When Whitney Wolfe launched Bumble she put up official looking signs outside lecture theatres at universities saying “NO ACCESS TO FACEBOOK, TWITTER, TINDER, & BUMBLE INSIDE”. You’d think telling people not to use your app would put potential customers off. But the opposite is true. Bumble quickly grew to become the second biggest online dating site, now worth over $3 billion. In today’s Nudge with Richard Shotton, you’ll hear why that campaign worked so well. Please feel free to ignore my newsl...
Jul 31, 2023•25 min•Ep 140•Transcript available on Metacast How did Winston Churchill become so influential? What propelled him into the limelight? What made people idolise him? Realistically, there are hundreds of potential answers. But one that’s overlooked is less about politics and more about psychology. In today’s episode, I share the behavioural bias Churchill leant on throughout his career. Weirdly it’s something today’s politicians and business leaders don’t use enough. Paul Johnson Biography: https://tinyurl.com/2e8dpxa3 Andrew Roberts Biography...
Jul 24, 2023•35 min•Ep 139•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is about 24 minutes in length. But I only want you to listen to just 17 minutes and 42 seconds of it. Tune in to learn why. Sign up to my newsletter (and access a future bonus subscriber only episode with Richard): https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Check out Astroten: https://www.astroten.co.uk/ Illusion of Choice: https://tinyurl.com/mrxduj97 The Choice Factory: https://www.richardshotton.com/the-choice-factory
Jul 17, 2023•24 min•Ep 138•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s guest, Jay Clouse, used one simple nudge to grow a $200,000 side hustle. This same nudge helped launch some of the world’s largest businesses, grew sales for a seltzer company, and has boosted charitable donations across the globe. Find out what it is in today’s episode of Nudge. Access the bonus episode: https://tinyurl.com/mrz355ch Jay’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CreatorScienceYT/videos Jay’s podcast: https://podcast.creatorscience.com/ Jay’s newsletter: https://creatorscience....
Jul 10, 2023•27 min•Ep 137•Transcript available on Metacast Does obscuring the letters of my guest’s name make this podcast more popular? Does asking a question in an ad make it more engaging? Does a wine with a cork top taste better? Find out in today’s episode of Nudge. OB_S__Y is a cause of cancer ad: https://tinyurl.com/66hxjb8c My generation effect tweet: https://tinyurl.com/rfshfhmp My generation effect LinkedIn post: https://tinyurl.com/353r76zp My question-style Reddit ad: https://tinyurl.com/3y6x2jbj My Nudge episode on the question Reddit ad: h...
Jul 03, 2023•21 min•Ep 136•Transcript available on Metacast Elizabeth Holmes deceived the world. By lying repeatedly over her 15-year career, she raised $1 billion in funding and became the world's youngest self-made female billionaire. In this episode, I explain why people believed her (spoiler: it's due to behavioural science). My Halo Effect experiment: https://imgur.com/oV4REzq Harvard Labour Illusion study: http://bit.ly/41TWo73 Labour illusion on Theranos.com: https://i.im.ge/2023/03/09/7fUfZp.Theranos-one.png Watching-eyes effect on Theranos.com h...
Jun 26, 2023•38 min•Ep 135•Transcript available on Metacast There’s a simple trick governments use to dramatically change the behaviour of their population. It’s been known to keep kids in school, reduce imprisonment, encourage healthy eating, and lower household energy bills. And yet, this well-known trick has surprising, detrimental consequences. Today, I chat with London’s most popular taxi driver Tom Hutley about the problems with making things easy. We talk about Uber, stocks, and organ donations, and explain why the easy option isn’t always best. T...
Jun 19, 2023•33 min•Ep 134•Transcript available on Metacast Most of us have heard that Elizabeth Holmes is a pathological liar. How she coned investors out of billions. But few of us know why she did it, why her employees endorsed her and why so many of us believe her. In this episode of Nudge, I study the psychology behind dishonesty and attempt to reveal the psychology of a liar. Dan Ariely’s book: http://bit.ly/3T2RTmx The Dropout podcast: http://bit.ly/3yuRXSy Try HubSpot for free: https://hubspot.sjv.io/jWq4k6 Sign up for the Nudge Newsletter: https...
Jun 12, 2023•39 min•Ep 133•Transcript available on Metacast Card counters should bankrupt casinos. They have an edge that means they’ll win more than they lose. But they don’t bankrupt casinos. And the reason why has more to do with behavioural science than mathematics. Today I chat with one of the world’s most popular card counters, Steven Bridges as we talk through how card counters use psychology to get an edge. Listen to the bonus episode: https://tinyurl.com/w6r3nfna Steven’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@stevenbridges Steven’s website: ...
Jun 05, 2023•38 min•Ep 132•Transcript available on Metacast I asked one of the world's leading experts on happiness to share scientific tips for living a happier life. Link to buy Cassie’s book: https://www.cassiemholmes.com/happierhour Try HubSpot for free: https://hubspot.sjv.io/jWq4k6 Sign up for the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Check out my course: https://science-of-marketing.teachable.com/
May 30, 2023•31 min•Ep 131•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I discuss Derren Brown, Solomon Asch, the conformity bias, social loafing, my favourite reality TV show … and why most of us feel uncreative and unproductive at large organizations. Tune in to hear Professor Ayelet Fishbach and I share why groups can dampen our productivity, why dishonest leaders create dishonest teams, and how to convince a sane member of the public they’re flying through space while sitting in a room in Ipswich. YouTube video on Space Cadets: https://youtu.be/...
May 22, 2023•34 min•Ep 130•Transcript available on Metacast Too much free time might make you unhappy. Find out why on this episode of Nudge with Professor Cassie Holmes. Link to Bystander Study on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4S1LLrSzVE&ab_channel=HeroicImaginationTV Link to buy Cassie’s book: https://www.cassiemholmes.com/happierhour Try HubSpot for free: https://hubspot.sjv.io/jWq4k6 Sign up for the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Check out my course: https://science-of-marketing.teachable.com/
May 15, 2023•27 min•Ep 129•Transcript available on Metacast London black cab drivers memorise (almost) every road in the city. I wanted to know how. Today, I interview one of London’s most well-known black cabbies, Tom the Taxi Driver. He explains how he memorised 25,000 roads in London sharing the memory tactics he used. We go into the science of memory, how taxi drivers literally have a bigger brain, and I attempt to memorise every capital in the world. Tom’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TomtheTaxiDriver Full video of my attempt to name al...
May 08, 2023•36 min•Ep 128•Transcript available on Metacast Today I interview motivation expert Dr Ayelet Fishbach and ask if she can cure my procrastination problem. The Palau Pledge: https://bit.ly/3DcnfQZ Ayelet’s website: https://www.ayeletfishbach.com/ Ayelet’s book: https://www.ayeletfishbach.com/book Sign up for the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Try HubSpot for free: https://hubspot.sjv.io/jWq4k6
May 01, 2023•41 min•Ep 127•Transcript available on Metacast Are you interested in a productivity hack, proven by science that will not only make you more productive, but also increase life expectancy, and enhance memory and creativity? It’ll also make you more attractive, aid in weight loss and lower food cravings. It reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes, plus it improves your mental health and overall well-being. Sounds good, right? Well, tune in to hear what it is. Show notes: Dr Matthew Walker’s Book: https://www.sleepdiplomat.com/a...
Apr 24, 2023•36 min•Ep 126•Transcript available on Metacast Ever wonder how stupid people get such important jobs? It might be down to overconfidence. We all assume we’re better at our jobs than others. In this episode, best-selling author Will Storr and I look into the science behind overconfidence. We cover the confirmation bias, status, capitalism, communism, and why 100s of my listeners say they’re above-average cooks. My survey results: https://tinyurl.com/yc79c2kn Jonathan Haidt videos: Capitalism is freedom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOomUpE...
Apr 17, 2023•32 min•Ep 125•Transcript available on Metacast Most of us struggle to stay motivated. That’s normal. A lack of motivation is something that can affect us every day. Perhaps you’re struggling to stay motivated at work, or perhaps you need to motivate your team. It’s hard. So, here are some tips on how to find your intrinsic motivation from an expert Professor Ayelet Fishbach, author of the bestselling motivational science book Get It Done. Ayelet’s website: https://www.ayeletfishbach.com/ Ayelet’s book: https://www.ayeletfishbach.com/book Sig...
Apr 10, 2023•38 min•Ep 124•Transcript available on Metacast Changing someone’s mind is tough. But there’s one tactic that makes it much easier. Listen and you’ll learn how Trump convinced millions to support him, why Shakespeare became so popular, why Star Wars broke Hollywood, and a simple trick to get any job you want. Learn more about Will: https://willstorr.com/ Try HubSpot for free: https://hubspot.sjv.io/jWq4k6 Sign up for the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Subscribe to Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/...
Apr 03, 2023•41 min•Ep 123•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we explore the story of how 15-year-old Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg became a global climate icon. From giving schoolroom presentations to inspiring speeches at rallies and the UN, we detail the communication strategies that made her message stand out and captivated audiences worldwide. We also examine the behavioural science principles behind her success and how you can apply these principles to your own messaging and activism. Tune in to learn more. Sign up for the Nudge ...
Mar 27, 2023•30 min•Ep 122•Transcript available on Metacast Ever worried about someone stealing your phone at the beach? Well, there’s one thing you can do to make your phone 4x safer. It involves using a psychology-inspired principle to change behaviour. On this show, you’ll learn what it is, and why it’s important to marketers. Today, Nancy Harhut and I will cover five more marketing principles. Plus, I’ll share my real-world experiments to reveal which principles work, and which don’t. Try HubSpot for free: https://hubspot.sjv.io/jWq4k6 Consistency ex...
Mar 20, 2023•39 min•Ep 121•Transcript available on Metacast In this show, I share 5 ads that changed the world. Some have changed our morning routines, and others have changed our Christmas celebrations. Some have determined the leaders we pick and others have altered the wars we fight in. Whether we like it or not, advertisements have changed our world, and in today’s Nudge. I’ll show you how. Try HubSpot for free: https://hubspot.sjv.io/jWq4k6 Sign up for the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Take the Science of Marketing cour...
Mar 13, 2023•31 min•Ep 120•Transcript available on Metacast Curious about the persuasive power of familiarity? Ever wondered how on earth Trump won? In this episode, I reveal how Donald Trump used mere exposure to convince millions to follow him. Tune in to learn how repeated exposure may have influenced public opinion and contributed to Trump's problematic success as a politician. Plus, we'll discuss the potential drawbacks of relying on mere exposure and its implications for democracy. 20 Ads That Shook the World: bit.ly/3P8BsTM Pete Judo's YouTube: bi...
Mar 06, 2023•28 min•Ep 119•Transcript available on Metacast I’ve spent $1,000s testing marketing principles for this show. Some work. Some don’t. In this episode, Nancy Harhut and I put these principles to the test in a set of real-life experiments. You’ll learn what works, and what doesn't. Try HubSpot for free: https://hubspot.sjv.io/jWq4k6 Scarcity experiment: https://bit.ly/3TZx2Qk Endowment experiment: https://bit.ly/3N6Gtey Loss aversion experiment: https://bit.ly/3FkN5Ea Social proof experiment: https://bit.ly/3gJMIJd Reciprocity experiment: https...
Feb 27, 2023•35 min•Ep 118•Transcript available on Metacast After reviewing 100s of studies on happiness, I’ve discovered the worst ways to spend your money (according to science). Sign up for the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Try HubSpot for free: https://hubspot.sjv.io/jWq4k6
Feb 20, 2023•29 min•Ep 117•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode NYT-bestselling author Daniel Pink shares a science-based approach to the art of persuading, selling, and bagging yourself a raise. Plus you’ll learn how the Haka helps the All Blacks stay #1, the persuasive trick that convinced jurors OJ wasn’t guilty, and the pitch Ronald Regan used to win the election. Try HubSpot for free: https://hubspot.sjv.io/jWq4k6 Dan’s book To Sell Is Human: https://amzn.to/3d9qFtD Dan’s book The Power of Regret: https://amzn.to/3btHAX9 Listen to Nudge ...
Feb 13, 2023•26 min•Ep 116•Transcript available on Metacast Could you fall in love with AI? From hologram weddings to humanized brands, today we dive into the psychology behind our love towards objects and ask, is this just a weird one-off or a hint at what's to come? Joining us is Aaron Ahuvia PhD, keynote speaker, author, and world-leading expert on brand love. Read Aaron’s book: https://thethingswelove.com/ Try HubSpot for free: https://hubspot.sjv.io/jWq4k6 Sign up for the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Take the Science o...
Feb 07, 2023•35 min•Ep 115•Transcript available on Metacast MrBeast has captured the attention of the world. His YouTube videos have been viewed 26 billion times. He has more subscribers than the population of Russia. He turns over more than $50 million each year, and he’s just 24. Today, I’ll explain how he did it. I’ll walk through the subtle yet significant psychological tactics MrBeast uses to draw in viewers and turn them into fans. MrBeast is probably the world’s greatest marketer, tune in to learn why. Try HubSpot for free: https://hubspot.sjv.io/...
Jan 30, 2023•29 min•Ep 114•Transcript available on Metacast According to a 2020 Swedish study, most lottery winners see no notable improvement in happiness or mental health. This begs the question; can you pay to live a happier life? In this episode I dig into the psychology behind money, covering why scarcity beats abundance, learning if experiences trump materials, and determining what’s the best thing to spend money on to increase your happiness. Sign up for the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Try HubSpot for free: https://...
Jan 23, 2023•33 min•Ep 113•Transcript available on Metacast Kids today, they’re lazy, entitled, and self-obsessed. Their expensive avocado toast diets and Netflix-binging weekends mean they can’t get on the housing ladder, and they’re snowflakes, lacking the resilience that older generations have. Or are they? Much of the conversation about Gen Zs and Millennials follows that trend, but is it right? And more importantly, is there any evidence to back it up? Join Phill Agnew and Bruce Daisley (bestselling author of Joy of Work and Fortitude) as they discu...
Jan 16, 2023•26 min•Ep 112•Transcript available on Metacast Steve Jobs was a master of persuasion. He persuaded billions of us to buy MP3 players, laptops and phones, usually at higher prices than before. Much of this is due to technical innovations and unparalleled marketing. But some of it is down to his persuasion techniques. Techniques that all of us can adopt. In this episode, you’ll learn how Steve Jobs persuaded the world using simple techniques that anyone can copy. Try HubSpot for free: https://hubspot.sjv.io/jWq4k6 Access the bonus Steve Jobs e...
Jan 09, 2023•34 min•Ep 111•Transcript available on Metacast 
