About the course

Ever wondered why some things become popular, and other don't? Why some products become hits while others flop? Why some ideas take off while others languish? What are the key ideas behind viral marketing? This course explains how things catch on and helps you apply these ideas to be more effective at marketing your ideas, brands, or products. You'll learn how to make ideas stick, how to increase your influence, how to generate more word of mouth, and how to use the power of social networks to spread information and influence. Drawing on principles from his best-selling book, "Contagious: Why Things Catch On," Professor Jonah Berger illustrates successful strategies for you to use buzz to create virality so that your campaigns become more shareable on social media and elsewhere. By the end of this course, you'll have a better understanding of how to craft contagious content, build stickier messages, and get any product, idea, or behavior to catch on.

Schedule

The course is Self-paced and it is scheduled for over 4 weeks. 

Estimated learning effort

7 hours per week. You are required to pass all graded assignments to complete the course.

Syllabus 

Week 1: What Makes Ideas Sticky?

Week 2: How Social Influence Shapes Behavior

Week 3: The Power of Word of Mouth

Week 4: Social Networks

Instructors & Authors

Created by:  University of Pennsylvania