@Amazonebook Contagious Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
New York Times, Ad Age, and a host of other media outlets. Soon seven out
of the top ten searches for “Motrin” and “headache” on Google referred to
the marketing debacle.
Finally, after too long a delay, Motrin took the advertisement down from
its website and issued a lengthy apology.
————— Technology has made it easier for people to organize behind a common
interest or goal. By allowing people to connect quickly and easily, social
media enable like-minded individuals to find one another, share
information, and coordinate plans of action.
These technologies are particularly useful when people either live far
apart or are dealing with an issue that has delicate political or social
meaning. Many people point to social media as the catalyst behind the Arab
Spring, the wave of antigovernment protests that broke out across the Arab
world, eventually toppling the governments of Tunisia and Egypt, among
others.
Some of these burgeoning social movements are positive. Enabling
citizens to rise up against dictatorships or helping teens facing harassment
to realize that life gets better.
But in other cases the comments and movements are negative in nature.
False rumors may start to gain traction. Vicious gossip may circulate and
build. Is it possible to predict which flare-ups will remain isolated
comments and which will snowball?
