Content Is Profit Influence or Manipulation? Behavioral Science & Marketing ft. Phill Agnew
Join Phill Agnew, host of the Nudge Podcast and a senior product marketer at Buffer, as he dives into the fascinating interplay between behavioral science and marketing. Discover the thin line between influence and manipulation in marketing strategies. Phill unpacks powerful concepts like the halo effect and scarcity, revealing how these nudges shape consumer behavior. He shares practical insights on price anchoring and ethical marketing tactics, making this a rich conversation for anyone interested in the psychology behind consumer decisions.
01:06:25
Data-Driven Marketing
- Avoid marketing based on anecdotes and personal stories.
- Instead, prioritize data-driven and peer-reviewed approaches.
Reactance
- People have a natural resistance to being told what to do, called "reactance".
- Frame desired behaviors as common rather than criticizing alternatives.
Social Comparison
- Opower encouraged energy conservation by informing people their usage was higher than their neighbors'.
- This social comparison significantly lowered consumption for up to three years.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Behavioral Science in Marketing
02:09 • 21min
The Influence of Marketing on Society
23:28 • 14min
The Power of Price Anchoring
37:13 • 11min
The Power of Scarcity in Marketing
47:45 • 8min
Memorable Insights: Techniques for Retaining Knowledge
55:32 • 2min
Mastering Podcast Production
57:52 • 7min
#25
• Mentioned in 225 episodes
Influence
The Psychology of Persuasion
Robert Cialdini
In this highly acclaimed book, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini explains the psychology behind why people say yes and how to apply these insights ethically.
The book outlines six universal principles of influence: Reciprocation, Commitment and Consistency, Social Proof, Liking, Authority, and Scarcity.
The new and expanded edition includes a seventh principle, Unity, along with new research, insights, and examples.
Cialdini uses memorable stories and relatable examples to make the subject accessible and easy to understand, helping readers become more skilled persuaders and defend themselves against unethical influence attempts.
#3347
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Hate Inc.
Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another
Matt Taibbi
In this book, Matt Taibbi provides an insider's guide to the ways in which today's mainstream media distorts the news.
He argues that the news has become a twisted wing of the entertainment business, where media companies master the art of monetizing anger, paranoia, and distrust.
Taibbi, drawing from his extensive experience covering elections, offers a rich taxonomic survey of American political journalism's dirty tricks and how the media has evolved into a form of entertainment that fosters division and conflict.
#559
• Mentioned in 34 episodes
Alchemy
The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business and Life
Rory Sutherland
In this book, Rory Sutherland explores the art and science of creating magic in brands, business, and life.
He combines scientific research with entertaining stories and case studies from his career, including campaigns for AmEx and Microsoft.
Sutherland emphasizes the importance of understanding human behavior, highlighting how decisions are often influenced by subtle external signals rather than objective qualities.
The book challenges traditional marketing strategies by advocating for a more holistic and creative approach, using techniques such as storytelling, social proof, and framing to influence consumer decisions.
It also explores how these principles can be applied to various social aims beyond just selling products.
#388
• Mentioned in 45 episodes
Predictably Irrational
The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
Dan Ariely
In this revised and expanded edition of the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller, Dan Ariely uses a series of illuminating experiments to show how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible forces skew our reasoning abilities.
Ariely explains how we consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate, and how these behaviors are neither random nor senseless but systematic and predictable.
The book covers various aspects of decision-making, from the power of placebos to the effects of social and financial norms, and offers insights into how to make better decisions by understanding these irrational patterns.
#1112
• Mentioned in 21 episodes
The Biggest Bluff
Maria Konnikova
In 'The Biggest Bluff', Maria Konnikova recounts her transformation from a poker novice to a champion under the mentorship of Erik Seidel.
The book delves into the psychological aspects of poker, highlighting lessons on self-awareness, decision-making, and the interplay between skill and chance.
Konnikova's journey offers insights into human nature and personal growth, making it a compelling read beyond the realm of poker.
#7
• Mentioned in 347 episodes
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
In this book, Daniel Kahneman takes readers on a tour of the mind, explaining how the two systems of thought shape our judgments and decisions.
System 1 is fast, automatic, and emotional, while System 2 is slower, effortful, and logical.
Kahneman discusses the impact of cognitive biases, the difficulties of predicting future happiness, and the effects of overconfidence on corporate strategies.
He offers practical insights into how to guard against mental glitches and how to benefit from slow thinking in both personal and business life.
The book also explores the distinction between the 'experiencing self' and the 'remembering self' and their roles in our perception of happiness.
#3736
• Mentioned in 8 episodes
The choice factory
25 Behavioural Biases that Influence what We Buy
Richard Shotton
In 'The Choice Factory', Richard Shotton delves into the world of behavioural economics, presenting 25 cognitive biases that shape consumer decisions.
The book is written in an entertaining and highly-accessible format, with each chapter addressing a different bias and providing simple ways to apply it to marketing challenges.
Shotton draws on evidence from academia, real-life ad campaigns, and his own original research, and includes insights from interviews with prominent thinkers in advertising.
The book covers a range of biases, from priming and the pratfall effect to charm pricing and the curse of knowledge, making the science of behavioural economics accessible for marketing applications.
#2039
• Mentioned in 13 episodes
The art of thinking clearly
Rolf Dobelli
In this book, Rolf Dobelli examines the faulty reasoning that leads to repeated mistakes by individuals, businesses, and nations.
It is a comprehensive guide to recognizing and avoiding cognitive biases, presented in 99 short chapters.
The book does not offer a recipe for happiness but rather a well-considered treatise on avoiding self-induced unhappiness through better decision-making.
It uses simple, real-world examples to illustrate common errors of judgment and provides practical advice on how to avoid them.
#221
• Mentioned in 64 episodes
Nudge
Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness
Richard H. Thaler
Cass R. Sunstein
In 'Nudge,' Thaler and Sunstein argue that by understanding how people think, we can design 'choice architectures' that nudge people toward better decisions for themselves, their families, and society.
The book introduces the concept of 'libertarian paternalism,' where gentle nudges guide people toward beneficial choices without limiting their freedom.
It explores various aspects of human decision-making, including the distinction between the 'Automatic System' and the 'Reflective System' of thinking, and provides numerous examples of how nudges can be applied in real-life scenarios to improve outcomes in health, finance, and other areas.
What separates good marketing from great marketing?
Marketing is much more than promoting ones’ products. It is the science behind influencing people into making a specific decision.
And even though we believe we make most of our decisions consciously; our subconscious is consistently being influenced by marketing “nudges”: specific subtle actions that shift your decision-making.
That’s what we explored in today’s conversation with our great guest, and host of the Nudge Podcast, Phill Agnew.
Some of this conversation’s #GoldenBoulders are:
🔥 Is Leveraging Behavioral Science Manipulative?
🔥 Nudges Insights: Reactance, Halo Effect, Decoys, And More!
🔥 Phill’s Favorite Nudges To Get People To Take Action!
🔥 And Much More…
Hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did!
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