Rory Sutherland: completely legal marketing hacks that always work

21 insights saved from this video by @psychology

@psychology· Behavioral Science
Real-world outcomes are fat-tailed, not normally distributed: a few events or factors can dominate results.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
Removing The Economist’s paper-only decoy weakened paper-plus-digital subscriptions. Keeping it increased them roughly 200–300%.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
A swimming pool can make wearing a bathing suit outdoors feel socially acceptable, even when nobody swims.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
A dishwasher’s deeper value may be hiding dirty dishes from view, not washing crockery.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
Richard Thaler’s boardroom bet offered a 50% chance of raising profits 50% and a 20% chance of cutting them 30%. Six of eight division heads rejected it.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
An antiseptic’s sting can reassure people by becoming evidence that the treatment is working.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
American Express’s cost-free “member since” designation generated billions in value by reducing cancellations.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
Watt and Boulton sold steam engines to mine owners in horsepower, not engineering specifications: the number of horses replaced.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
In 1775, Watt and Boulton supplied steam engines upfront and charged for a share of the coal savings.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
McDonald's makes waiting feel better by showing visible progress, turning delay into intermittent rewards that sustain effort.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
Uber’s growth came primarily from better psychology and reduced uncertainty, not reliably lower prices.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
American Express increased retention by putting “member since” on cards, making continuity feel valuable and switching feel costly.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
Direct-response testing found that media choice could change performance fourfold, while creative execution could change it twofold.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
A high-quality flat white or nothing can increase throughput and preserve quality when customers value speed over endless customization.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
Car-rental companies obsess over price and driving, while customers suffer most during airport pickup before reaching the car.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
Eccentric products can reveal larger markets by attracting customers who are not choosing among mainstream alternatives.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
Recurring irritation is innovation material: reverse the convention everyone dislikes and design the opposite experience.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
Consumers happily accept sacrifices when they choose an explicit trade-off, but resent cost reductions imposed without consent.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
Reducing user anxiety can be cheaper and more effective than improving the technical specification causing it.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
Economic logic predicts consumer behavior poorly. Lowering a price does not reliably increase demand.
@psychology· Behavioral Science
A technical advantage becomes commercially useful only when translated into the customer’s language and economic calculation.

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