I am kicking off the 2026 podcast with a new series where I’m exploring what it really takes to communicate well in 2026. Attention, Algorithms & Formats is a three-episode series and your guide to crafting messages that cut through the noise, land with clarity, and actually get seen.
These three episodes will shape your thinking in the first quarter of the year ahead. Why? Because 2025 was a year defined by AI-shaped attention, personalised content ecosystems, fragile trust, and audiences who decide in seconds whether something is worth their time.
And I strongly believe that communication isn’t just a skill, it’s a competitive advantage. The ability to craft messages that cut through noise, land with clarity, and actually stick is becoming essential for leaders, teams, brands, and creators alike.
And while the tools and channels around us have evolved at lightning speed, the foundation of powerful communication hasn’t changed. Storytelling is a craft as old as time, at the core of how humans have always connected, and great communication and skilled messaging sit at the heart of what I do today.
I’m starting the series with a book review: Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath.
It’s one of the most practical, timeless books on communication I’ve ever read, and its insights have only become more relevant as the world around us grows noisier and more algorithmically filtered.
In this book review, I’m breaking it down the way I always do:
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Why I loved this book
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What makes it so interesting
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Five key takeaways you can use today
So, let’s dive in.
Full Transcript (unedited)
Why I Loved This Book
I loved this book because it gives structure to something we all sense intuitively:
some messages stick and others disappear instantly — and it’s not random.
For anyone working in communication, leadership, strategy, influence, or education, this is vital. We’re no longer just competing against other people. We’re competing against:
- AI-personalised feeds
- Algorithmic filters
- Infinite content
- Distracted audiences
- Declining trust
Memorable ideas are designed. They’re intentional. And Made to Stick gives you the blueprint.
It offers a practical, deceptively simple framework that strengthens any message — from a leadership announcement to a keynote, a marketing campaign, a podcast episode, or a pitch.In our current landscape, that’s gold.
What Makes It So Interesting
The Heath brothers take the huge question of “Why do some ideas survive?” and turn it into a usable, actionable framework — the SUCCESs model:
- Simple
- Unexpected
- Concrete
- Credible
- Emotional
- Stories
What fascinates me most is how future-proof this framework is.
Even though the book was written before TikTok, before sophisticated algorithms, and long before generative AI, the principles map perfectly to the world we’re communicating in today:
- Simplicity helps AI interpret and route your message
- Surprise wins attention in algorithm-driven feeds
- Concreteness gets picked up by AI summarisation
- Credibility matters more in a deepfake era
- Emotion fuels engagement
- Stories outperform everything
It almost feels as though the Heath brothers wrote the foundational playbook for communicating in 2026 — long before we knew we’d need it.
The SUCCESS Framework (Expanded)
What each element really means — and why it matters for modern communicators.
1. Simple — Strip your idea down to its core message
Simplicity is about clarity. It’s identifying the single most important thing your audience needs to understand — and putting that front and centre.
2026 relevance: If your message isn’t simple, the algorithm — or the audience — won’t stick around to figure it out.
2. Unexpected — Break patterns to capture attention
The unexpected interrupts autopilot. It sparks curiosity. It makes people stop scrolling.
2026 relevance: Attention is a 3-second audition. Surprise buys you more time.
3. Concrete — Make your ideas tangible
Concrete ideas activate the senses. People remember what they can see, feel, or imagine.
2026 relevance: AI and humans both struggle with abstractions. Concreteness survives summarisation and amplification.
4. Credible — Make it believable and trustworthy
Credibility comes from detail, proof, specificity, and grounded examples — not from shouting louder.
2026 relevance: In an era of deepfakes and misinformation, credibility isn’t optional.
5. Emotional — Make people care before you make them think
Emotion drives behaviour. If people care, they’ll remember. If they don’t, nothing else matters.
2026 relevance: Algorithms reward emotional engagement. Humans always have.
6. Stories — Wrap your idea in something people will retell
Stories are the oldest communication technology we have — and the most resilient.
2026 relevance: Stories travel further, last longer, and cut through better than any other format.
The Example I Can’t Forget: “The Kidney Heist”
To show the framework in action, the Heath brothers highlight the urban legend known as The Kidney Heist — a story that has travelled globally for decades:
A traveler meets someone at a bar, goes back to their room, has a drink… and wakes up in a bathtub full of ice with a note that reads:
“Call 911. Your kidney has been harvested.”
Not true. But incredibly memorable.
And that’s the point.
This story succeeds because it hits every element of the SUCCESs model:
- Simple: one plot
- Unexpected: shocking twist
- Concrete: vivid sensory detail
- Credible: specific enough to feel true
- Emotional: fear and vulnerability
- Story-driven: perfectly retellable
If a myth can spread without marketing, imagine what your intentionally crafted message could do.
Five Key Takeaways You Can Use Today
1. Simplicity is the foundation of all memorable messages.
Strip your idea to its essence.
2. Use surprise to earn attention.
Nothing cuts through noise like the unexpected.
3. Make your ideas concrete.
Real, sensory detail turns messages into memories.
4. Emotion creates connection and drives action.
People decide emotionally and justify intellectually.
5. Stories are your strongest communication tool.
They make information human — and therefore unforgettable.
Final Thoughts
Made to Stick is one of the most valuable communication books I’ve ever read because it blends timeless storytelling principles with practical tools that fit perfectly into the communication challenges of 2026.
If you care about communicating with clarity, resonance, and real impact — this book isn’t optional.
It’s foundational.
And as we continue through this series, this framework will become the backbone of everything we explore next.