Create a Sticky Message: The Six Principles to Make Your Ideas Unforgettable

Think of two announcements: one simply lists a meeting’s goal, 'improving community engagement,' while the other proclaims, 'In just three months, our quietest student doubled her confidence using a single quirky exercise—and you can learn it in ten minutes.' Which do you remember? Research into sticky ideas shows that certain ingredients work over and over. For example, President Kennedy’s simple challenge ‘put a man on the moon in a decade’ inspired a nation—not because it was complicated, but because it was clear, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, and woven into a narrative everyone could follow.

Too often, passionate people sabotage themselves by using jargon or losing their core message in a fog of details. They assume listeners will 'get it' if only given enough time, statistics, or fancy slides. But the brain prefers simple statements anchored in believable stories and real examples. Surprise and emotion hook attention; a memorable story locks in meaning and motivates action.

Cognitive science and communication studies agree: we’re wired to respond to stories, simple metaphors, and evidence that connects to our daily lives. The six SUCCES principles—Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Story—are shortcuts for making any idea stick, whether leading a team, teaching a class, or launching a movement.

Next time you’ve got something important to communicate, stop and whittle your idea down to a single clear sentence before you do anything else. Add one surprising fact or story detail up front to spark curiosity, and swap your generalities for a concrete, relatable example. Draw in a supporting fact, an expert quote, or your own honest experience, and finally, wrap it all into a short story that moves people emotionally. Try shaping your next pitch, email, or group announcement this way—and notice how many more people remember and act on what you said.