Brand Community Ideas that Stick - Why Some Brand Community Ideas Die and Others Don't

Having enjoyed Chip & Dan Heath's book Made to Stick and its prescription for simplicity and effectiveness -  I subtly changed their acronym of important principles and tailored them specifically for building a web community, an exercise that goes beyond mere communication,  by extending out their SUCCESS acronym:

•  Simple — find the core of the community and present it's essence

• Unexpected — grab people's attention by surprising them and exceeding their expectations

• Concrete — make sure a community cause/mission can be grasped easily and remembered later

• Credibility — give a community believability  and reason for its existence

• Collaborative – get people involved in the community

• Emotion — help people see the importance of an community (visual)

• Escape – get people immersed in the community in depth, frequency and intimacy

• Evolving – ensure the community changes and adapts based on member's involvement

• Stories — inspire people to use a community through a great narrative/manifesto and ensure its relevant

• Social – get people talking and connecting with each other