Nudge

It’s never been easier to scam someone online.  Now, AI-generated “pity scams” use fake injured veterans to sell cheap mass-produced products.  They leverage three powerful psychological biases to persuade the masses.  On today’s Nudge, I explain how and why it’s so hard to stop the scammers.  ---  BBC’s fake veteran reporting: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgy0lz08...

When Greece beat France in Euro 2004, the stock market shifted. When Allbirds rebranded as an AI company, its stock rose 600%. When British radio plays happy music, the FTSE improves.  So, is the stock market just vibes? Does national mood actually move the market?  That’s what today’s guest on Nudge, Alex Edmans, is here to answer.  Alex is a professor of finance at London Business...

I think Sam Altman of OpenAI has deliberately tried to build his fame.  While other CEOs keep a low profile, he spends 95% of his time evangelising. In this episode of Nudge, I explain why.  --- Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agn...

Wiebe Wakker spent three years driving from the Netherlands to Australia.  Today on Nudge, we learn why.  And we study the psychology of dedication. Listen to the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/7ec0a99ab3 Warning, today’s episode contains explicit language.  --- Listen to the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/7ec0a99ab3 Wiebe’s website: https://wiebewakker.com/en/ Unlock th...

Are men who are insecure about their manhood more likely to buy sports cars?  Do memes work for government communication?  Does brand colour change the products we buy?  And will an AI ever replace a police interrogator?  These are some of the questions Jo Evershed, a psychological scientist and CEO, helps me answer on today’s episode of Nudge. ---  Start using Riverside f...

Every weekend, thousands of Brits order takeaways from independent restaurants.  Or do they? Because these independent restaurants aren’t actually what they seem.    Pizza Hut, Prezzo, Frankie & Benny’s, Las Iguanas and many more chains are rebranding their food on delivery apps to appear like an independent restaurant.  They’re exploiting our psychological bias for indepe...

Nine months ago, I started to apply one of Rory Sutherland’s most common bits of business advice.  Today on Nudge, I share what happened and if I think it works.  --- Get my 40 small bets: https://nudge.kit.com/c69cd49a9a  Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 12,199 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on Lin...

There’s one simple tactic that makes entrepreneurs 6x more likely to get funding.  At least that’s according to today’s guest on Nudge, Harvard Professor Leslie John.  She’s spent her career studying decision-making and reveals why:  - Flawed leaders inspire more trust - Authenticity gets you job offers  - And how crying at work is perceived  --- Unlock the Nudge Vaults: h...

Have you ever finished a book you dislike just to say you’ve finished it? Have you loaded up Duolingo at 11:55pm to keep the streak alive? Have you felt the crushing disappointment of realising you forgot to record your run for Strava?  If so, metrics might be controlling your life. And philosopher C. Thi Nguyen, my guest on today’s episode of Nudge, thinks that’s a problem. Nguyen believes t...

On April 26th, 2026, Sebastian Sawe did what many thought was impossible.  Running the marathon in under two hours. Today on Nudge, I explain the psychological tricks Sawe may have used to break the record.  --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 12,199 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepod...

In 1997, Miss USA won Miss Universe with one perfectly judged answer. She revealed just enough to charm, but not enough to shock. Harvard professor Leslie John says that's scientifically proven to persuade. Her research shows revealers are more likeable, more hireable, and even more dateable. In this episode, she shares why oversharing beats staying guarded, why privacy promises make us shy, and h...

Katy Milkman shares one technique that could keep you exercising for 55% longer.  --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Katy’s book: https://amzn.to/3RF63xA  Katy’s podcast: https://www.schwab.com/learn/choiceology  Katy’s newsletter: https://www.katymilkman.com/newsletter-milkman-delivers  Subscribe to my newsletter: h...

To persuade someone, most of us are tempted to use fear.  We tell clients how much they’ll struggle if they pick a competitor. We tell our kids how they’ll lose TV time if they don’t finish their homework. We plead with our partners to kick bad habits by highlighting how unhealthy it’s making them.  We all do it; we opt for doom-and-gloom messages baked in fear. But today's guests on Nudge, Elizab...

In a fairly inconspicuous SXSW podcast, two marketers shook the music industry.  Jesse Coren and Andrew Spelman, two co-founders at Chaotic Good, explained how they make bands go viral.  Their methods shocked people.  Today on Nudge, I reveal how these two marketers use psychological hacks to manipulate the masses and make 'indie' bands mainstream.  --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk...

In 2007, two Harvard researchers added a splash of balsamic vinegar to beer.  When drinkers knew the beer contained vinegar, they hated it.  But when the researchers told them “this is our MIT brew," the majority loved it.  The study reveals the secrets behind marketing.  On today’s episode of Nudge with award-winning science writer David Robson, we explain how good marketing can shape our percept...

Imagine you’re a chef.  You are shown the recipe for a soup. It has five ingredients.  You’re told to improve the recipe.  What do you do?  96% of people reveal a bias when answering this question. And that bias makes marketing less effective, communication less engaging and products less appealing.  Find out why in today’s episode of Nudge with the award-winning professor Leidy Klotz.  Warning: t...

The British government recently announced a ban on all social media usage for children up to the age of 16.  But will the ban work?  Today on Nudge, I explore the psychology of restrictions, bans and friction.  Warning: this show is restricted to those aged 16 or over.  --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Use code NUDGE for 10% off your FSB membership.  Unlock the Nudge Vaults:...

World-leading behaviour change expert Katy Milkman details how to change your habits.  --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Katy’s book: https://amzn.to/3RF63xA  Katy’s podcast: https://www.schwab.com/learn/choiceology  Katy’s newsletter: https://www.katymilkman.com/newsletter-milkman-delivers  Subscribe to my newslett...

In December 2018 Gatwick Airport shut down. 109 eyewitnesses reported sighting 170 drone flights over the airport.  All flights were grounded, and the nation braced for a terrorist attack. But what if those sightings weren’t real but instead an imagination caused by expectations?  In today’s episode with award-winning science journalist David Robson, we explore the science of the expectation effec...

The broken windows theory suggests that one broken window can cause a neighbourhood to descend into disrepair. But is it true?  Today, with the award-winning professor Leidy Klotz, we investigate the broken windows theory and explain how environments shape our behaviour.  --- Become an FSB member: https://get.fsb.org.uk/nudge/ Leidy’s book Subtract: https://amzn.to/4df4duk Leidy’s latest book In a...

Octopus Energy went from £0 in revenue to £12 billion in 10 years.  Today, on Nudge, I chat with their first employee Pete Miller, who explains how they used nudges to grow.  Hear why they:  1) Encourage customers to spin a wheel to reward metre readings.  2) Give away free electricity at 4pm.  3) Play you the number one song from the year you turned 14.  4) And gave away 40,000 electric blankets...

The Enhanced Games, hosted in Las Vegas last Saturday, made a bold claim. With the use of performance-enhancing drugs, enhanced athletes would break not just personal records but world records.  And the end goal? To sell those same drugs to the masses.  It’s arguably the biggest marketing stunt of the year so far, and today on Nudge I reveal the psychology behind it.  Did the Enhanced Games succee...

In this episode, I chat to Pete Miller, part of the co-founding team at Octopus Energy, who helped design one of the most recognisable new logos in Britain.  Hear how Octopus used two proven psychological principles to build a logo people remember (and why those same principles are being ignored by most of the industry). You'll learn: - Why a distinct logo made one beer taste 5% better - How a 193...

In Singapore, a group of runners charge 50p per kilometre to run on strangers' Strava accounts.  That's how far people will go to look fit online.  This episode explains the psychology behind why being watched changes everything. --- Owain’s book: https://amzn.to/4smVtrP  Owain’s company CogCo: https://cogco.co/  Unlock the Nudge Vaults: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults⁠  Join 11,626 readers o...

Professor Richard Wiseman searched for the world’s funniest joke.  He found it.  But it wasn’t what he expected.  --- Richard’s book Quirkology: https://amzn.to/4shYOJ6  Richard’s book 59 Seconds: https://amzn.to/3Pf9pWI  Richard’s SubStack: https://richardwiseman.substack.com/  Join 11,934 readers of the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://...