The

Surprise

Factor

The

Surprise

Factor

The

Surprise

Factor

Surprises can be both positive and negative. Compare ”I got a surprise in birthday present” to ”the closure came as a surprise.” Delivering a surprise is often very useful if you want to communicate a message.

Surprise has, in many cases, a close connection to courage. To be able to surprise, one must dare. Dare to do things that have never been done. Dare to challenge structures and preconceived notions – and dare to risk both prestige and perhaps even your reputation.

In principle, all successful communication is based on a surprise factor. It’s the same as a good story that needs an unexpected turn, or a-ha, to engage. You meet the unexpected, which forces the viewer to lower the guard and ponder: ”What am I seeing? How do they mean? How is it related?”.

At the same time, it is a balancing act between being surprised and simultaneously being relevant. If it is only an effect where the receiver does not understand the connection, then it is a surprise for its own sake. The value of the company, or brand, is then marginal or perhaps even non-existent.

Have you ever surprised your colleagues? What happened?