Nudge

Jaega Wise, British beer sommelier, broadcaster and food journalist, unpacks the wild Scottish tea scandal. She recounts how a charming fraudster fooled media and luxury brands. The conversation covers why Scotland sounded plausible, how taste and prestige helped sell the story, and the scientific testing that ultimately exposed the lie.

Will Guidara, former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park and author of Unreasonable Hospitality, used behavioural science to craft unforgettable dining experiences. He talks about using reciprocity and anchoring to shape guests’ perceptions. He explains systematizing small surprises, the 95-5 budgeting rule for memorable spends, and subtle signals that create seamless, distinctive service.

Markus Husemann-Kopetzky, pricing expert and author, breaks down why nine-ending and rounded prices feel different. He discusses left-digit bias, when charm pricing boosts spending and when it backfires for premium goods. They cover alternative endings like .95, subtle price differences to nudge choice, freebies versus discounts, and the power of strong money-back guarantees.

Professor Katie Slocombe, an evolutionary psychologist who studies wild chimpanzee behaviour to illuminate human social evolution, discusses how chimps use vocal signals, tactical screams and grooming to build alliances and climb hierarchies. She compares field and captive methods, shows evidence of intentional signalling, and draws parallels between primate and human status-seeking.

Robert Cialdini, social psychologist and author famous for Influence, explains social proof in everyday persuasion. He recounts a Beijing restaurant that boosted sales by changing two words. Short, practical examples cover using ‘sold out’ vs ‘unavailable’, leveraging similar others, and showing upward trends to sway choices.

Luan (Luanne) Wise, marketing consultant and trainer, and Tom Bowden-Green, marketing lecturer, explain why a suddenly noticeable tune or trend feels like it’s everywhere. They explore the frequency illusion, projection and empathy gaps, herd behaviour, the uptrend effect, and how names and pronouns change engagement. Short, curious and full of behavioural quirks.

Mehdi Bouhassoun, author and behavioural science researcher on consumer decision-making. He breaks down HelloFresh’s rise through surprise, variety and the IKEA effect. Conversations cover mystery-driven choices, when variable rewards work and when they backfire. Short, curiosity-fueled tactics that shaped one of the decade’s fastest growers.

Tom Bowden-Green, senior marketing lecturer and co-author of Marketing and Psychology, joins to unpack seven everyday cognitive biases. He explains illusory superiority, Dunning-Kruger effects, the bias blind spot, false uniqueness in branding, illusion of validity, the pratfall effect, and misattribution of arousal. Short, sharp examples bring theory into real-world marketing contexts.

Robert Cialdini, social psychologist and author known for Influence, explains why common pricing habits fail and how precise numbers build credibility. He explores scarcity’s power through Prime, Disney vaults and cookie-jar studies. He also unpacks the authority principle and how perceived expertise changes behaviour.

In this engaging discussion, Robert Cialdini, a leading behavioral scientist and author of the classic book on persuasion, dives into fascinating insights from a groundbreaking study analyzing 6,700 websites. He reveals how simple tactics, like warm greetings and welcome messages, greatly enhance customer engagement and trust. Cialdini shares compelling examples of how likability boosts compliance and showcases the surprising effects of familiarity on our perceptions. Marketers will find his lessons on repeat exposure invaluable for driving conversions.