What Makes a Hit, A Hit?
Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction by Derek Thompson (2017) Book Review
Instead of a traditional book review, I will share a handful of things I learned from this book. I went in unsure of what to expect, but the more I read, the more enraptured I became with the concepts the author presented. I studied marketing in college. So, a book like this that is willing to share how a hit becomes a hit is right up my alley.
Hit Makers aimed to answer two key questions:
- What is the secret to making products that people like–in music, movies, television, books, games, apps, and more across the vast landscape of culture?
- Why do some products fail in these marketplaces while similar ideas catch on and become massive hits?
The key answer to these questions is familiarity, but a little to the left.
People want and will accept something new, but not too new. Familiar, but not the same.
Familiar Surprises
Neophilic and neophobic concepts exemplify this. Thompson states, “Most consumers are simultaneously neophilic–curious to discover new things–and deeply neophobic–afraid of anything that’s too new. The best hit makers are gifted at…
