The Marketing Millennials The Psychology Hacks Marketers Overlook with Phill Agnew, Host of Nudge | Ep. 388
Jan 30, 2026
Phill Agnew, host of Nudge and behavioral marketer with a decade of experience, explores why loss aversion often beats gain framing and when it backfires. He explains scarcity, the endowment and IKEA effects, and how admitting small flaws can boost likability. He also covers distinctiveness, social proof tweaks, and tactics like head-start loyalty cards and free trials.
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Loss Framing Outperforms Gain Framing
- People feel losses about twice as strongly as equivalent gains due to loss aversion.
- Framing offers as what customers will lose (vs. gain) often persuades more, like Amazon's cancel flow reducing churn.
Use Loss Framing Without Penalties
- Use loss framing carefully so it feels helpful rather than punitive.
- Avoid penalties or charges for leaving, which provoke anger and increase churn.
Scarcity Taps An Evolutionary Trigger
- Scarcity feels valuable because humans evolved to hoard rare resources for survival.
- Explicitly stating an end date or scarcity can significantly increase behaviour, like 36% more likely to see a movie.
