Nudge

What determines who you vote for?  You probably think it's due to rational reasons. Economy. Sustainability. Immigration. Growth.  But research shows that your choice of vote isn’t as logical as you might expect.  In fact, all of our votes can be swayed by a largely irrelevant factor.  And this factor can be used to change what we eat, wear, drink and buy.  Hear how, on today’s episode of Nudge with Phil Graves. ---  Phil’s book: https://shorturl.at/kzAta Phil’s consultancy: https://www.philipgraves.net/consultancy/ Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/  Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources: Cialdini, R. B., Reno, R. R., & Kallgren, C. A. (1990). A focus theory of normative conduct: Recycling the concept of norms to reduce littering in public places. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58(6), 1015–1026. Davis, C. J., Bowers, J. S., & Memon, A. (2011). Social influence in televised election debates: A potential distortion of democracy. PLoS ONE, 6(3), e18154. Latané, B., & Darley, J. M. (1968). Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 10(3), 215–221. Martin, S. J. (2024). Influence at work: Capture attention, connect with others, convince people to act. The Economist Books (Pegasus Books). Tanner, R. J., Ferraro, R., Chartrand, T. L., Bettman, J. R., & Van Bagren, R. (2008). Of chameleons and consumption: The impact of mimicry on choice and preferences. Journal of Consumer Research, April. Trott, D. (2023). Crossover creativity: Real-life stories about where creativity comes from. Harriman House.

Have businesses become less accountable? If something goes wrong with your flight, train, or takeaway, you’ll probably struggle to get a helpful response from someone. Today’s guest on Nudge, economist Dan Davies, says this is by design. He calls them Unaccountability Machines, and they’re taking over. He explains that they’ve caused the world’s largest defamation settlement against Fox News, almost destroyed Boeing, and even massacred 400 Chinese squirrels. ---  Dan’s book: https://profilebooks.com/work/the-unaccountability-machine/  Dan’s Nudgestock talk: https://youtu.be/W-2He-YzjRg?si=Gqk30nCPLDxxEh52 Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/  Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ ---  Today’s sources:  BBC News. (1999, April 15). Dutch airline in squirrel shredding row. BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/320810.stm Davies, D. (2024). The Unaccountability Machine: Why big systems make terrible decisions—and how the world lost its mind. Profile Books.

I joined The Hustle Daily Show to chat about NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's and how his campaign cracked the code of modern political psychology by embracing vulnerability, leading with policy over aesthetics, and masterfully triggering psychological reactance against establishment dismissal. I chatted with The Hustle Daily Show's Jon Weigell about attention economy, authenticity and psychological factors that made the Mamdani campaign win out. Plus: Superman soars at the box office and Snoop Dogg cashes in on soccer.Follow The Hustle on social media:TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thehustle.co⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thehustledaily/⁠If you want the Hustle delivered to your inbox, join millions of others and sign up for The Hustle Daily newsletter, here: ⁠https://thehustle.co/email/⁠  --- Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/  Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/

A few weeks back I debunked five studies on priming. But did I get it wrong?  Today’s guest on Nudge thinks I missed something.  Tune in to hear consumer behaviour expert Philip Graves explain his view on priming.  --- Phil’s book: https://shorturl.at/kzAta Phil’s consultancy: https://www.philipgraves.net/consultancy/ Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/  Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources:  Li, W., Moallem, I., Paller, K.A. & Gottfried, J.A. (2007) Subliminal smells can guide social preferences, Psychological Science, 18(12): 1044-9. Plassmann, H., O' Doherty, J., Shiv, B., & Rangel, A. (2008) Marketing actions can modulate neural representations of experienced pleasantness, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(3). Spence, C., & Wang, Q. (2017). Assessing the impact of closure type on wine ratings and mood. Beverages, 3(4), 52. University of Georgia. (2008). Simple recipe for ad success: Just add art. ScienceDaily. Wansink, B., & van Ittersum, K. (2007, August 6). Bad wine can ruin a good meal [Press release]. Cornell University. Yoon, S.-O. & Simonson, I. (2008) Choice set configuration as a determinant of preference attribution and strength, Journal of Consumer Research, 35(2): 324.

In 1985, Coca-Cola changed its flavour. You probably know that this was a complete failure. ‘New Coke’ was discontinued after just 79 days. But you probably don’t know the true reason why New Coke failed. Many claim it was due to poor market research, but today’s guest on Nudge, leading consumer behaviour expert Philip Graves, disagrees. Philip says New Coke failed not because the research was poor, but because market research is inherently flawed. Want to understand the biggest marketing blunder of the century? Listen to today’s Nudge. ---  Phil’s book: https://shorturl.at/kzAta Phil’s consultancy: https://www.philipgraves.net/consultancy/ Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/  Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources: Dutton, D. G., & Aron, A. P. (1974). Some evidence for heightened sexual attraction under conditions of high anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30(4), 510–517. Graves, P. (2010). Consumer.ology: The market research myth, the truth about consumers and the psychology of shopping. Nicholas Brealey. Hasel, L.E. & Kassin, S.M. (2009). On the presumption of evidentiary independence: Can confessions corrupt eyewitness identifications? Psychological Science, 20(1), 122. McClure, S. M., Li, J., Tomlin, D., Cypert, K. S., Montague, L. M., & Montague, P. R. (2004). Neural correlates of behavioral preference for culturally familiar drinks. Neuron, 44(2), 379–387. Nisbett, R. E., & Wilson, T. D. (1977). Telling more than we can know: Verbal reports on mental processes. Psychological Review, 84(3), 231–259.

Paul Zak can predict what customers buy without speaking to them.  He’s even able to boost charitable donations by spraying a donor with hormones. Find out how in today’s episode of Nudge.  ---  Read Paul’s book Immersion: https://shorturl.at/YcYxu  Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/  Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources:  Nisbett, R. E., & Wilson, T. D. (1977). Telling more than we can know: Verbal reports on mental processes. Psychological Review, 84(3), 231–259. Rogers, R. W., & Mewborn, C. R. (1976). Fear appeals and attitude change: Effects of a threat’s noxiousness, probability of occurrence, and the efficacy of coping responses. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34(1), 54–61. Zak, P. J. (2022). Immersion: The science of the extraordinary and the source of happiness. Lioncrest Publishing.

97% of independent films fail. Boiling Point did not. Today, I chat with executive producer Paul Mellor to learn how this movie applied psychological principles to outperform its peers and compete against blockbusters like James Bond.  --- Join the Nudge Vaults waiting list: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Paul’s 13.5 ways to grow an underdog: https://www.mellorandsmith.com/13-ways-to-grow-your-underdog-brand Paul’s agency: https://www.mellorandsmith.com/ Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/  Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Binet, L., & Carter, S. (2018). How Not to Plan: 66 ways to screw it up. APG/Matador. Cialdini, R. B. (2016). Pre‑suasion: A revolutionary way to influence and persuade. Simon & Schuster. Ryan, J. D., & Cohen, N. J. (2004). The nature of change detection and online representations of scenes. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 30(5), 988–1015. Trott, D. (2019). Creative Blindness (and How to Cure It): Real‑life stories of remarkable creative vision. Harriman House. van den Broek, E., & den Heijer, T. (2024). The Housefly Effect: How nudge psychology steers your everyday behaviour. Bedford Square Publishers.

How would you encourage sustainable behaviour?  You might assume logical messages work best.  Stuff like “the average three-hour flight creates ~250–400 kg of CO₂”.  But today’s guest on Nudge has tested logical messages.  And they don’t work.  Today on Nudge, Toby Park from the Behavioural Insights Team explains how renaming a meat-free dish doubled its sales. Why targeting home-movers made Americans 400% more likely to cycle. How social norms can increase sales by 20%. And the reframing led the majority of Brits to choose energy-efficient fridges.  ---  Watch the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/27720ca0ad Connect with Toby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toby-park-67773279/  Read Toby’s Net Zero Report: https://shorturl.at/Wy8RP How to Build a Net Zero Society: https://shorturl.at/0PcRk Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/  Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/  --- Sources:  Das, G., Spence, M. T., & Agarwal, J. (2021). Social selling cues: The dynamics of posting numbers viewed and bought on customers' purchase intentions. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 38(4), 994–1016. Kirkman, E. (2019). Free riding or discounted riding? How the framing of a bike share offer impacts redemption. Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, 2(2), 1–10. Park, T., Whincup, E., Parker, F., & Bhura, A. (2024). Net Zero communications, marketing and public engagement: Why we need it, and what we can learn from past case studies [Report]. Behavioural Insights Team. Shotton, R. (2018). The Choice Factory: 25 behavioural biases that influence what we buy. Harriman House. Sparkman, G., & Walton, G. M. (2017). Dynamic norms promote sustainable behavior, even if it is counternormative. Psychological Science, 28(11), 1663–1674. Turnwald, B. P., Boles, D. Z., & Crum, A. J. (2017). Association Between Indulgent Descriptions and Vegetable Consumption: Twisted Carrots and Dynamite Beets. JAMA Internal Medicine, 177(8), 1216–1218. Vennard, D., Park, T., & Attwood, S. (2019). Encouraging Sustainable Food Consumption By Using More-Appetizing Language.

Super Mario Bros is 40 years old. It’s an incredibly simple game (it takes up the same memory as a smartphone wallpaper), yet it’s incredibly popular. Over 40 million people have played it. Why? Because it’s packed with psychological tips that hook players in and keep them playing. Today, Ramli John explains the subtle behavioural science tricks Super Mario games use to keep us playing. ---  Ramli’s book EUREKA: https://www.delightpath.com/book/eureka Ramli’s website: https://www.delightpath.com/ Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ Visit the new website: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/ ---  Sources:  Alter, A. L. (2023). Anatomy of a breakthrough: How to get unstuck when it matters most. Simon & Schuster. Allen, E. J., Dechow, P. M., Pope, D. G., & Wu, G. (2017). Reference-dependent preferences: Evidence from marathon runners. Management Science, 63(6), 1657–1672. Fishbach, A. (2022). Get It Done: Surprising lessons from the science of motivation. Little, Brown Spark. Graves, P. (2010). Consumer.ology: The truth about consumers and the psychology of shopping. Nicholas Brealey Publishing. Kivetz, R., Urminsky, O., & Zheng, Y. (2006). The goal‑gradient hypothesis resurrected: Purchase acceleration, illusionary goal progress, and customer retention. Journal of Marketing Research, 43(1), 39–58. Music by Koji Kondo, © 1985 Nintendo

Can one text message save 100s of girls from cervical cancer? Today on Nudge, Niall Daly and Dr Giulia Tagliaferri discuss their county-wide study involving 55,000 girls. Their experiment had some eye-opening results, so I decided to copy it. I ran my own study on my listeners to see if I could increase my sales. Did it work? Listen to find out.  My study emails: https://ibb.co/HTdMDHxT  My study results: https://ibb.co/PGRp2d1y  Niall and Guilia’s paper: https://shorturl.at/3nlyH Behavioural Insights Team: https://www.bi.team/ Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/  Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/  The Science of Marketing Course (use code RESERVED4ME to get 50% off): https://science-of-marketing.teachable.com/ ---  Sources:  Daly, N., Merriam, S., & Tagliaferri, G. (2023). Effectiveness of SMS reminders to increase demand for HPV immunisation: A randomised controlled trial in Georgia (Working Paper No. 004). Insights Publico. Milkman, K. L., Patel, M. S., Gandhi, L., Graci, H. N., Gromet, D. M., Ho, H., Kay, J. S., Lee, T. W., Akinola, M., Beshears, J., Bogard, J. E., Buttenheim, A. M., Chabris, C. F., Chapman, G. B., Duckworth, A. L., Goldstein, N. J., Goren, A., Halpern, S. D., John, L. K., ... & Van den Bulte, C. (2021). A megastudy of text-based nudges encouraging patients to get vaccinated at an upcoming doctor’s appointment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(20), e2101165118. Patall, E. A., Cooper, H., & Wynn, S. R. (2010). The effectiveness and relative importance of choice in the classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(4), 896–915. Streicher, M. C., & Estes, Z. (2016). Multisensory interaction in product choice: Grasping a product affects choice of other seen products. Journal of Consumer Psychology. Advance online publication.

It’s a psychological principle that helped end South African apartheid.  It reversed the Pope’s declining popularity.  It reduced university students’ binge drinking by 30%.  And can predict romantic breakups with 60% accuracy.  Today, bestselling author Will Storr reveals the surprisingly effective way to persuade (almost) anyone. ---  Access the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/0d88279296 Read Will’s book: https://shorturl.at/yUGRC Visit Will’s website: https://www.thescienceofstorytelling.com/ Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ ---  Sources: Aune, R. K., & Basil, M. D. (1994). A relational obligations approach to the foot-in-the-mouth effect. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 24(6), 546–556. Berger, J. (2013). Contagious: Why things catch on. Simon & Schuster. Bruch, E. E., & Newman, M. E. J. (2019). Aspirational pursuit of mates in online dating markets. Science Advances, 5(8). Haslam, S. A., Reicher, S. D., & Platow, M. J. (2020). The new psychology of leadership: Identity, influence, and power (2nd ed.). Routledge. Sharot, T. (2017). The influential mind: What the brain reveals about our power to change others. Little, Brown. Suedfeld, P., Bochner, S., & Matas, C. (1971). Petitioner’s attire and petition signing by peace demonstrators: A field experiment on reference group similarity. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 1(3), 278–283. Tanner, R. J., Ferraro, R., Chartrand, T. L., Bettman, J. R., & Van Baaren, R. (2008). Of chameleons and consumption: The impact of mimicry on choice and preferences. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(6), 754–766. https://doi.org/10.1086/522322

I interviewed 60 Brits to debunk one of psychology’s greatest myths. Priming is one of the best-known biases in behavioural science. Kahneman mentions it 35 times in his best-selling book Thinking Fast and Slow. And yet, I’m not convinced it really works. In five separate experiments, I tested it. Does priming work, or is it a myth?  The studies:  Authenticity study: https://ibb.co/5W14DM2N Creativity study: https://ibb.co/FbxxNMDf Guilty study: https://ibb.co/XrTLXrY4 Anchoring + priming study: https://ibb.co/99LLw7G9 Reading time study: https://ibb.co/LDYc18yF ---  Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ Learn more about Voxpopme: https://www.voxpopme.com/ ---  Sources:  Bargh, J. A., Chen, M., & Burrows, L. (1996). Automaticity of social behavior: Direct effects of trait construct and stereotype activation on action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71(2), 230–244. Chernev, A. (2011). Semantic anchoring in sequential evaluations of vices and virtues. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(5), 761–774. Doyen, S., Klein, O., Pichon, C. L., & Cleeremans, A. (2012). Behavioral priming: It's all in the mind, but whose mind? PLoS ONE, 7(1), e29081. Fitzsimons, G. J., Chartrand, T. L., & Fitzsimons, G. M. (2008). Automatic effects of brand exposure on motivated behavior: How Apple makes you “think different”. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(1), 21–35. Goldsmith, K., Cho, E., & Dhar, R. (2012). Priming creativity: The effects of subliminal priming on creative problem solving. In Z. Gürhan-Canli, C. Otnes, & R. Zhu (Eds.), Advances in Consumer Research (Vol. 40, pp. 472–473). Association for Consumer Research. Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Kahneman, D. (2012, September 26). A letter to the priming research community [Open email].

Most marketers will remember Apple’s 1984 ad.  Many consider it the “greatest ad of all time”.  But you probably don’t know that just 12 months earlier, Apple released a similar ad that failed.  Why?  Today on Nudge, bestselling author and storytelling expert Will Storr explains why.  ---  Access the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/0d88279296 Read Will’s book: https://shorturl.at/yUGRC Visit Will’s website: https://www.thescienceofstorytelling.com/ Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ ---  Sources: Bransford, J. D., & Johnson, M. K. (1972). Contextual prerequisites for understanding: Some investigations of comprehension and recall. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11(6), 717–726. Flock Associates – Recife Sport club: Immortal Fans. Integrated Campaign by Ogilvy Brazil. https://youtu.be/E99ijQScSB8?si=TS3poMArJIqb-FtE Muth, C., Pepperell, R., & Carbon, C.-C. (2013). Give me Gestalt! Preference for cubist artworks revealing high detectability of objects. Leonardo, 46(5), 488–489. Walker, R., & Glenn, J. (2009). Significant Objects. Retrieved from https://significantobjects.com/ Wiessner, P. W. (2014). Embers of society: Firelight talk among the Ju/’hoansi Bushmen. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 111(39), 14027–14035. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1404212111

Instagram wasn’t always a runaway success. The first version of the app flopped.  However, the Instagram founders were taught a behavioural science model that transformed their work.  Today on Nudge, Bas Wouters, an expert behavioural science practitioner, explains Instagram's changes and how you can follow their model to improve your online marketing. You’ll learn:  How a simple question can increase reviews by 400%  Why “The World’s Deepest Trash Can” decreased littering by 81% How I increased email open rate by 4.5% (using Bas’s advice)  And how Airbnb, Beer52, and Instagram use psychology to persuade you ---  Sign up to Online Influence Academy: https://shorturl.at/vNYOU Bas’s book Online Influence: https://www.onlineinfluence.com/book-online-influence/ Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ My email a/b test results: https://ibb.co/TBjBxTNr ---  Sources:  Fogg BJ (2019). Tiny habits: the small changes that change everything. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Wouters, B., & Groen, J. (2020). Online influence: Boost your results with proven behavioral science. Zeigarnik BW (1927). Das Behalten erledigter und unerledigter Handlungen. Psychologische Forschung, 9:1-85.

I gave this marketing expert one hour to create an unforgettable ad.  I showed his ad to 30 Brits and measured exactly how memorable it was.  Does his marketing advice work?  Or is it a waste of time?  Listen to find out.  ---  Learn more about Voxpopme: https://www.voxpopme.com/ Kopi Luwak control ad: https://ibb.co/NgXY0HZ0 Kopi Luwak ad Louis’s variant version: https://ibb.co/ymQG433V Buy Louis's book: https://link.stfo.io/amazon Sign up for STFO: https://www.stfo.io/newsletter Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/  Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/

This behavioural scientist spent one year doing a new thing every week. He tried acupuncture, gambling, day-trading and dancing. He visited Just Stop Oil meetups, cuddle workshops, and psychic readings. He killed a chicken, drank breastmilk, and bungee jumped. Did it make him happy? (And is there science to back up his ideas? --- Access the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/64d1602e73 Follow Patrick’s newsletter: https://www.justdostuff.co.uk/ Read Patrick’s book: https://shorturl.at/pAy2h Visit Patrick’s website: https://www.patrickfagan.co.uk/ Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/  Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ ---  Sources:  Aronson, E., & Mills, J. (1959). The effect of severity of initiation on liking for a group. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 59(2), 177–181. Boothby, E. J., Clark, M. S., & Bargh, J. A. (2014). Shared experiences are amplified. Psychological Science, 25(12), 2209–2216. Van Boven, L., & Gilovich, T. (2003). To do or to have? That is the question. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(6), 1193–1202. Yang, Y., Liu, R.-D., Ding, Y., Lin, J., Ding, Z., & Yang, X. (2024). Time distortion for short-form video users. Computers in Human Behavior, 150, 107192. Access the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/64d1602e73

In just 27 minutes, you can learn 7 scientifically backed marketing tactics to apply to your website today.  You’ll learn:  How one word increased my email open rate by 6.4%. The tiny reward that helped a cafe generate 1,276 5-star reviews. Why adding steps increased job applicants by 20%. How “you’ll lose X” reduced customer cancellations by 90%. The irrelevant reason that boosted conversions by 41%. And the irrational addition that increased conversions by 2x. ---  Sign up for the Bas's community Online Influence: https://shorturl.at/vNYOU My social proof a/b test results: https://ibb.co/mCsdwFVb Kia Ora Cafe surprise reward: https://shorturl.at/YdG4q Bas’s book Online Influence: https://www.onlineinfluence.com/book-online-influence/ Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Sources:  Berridge KC, Kringelbach ML (2015). Pleasure systems in the brain. Neuron 6;86(3):646-64. Behavioural Insights Team. (2014). EAST: Four simple ways to apply behavioural insights. Behavioural Insights Ltd. Gonzales MH, Aronson E, Costanzo M (1988). Increasing the effectiveness of energy auditors: a field experiment. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 18:1046-66. Langer, E. J., Blank, A., & Chanowitz, B. (1978). The mindlessness of ostensibly thoughtful action: The role of "placebic" information in interpersonal interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36(6), 635–642. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.36.6.635 Grieser S (2014). Is too much choice killing your conversion rates? [Case studies] Unbounce. Via: www.unbounce.com/conversion-rate-optimization/psychology-of-choice-conversion-rates

Oatly, Tony’s, Ecosia and more all use behavioural science to persuade you. Today, author and founder Chris Baker explains how.  You’ll learn about:  Tony’s viral advent calendar.  Oatly’s tiny change that transformed the coffee industry.  Ecosia's smart nudge to keep users hooked.  And one behavioural science principle Chris used to launch his brand.  ---  Use code Obsolete25 for 25% off Chris’s book: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/obsolete-9781399416658/ Follow Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjpbaker/ Oatly’s old and new packaging: https://im.ge/i/image.vcr5tq Sign up to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ ---  Sources:  Baker, C. (2024). Obsolete: How change brands are changing the world. Bloomsbury Business. Ferster, C. B., & Skinner, B. F. (1957). Schedules of reinforcement. New York, NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts. Mohan, B., Buell, R. W., & John, L. K. (2020). Lifting the veil: The benefits of cost transparency. Marketing Science, 39(6), 1048–1062. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2019.1200 Norton, M. I., Mochon, D., & Ariely, D. (2011). The IKEA effect: When labor leads to love. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 22(3), 453–460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2011.08.002 Raghunathan, R., Naylor, R. W., & Hoyer, W. D. (2006). The unhealthy = tasty intuition and its effects on taste inferences, enjoyment, and choice of food products. Journal of Marketing, 70(4), 170–184. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.70.4.170

Why did Charles Darwin, Virginia Woolf, and Henri Poincaré all follow the same four-hour rule? In this episode, bestselling author Oliver Burkeman returns to explain why three to four hours of focused work might be the secret to productivity and peace. Access the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/d4e55ac69d You’ll learn: The 3–4 hour rule: why it worked for Darwin, Trollope, and Dickens and still works today. How to tackle overwhelming tasks with a simple mental trick called “just go to the shed.” Why keeping a “done list” might be more motivating than a to-do list (feat. Marie Curie). How inboxes, perfectionism, and productivity guilt trap us in modern-day Sisyphus cycles. The two-part system Oliver uses to stay focused, without feeling overwhelmed by the chaos of life. ---  Access the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/d4e55ac69d Sign up to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ Oliver’s book Four Thousand Weeks: https://www.oliverburkeman.com/fourthousandweeks Oliver’s book Meditation for Mortals: https://www.oliverburkeman.com/meditationsformortals ---  Sources:  Burkeman, O. (2021). Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Burkeman, O. (2024). Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Could staring at a painting for three hours make you more productive?  In this episode, I try a strange experiment inspired by bestselling author Oliver Burkeman. Based on lessons from his book Four Thousand Weeks, I stare at Picasso’s Guernica for three hours. No phone, no distractions, just a notepad and mic. Did I go mad?  Access the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/d4e55ac69d You’ll learn: Why investing time and effort can increase our appreciation (feat. the Mauritian ritual study). How control impacts happiness, health, and even longevity (feat. nursing home experiment). Why AI and “life-optimising” tools often leave us feeling more stressed, not less. The power of patience (and how to cultivate it in a hyper-distracted world). What happens when you do nothing for three hours… ---- Access the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/d4e55ac69d Watch the 3-hour time lapse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paKup2BuN38 Sign up to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ Oliver’s book Four Thousand Weeks: https://www.oliverburkeman.com/fourthousandweeks Oliver’s book Meditation for Mortals: https://www.oliverburkeman.com/meditationsformortals --- Sources: Burkeman, O. (2021). Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Burkeman, O. (2024). Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Langer, E. J., & Rodin, J. (1976). The effects of choice and enhanced personal responsibility for the aged: A field experiment in an institutional setting. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34(2), 191–198. Xygalatas, D., Mitkidis, P., Fischer, R., Reddish, P., Skewes, J., Geertz, A. W., Roepstorff, A., & Bulbulia, J. (2013). Extreme rituals promote prosociality. Psychological Science, 24(8), 1602–1605.