SHOOT FROM THE HIP

What makes something catch on, or “go viral”? I’m not talking H1N1 here. I’m talking ideas and products. It’s a question every marketer and brand wants answered, definitively. Each time a video on YouTube becomes the latest craze or a fashion trend becomes ubiquitous, a new theory pops up. There are some common criteria that can be identified, of course. Pete Cashmore, from Mashable, does a great job of outlining a few, in relation to YouTube, for his recent story at CNN.com. But the truth is, there are many cute, funny or emotional videos, and many products with cute, fun or emotional brand stories attached, which affect barely a ripple on consumers’ consciousness.

So what makes something talkable?

Photo by McAzadi/BUSY via Flickr

We share things that make us pause. We share things that stop us in our shoes. We remember things that make our brains jump off the track of mundane, routine and expected. For anyone who recalls what records are, it’s like when the needle skips in the middle of a song we’ve heard a million times.

Photo by NationYell via Flickr

We sit up. We take notice. We talk.

So when was the last time you had a needle skipping moment? What did you talk about?