's own definition of each STEPPS principle, Blendtec and the limits of guarantees
- Open Library: Contagious · Edition record and cover
- Wikipedia: Jonah Berger · Author background and publication details
This summary is an independent explainer written in our own words and does not reproduce the book. Facts were read from the linked pages on October 29, 2026. Berger's figures are as he stated them in the Wharton interview and were not checked against other sources. The selling advice is our own paraphrase. Read the book for the full detail.
Top photo: Book cover via Open Library