In this engaging discussion, Richard Shotton, a leading voice in behavioral science and author of The Choice Factory, reveals the psychological tricks behind successful advertising. He dives into concepts like the sunk cost fallacy and social proof, explaining how they influence consumer behavior. The IKEA effect demonstrates how effort enhances perceived value, while the peak-end rule highlights the importance of memorable experiences. Shotton also discusses the pratfall effect, showcasing how embracing flaws can actually boost brand appeal.
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Sunk Cost Bias in Action
People irrationally prefer sticking with a costlier but less enjoyable option due to sunk cost bias.
Amazon Prime members keep using the service to avoid feeling their spend was wasted.
insights INSIGHT
Social Proof Drives Behavior
Social proof boosts compliance by showing many others do a behavior.
This naturalistic evidence clearly attributes behavior change to the bias.
insights INSIGHT
Beware Negative Social Proof
Highlighting high rates of negative behaviors normalizes and increases those behaviors.
Messaging about antisocial acts can backfire by promoting them unintentionally.
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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.
The Psychological Trick Behind Every Great Ad is revealed by Richard Shotton in this must-watch episode of The Places We’ll Go Show. If you want to know why some ads go viral, stick in your memory, and drive real behaviour—this is the psychology behind it. Shotton, a leading voice in behavioural science and author of The Choice Factory, breaks down the hidden biases that make ads work (or fail) and how smart marketers use psychology to get noticed.
We dive deep into marketing psychology explained:
→ The sunk cost fallacy
→ Social proof (when it works—and when it backfires)
→ The Von Restorff effect
→ The IKEA effect
→ Why the peak-end rule matters for brand experience
→ The pratfall effect and showing flaws in marketing
Whether you're a brand strategist, marketer, or just obsessed with why we buy what we buy—this is a behavioural science masterclass with one of the best in the game.
The Places We'll Go Marketing Show 
