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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1) Consider and discuss the most recent email forward you received. It
might  have  been  a  news  article,  video,  or  story.  What  aspects  of  the
STEPPS framework did it adhere to? Do the same analysis for the last
viral video you watched, hot restaurant you tried, hit movie you saw,
etc. Which concepts in the framework apply?
2)  Which  examples  that  Berger  mentioned  (e.g.,  Blendtec,  Dove’s
Evolution,  white  iPhone  earbuds)  had  you  been  aware  of  before  the
book? Trace how these cultural touchstones came to you.
3)  Discuss  and  analyze  something  you  do  using  the  lens  of  game
mechanics.  What  makes  that  game,  club,  website,  community,  or
activity so engaging? Consider each of the STEPPS. What keeps you
hooked?  Also,  why  do  we  value  achievement  so  much?  Where  is  an
area you’ve noticed yourself being motivated by it?
4)  Can  mundane  things  (like  a  blender)  really  diffuse  through  public
consciousness  as  quickly  as  remarkable  things  can?  Does
sensationalism or novelty (inherent remarkability) carry an advantage,
even when STEPPS are considered?

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5) What is an example where you’ve noticed yourself being motivated
by  scarcity?  New  high  tech  devices  (new  phones,  gadgets,  etc.)  are
frequently  scarce  when  they  are  released.  Does  possession  of  these
products carry social currency? Does their frequent release (a veritable
flooding of the market) make them less scarce?
6) Would you brave the phone lines to enter Please Don't Tell? What
about its seclusion appeals to you? Is there also something that turns
you off to the fight for a seat?
7) Compare an instance of ongoing and immediate word of mouth. Is
one more powerful than the other?
8) Without thinking too hard, what is currently top of mind for you?
Can  you  identify  triggers  is  your  own  life  that  bring  things  to  mind?
For  example,  whenever  I  see  or  hear  __________  I  think  about
____________.
9) Like the Mars Bar and Rebecca Black's Friday, discuss products or
campaigns  that  have  "natural"  triggers.  Does  having  a  pre-existing
"habitat" increase likelihood of sharing? Of purchase?
10)  Discuss  high-arousal  versus  low-arousal  emotions.  What  are  some
examples of each that you’ve noticed in your own lives? Is it strange that
"contentment" (which so many people strive for in every day life) elicits
little arousal? Have you ever shared something sad?
11)  Privacy  is  a  paramount  concern  in  today's  information-driven  digital
era.  How  does  this  fit  with  the  idea  of  making  the  private  public?
(Consider Movember, Hotmail, and the Facebook generation.). When do
we want our choices and opinions to be public versus private? Where are
the lines drawn between open and closed information?
12)  Watch  Tim  Piper/Dove’s  Evolution  video.  Discuss  the  idea  of  Trojan
Horses and how emotion is coded into the narrative of ideas.
13)  Which  aspect  of  STEPPS  do  you  think  is  most  affective?  Compare
Berger’s  various  examples  of  Social  Currency,  Triggers,  Emotions,
Public, Practical Value, and Stories. Is one of these characteristics most
important for driving sharing? Is there a specific combination that makes
one thing more appealing than another?