Brain Driven Brands

The title says it all. Listen to this one if you're just kinda done with being told the sky is falling, cost caps will save you, and everyone's doing better than you…because it's wrong. CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534   Learn mor...

In this episode, Sarah quizzes nate on a fascinating study co-authored by Jason Pallant that analyzed nearly 21,000 tweets from celebrity chefs, fashion bloggers, and personal trainers. The surprising insight? The most retweeted posts aren't hot takes or personal facts—they're something much simpler… We dig into: Which tweet styles boost reach (and which kill it) Why storytelling beats facts—even...

Marketers are masters of persuasion…but where's the line between influence and illegality? In this episode, advertising lawyer Robert Freund joins us to unpack how psychological tactics like loss aversion, authority bias, and default choices can backfire fast if you're not careful. We cover the legal side of ad claims, UGC licensing, dark patterns, and why "clever" marketing often needs a legal au...

Why are all skincare/soap brands selling "self-care" these days? I'll give you a hint: it's not because marketers just randomly decided to start selling emotion. Soap was actually sold in a  highly logical way before 1950. Then some random psychologist named Ernest came along and changed the way we market hygiene products forever…this is his story.  🎉 JOIN THE COMMUNITY → skool.com/tether-lab CoH...

Why do people tend to buy more health products during the beginning of the year? That's right - the "new" year drives behavior. Why do people tend to shop more on the weekends? That's right - the "start" of the weekend triggers buying behavior. These are simple examples of an amazing psychological tendency all humans have, but it goes much deeper than New Years and Fridays. In this episode we brea...

On this episode of Brain Driven Brands, Sarah and Nate do a workshop for a brand who put a call out for help on Twitter…with some surprising results. We break down the number one reason why most brands will fail in the next 2-3 years (hint, it's not because you're prices are too high…it's actually the exact opposite), and dive deep into perception theory to help this brand go from super stuck to s...

Sarah and Nate are back with a lightening round that will put Nate's knowledge of psychology to the test! We dive into heuristics (mental shortcuts) and do a bonus round on a little-known mental bias that might have Nate stumped…   CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...

In this episode, Sarah and Nate unpack a surprisingly simple psychological switch that leads people to spend 35% more—without discounts, gimmicks, or aggressive upsells. If you've ever written a headline, built a landing page, or tried to justify a premium price—this episode might just change how you sell forever. ( Hint: It's not about being vague or clear. It's about when you're being vague or c...

It this episode, we walk through the story of Nate—a customer who walked into the dealership craving nostalgia, heritage, and the familiar comfort of a classic Ford. But he drove away in a Range Rover. Why? In this episode, we dissect the identity shifts that quietly hijacked Nate's decision in real time. You'll learn: The subconscious identity conflict that made Ford feel right—but Range Rover fe...

Apples had the head start, a catchy slogan, and decades of trust. So how did oranges swoop in, steal breakfast, and build a billion-dollar juice empire? In this episode, Sarah and Nate break down the biggest fruit war in history—a juicy battle of marketing, identity, and manufactured need. You'll hear: 🍏 Why apples lost, even with "an apple a day" as a slogan. 🍊 How orange growers invented a cri...

In this episode, we're putting cohost Nate on trial—brand trial, that is. Sarah, Nate, and Tether Insight's new AI research intern, DEX play The Tattoo Test, a brutal brand-building game show where each level challenges Nate to prove his brand is worthy of obsession, devotion... and maybe even a little ink. Guided by Sarah and judged (mercilessly) by Dex—our British, sarcasm-laced AI intern—Nate m...

What if one tiny shift in your ads could increase the ratings of your products? In this episode, Sarah and Nate reveal the underrated psychology tactic that boosted product satisfaction by 32% in live tests. This one's fast, practical, and immediately useful. If you're stuck in performance purgatory, this is your way out. Source: https://app.sciencesays.com/p/where-being-creative-truly-matters   C...

Marketers obsess over Millennials and Gen Z, but the real money? It's in Gen X. They're in their peak earning years, make major purchasing decisions, and quietly fuel some of the most successful brands today. So why do most marketers overlook them? In this episode, we break down how Gen X shops, what makes them buy, and the 'lazy' way to sell to them without trying too hard. What You'll Learn: 💡...

In this episode, we get a sneak peek into one of Sarah's newest projects (the BPE) and dissect what Original Grain is doing right…and what they're still missing - more specifically, the killer positioning play they're missing out on! We'll use the BPE to break down: The biggest gap in their brand strategy (and how most brands fall into the same trap). Why "handcrafted" and/or "craftsmanship" isn't...

Special Guest Kevin Luby of High Camp Flasks joins Sarah this week to break down one of the most difficult (and most lucrative) parts of DTC - building a brand voice, personality, and vibe. We work through what High Camp is doing differently this year to accelerate their growth, talk about the levers they need to pull to be able to build brand properly, and debate the difference between "growth" a...

We're doing a full brand website roast with Consumer Casey on this episode…and the results might shock you! Consumer Casey goes through a complete breakdown of his shopping habits on Caraway's site with some interesting results. We dive into:   Which elements are actually working customers towards a purchase. The differences between male/female shopping experiences. The CRO elements that aren't do...

In this week's episode, Sarah interviews Consumer Casey about a very sensitive topic - why he churned from Nike's ecosystem after being a loyal customer for 2 decades. We break down the psychology behind what happened, why he left, and the impact negative customer experience have on brands as a whole. We also dissect a study that shows you how to increase customer forgiveness by 32% using a simple...

Sarah, Nate and Consumer Casey go back to Chat to for another exciting game on pricing! Who will win the 3 round competition of real brands and their pricing decisions! Is it real or is it FAKE?  Special Guest: Casey Levinger Instagram:   CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/u...

What actually makes people convert? 🤔 In this week's episode, Sarah dissects one of her new favorite books on neuromarketing and psychology based advertising. She also sheds light on why most DTC brands ads are "hated" by the brain…and what you can do to change that in 2025 and beyond.   Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevinger Linkedin: https://www.linke...

In this episode, Sarah sits down with international neuroscience and behavioral expert Dr. Thomas Trautmann to talk about the elephant in the room…THE BRAIN. We uncover the essential neurological processes that are hindering your sales, why your team often says "yes" but means "no", and the one tactic you need to start using in your ads to go from a 20% chance of selling to a 70% chance.   Guest:...

Possibly one of the most fun episodes we've ever created. In this episode of Brain Driven Brands, Sarah and Nate go head to head in one of the most challenging  Tweet: https://x.com/SarahLevinger/status/1887188821218926618 CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactic...

Welcome back to Brain Driven Brands! In this episode, Sarah and Nate break down some of the latest science around conversions, uncovering one of the least known (but highly powerful) psychology tactics that can boost LP conversion rates with just a simple tweak. (Hint: you're probably already using it.) Tweet: https://x.com/SarahLevinger/status/1887188821218926618 Source: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitte...

Boomers have all the money, but most marketers have no idea how to sell to them. If you've ever wondered why your "cutting-edge" ad campaigns are getting ghosted by the 55+ crowd, this episode is for you. Sarah and Nate break down exactly why traditional marketing doesn't work on Boomers—and what actually does. From why they still read long-form copy (yes, even the About Us page) to why a missing...

In this episode, Sarah and Nate get real…we're diving into some of the biggest marketing blunders, misconceptions, and downright incorrect beliefs that all of us in DTC either used to believe, or currently have so you can avoid the mistakes that will make it harder to grow. CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical P...

"Good product generates demand!" FALSE - good product is just a byproduct of demand, and we can prove it. In this episode, Sarah challenges Nate's view on generating market demand and we go DEEP into what market tides are going to do next (hint: behavior is cyclical…everything comes back around). Tweet: https://x.com/SarahLevinger/status/1882471014891651280 CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.co...