Wake Up with Chris Donnelly S2 Ep6: Psychology Hacks of the World's Best Advertisers - Rory Sutherland
Aug 29, 2025
02:09:14
Ever wondered why your perfectly logical idea still flops?
Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy, thinks logic is the real enemy of innovation.
In this episode, Rory dismantles everything you thought you knew about business, branding, and consumer behaviour. From pricing psychology to irrational decision-making, he shows why people don’t buy what's logical, they buy what feels right. And if you’re a founder, marketer, or builder of any kind, this episode is your blueprint for thinking differently.
Here’s what we cover:
• Why logic kills creativity in business
• The psychological levers that actually drive sales
• Why branding is about perception, not performance
• What most startups get wrong about value
But this isn’t just theory. Rory also talks about:
• The danger of over - optimisation
• Why data can’t explain human behaviour
• How real innovation happens outside the spreadsheet
If you want to build a brand that people fall in love with, not just tolerate, this is the episode to watch.
Sign up to Revolut Business at https://www.revolut.com/rb/wakeup and add money to your account before September 14th, 2025, to receive a £200 / $200 welcome bonus. Subscription fees and T&Cs apply. Available for new Business customers in the UK and US.
US Customers: Revolut is not a bank. Banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. The Revolut USA Prepaid Visa and Prepaid Mastercard are issued by Lead Bank pursuant to licensing by Visa(c) U.S.A. Inc. and Mastercard International for Mastercard cards. Your funds are FDIC insured up to $250,000 through Lead Bank, Member FDIC. See https://www.revolut.com/en-US/ for more details.
00:00 Introduction
03:04 Fat-Tailed Marketing
05:40 Blockbuster Not Buying Netflix
11:35 Reverse Benchmarking
20:40 Business Idea: Car Rental Company
26:30 How to Think Non-Rationally
36:30 Reframing the Value of Something Psychologically
39:00 Perception vs Value
43:00 Success of Family-Run Business
49:00 Jaguar Marketing
53:20 Why People HATE Innovation and New Inventions
1:03:40 Why Is Marketing Doomed?
1:10:30 Heathrow Pod
1:23:45 Best Marketing Ever
1:25:50 How Marketing Is Changing with AI
1:32:00 Think Like a Cop
1:38:00 How Increasing Your Price Can Make You More Money
1:45:00 How to Find the Best House
1:54:05 How Are Older People Going to Deal with AI?
1:56:50 Why Millionaires Are Leaving the UK
2:01:30 Why the Tax System Is F*cked for Young People
Follow Chris: https://www.instagram.com/chrisdonnellyofficial/
Follow Rory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland/?originalSubdomain=uk
Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy, thinks logic is the real enemy of innovation.
In this episode, Rory dismantles everything you thought you knew about business, branding, and consumer behaviour. From pricing psychology to irrational decision-making, he shows why people don’t buy what's logical, they buy what feels right. And if you’re a founder, marketer, or builder of any kind, this episode is your blueprint for thinking differently.
Here’s what we cover:
• Why logic kills creativity in business
• The psychological levers that actually drive sales
• Why branding is about perception, not performance
• What most startups get wrong about value
But this isn’t just theory. Rory also talks about:
• The danger of over - optimisation
• Why data can’t explain human behaviour
• How real innovation happens outside the spreadsheet
If you want to build a brand that people fall in love with, not just tolerate, this is the episode to watch.
Sign up to Revolut Business at https://www.revolut.com/rb/wakeup and add money to your account before September 14th, 2025, to receive a £200 / $200 welcome bonus. Subscription fees and T&Cs apply. Available for new Business customers in the UK and US.
US Customers: Revolut is not a bank. Banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. The Revolut USA Prepaid Visa and Prepaid Mastercard are issued by Lead Bank pursuant to licensing by Visa(c) U.S.A. Inc. and Mastercard International for Mastercard cards. Your funds are FDIC insured up to $250,000 through Lead Bank, Member FDIC. See https://www.revolut.com/en-US/ for more details.
00:00 Introduction
03:04 Fat-Tailed Marketing
05:40 Blockbuster Not Buying Netflix
11:35 Reverse Benchmarking
20:40 Business Idea: Car Rental Company
26:30 How to Think Non-Rationally
36:30 Reframing the Value of Something Psychologically
39:00 Perception vs Value
43:00 Success of Family-Run Business
49:00 Jaguar Marketing
53:20 Why People HATE Innovation and New Inventions
1:03:40 Why Is Marketing Doomed?
1:10:30 Heathrow Pod
1:23:45 Best Marketing Ever
1:25:50 How Marketing Is Changing with AI
1:32:00 Think Like a Cop
1:38:00 How Increasing Your Price Can Make You More Money
1:45:00 How to Find the Best House
1:54:05 How Are Older People Going to Deal with AI?
1:56:50 Why Millionaires Are Leaving the UK
2:01:30 Why the Tax System Is F*cked for Young People
Follow Chris: https://www.instagram.com/chrisdonnellyofficial/
Follow Rory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland/?originalSubdomain=uk