Stories that spread

Stories that spread, need one or more of the 6 elements:

Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value or Stories.

Social Currency : What we talk about influences how others see us, so we always want to share stories that make us look smart not dumb, rich not poor and cool than geeky. We need to give people ways to make themselves look good.

Social currency leverages game mechanics to give people ways to achieve symbols of status that they can proudly show others.

• Frequent Flyer Club : First created in 1972 by Western Direct Marketing for United Airlines, these programs rewarded customers with gifts. Later, Airlines gave customers special fares based on point accumulated by flying.

• Platinum Credit Card : Initialized by American Express, higher spending habit gave customers upgrades like higher credit limit and better hotel rooms.

• Michelin Star restaurants : Conceptualized by brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin ( Founders of Michelin Tyre) to give travelers a better dining experience.

• Fantasy Football : Designed to increase viewers for Football, it became a widely played game within family and friends, engaging them for months on the same topic.

Please share examples you can think of use of game mechanics by companies as I continue this review in next post.

Next post will cover "Finding Inner Remarkability"

Referenced some content from the book "Contagious" b Jonah Berger, Wikipedia and Michelin Star website.