Summary of Jonah Berger's The Catalyst

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 In the late 1990s, smoking was the biggest public health crisis facing the nation. Cigarettes were the largest cause of preventable deaths and disease, killing tens of millions of people worldwide.

#2 In early 2018, Procter Gamble had a small PR problem. People were eating their Tide Pods, which were a new detergent compacted into tablet form. The company tweeted a warning not to do it, and celebrity football player Rob Gronk Gronkowski helped spread the word.

#3 The Tide Pod Challenge is an example of how warnings can backfire. When people are told not to do something, they are more likely to do it, rather than less.

#4 People have a need for freedom and autonomy. To feel that their lives and actions are within their personal control. They are loath to give up agency, even when it makes them worse off.

© 2022 IRB Media (Ebook): 9781669395966

Release date

Ebook: 27 April 2022