About this podcast
Nudge is the UK's #1 marketing podcast, breaking down the hidden psychology behind what we do and why we do it. No BS, just smart, science-backed insights that actually work.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 318 episodes
- What it’s really like to win the lottery · 29 minWhat happens when someone wins the lottery? Financial planner Matt Pitcher shares his lessons from a decade working with lotto winners. He reveals how sudden wealth can…
- Are the rich and famous smarter than you? · 26 minToday on Nudge, the $2.9m NFT that sold for 0.0097% of its original price, why so many footballers go bankrupt, and how you can beat the stock market. I’m joined again by Alex…
- The fake AI veteran scam · 28 minIt’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…
- Is the stock market just vibes? · 26 minWhen 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…
- Do AI bosses need to be famous? · 23 minI 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…
- Why this man spent 3 years driving to Australia · 36 minWiebe 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…
- Does male insecurity increase Ferrari sales? (And 6 more psych-myths) · 24 minAre 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…
- The huge restaurant chains masquerading as independents · 28 minEvery weekend, thousands of Brits order takeaways from independent restaurants. Or do they? Because these independent restaurants aren’t actually what they seem. Pizza Hut…
- I tested Rory Sutherland’s business advice · 31 minNine 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…
- The worst mistake to make on Dragon’s Den / Shark Tank · 25 minThere’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…
- Are metrics controlling your life? · 35 minHave 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…
- The mental tricks used to break the 2-hour marathon · 24 minOn 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…
- How much should you reveal to your co-workers · 25 minIn 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…
- Katy Milkman: “Here’s how to make exercise fun” · 24 minKaty 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…
- Why fear won’t always persuade · 28 minTo 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…
- How these two marketers manipulate your music taste · 31 minIn 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…
- Can balsamic vinegar make beer better? · 29 minIn 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…
- 88 out of 90 people fall for this bias. Do you? · 20 minImagine 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…
- Will the UK’s social media ban backfire? · 27 minThe 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…
- Katy Milkman: Learn how to change habits in 39 minutes · 39 minWorld-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…
- Were the 2018 Gatwick drones real? · 31 minIn 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…
- Do broken windows cause crime? · 24 minThe 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…
- “How we used nudges reach £12 billion in sales” Octopus Energy's Pete Miller · 41 minOctopus 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…
- Enhanced Games: Did the $320m marketing stunt backfire? · 28 minThe 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…
- What makes a good logo? · 24 minIn 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…
- How peer pressure built a $5 billion fitness revolution · 22 minIn 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…
- Prof Wiseman: “My (Failed) Search for the World's Funniest Joke” · 24 minProfessor 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…
- Why willpower alone doesn’t work · 25 minThree thousand years ago, Odysseus tied himself to a mast to resist the Sirens. He didn't trust his willpower, so he removed the choice entirely. Today, Owain Service…
- Prof Wiseman: “This is how you spot a liar” · 31 minWarning, you’ll hear a lie in this episode. You won’t be told it's a lie. And 29% of those who listen probably won’t spot the lie. But if you listen till the end, you’ll learn…
- Nir Eyal “Why These £39 Placebo Pills Actually Work” · 30 minThere's a pill on Amazon called Fukitol. It contains nothing. And yet people buy it, swear by it, and give it five stars. Today, Nir Eyal explains the remarkable science behind…
- What the World’s ‘Best Chat-Up Line’ Reveals About Human Psychology · 28 minProfessor Richard Wiseman wanted to discover the world’s #1 chat-up line. But in doing so, he discovered several secrets behind human psychology. On today’s Nudge he covers…
- Learn psychological pricing in 24 minutes · 24 minI get a lot of questions about pricing. Should I start with our most expensive item first? Should I use precise prices instead of rounded ones when negotiating? Should I name…
- Will Guidara: How Cognac solved a major problem at the world’s #1 restaurant · 29 minMost restaurants have a major problem. Paying the bill. Give the bill too early, and the customer feels rushed. Too late, and they feel ignored. To solve this problem (and…
- How this fraudster sold fake Scottish tea to the rich & famous · 36 minIn 2015, the media became obsessed with one man’s attempts to grow tea in the Scottish Highlands. The BBC profiled him on the One Show. Radio reporters flocked to interview him…
- Will Guidara: “Here’s how I built the world’s #1 restaurant" · 35 minWill Guidara is the co-founder and restaurateur behind the world’s best restaurant. But Will’s not a standard restaurateur. He didn’t just focus on creating the best food. He…
- Can this “magic” number change your behaviour? · 26 minDo nine-ending prices really work? Will £9.99 sell more than £10.00? Can it be used for high-quality products? What about hedonic products? Can it be used on speed limits? For…
- Are we all just status-seeking monkeys? · 30 minToday on Nudge, Professor Katie Slocombe shares how chimpanzees handle power, build alliances, and jostle for status in their troop. It’s the first time on Nudge that we’ve…
- “These two words increased sales by 18%.” Robert Cialdini · 24 min16 years ago a chain of Chinese restaurants wanted to increase sales without changing the price. They didn’t change the product. The service. The chef. The food. Instead…
- When you can’t stop seeing the thing you’ve just discovered · 27 minI watched Home Alone and suddenly started hearing the theme tune everywhere. I thought I was going insane. But Tom Bowden-Green and Luan Wise explained that I actually fell for…
- The Psych-Trick Behind One of the Decade’s Fastest Growing Orgs · 26 minHelloFresh is one of the fastest-growing companies of the past 20 years. And it’s down to one, relatively simple behavioural science tactic. --- Subscribe to the Nudge Vaults…
- Real-world examples of cognitive biases · 24 minMost of us are completely oblivious to the cognitive biases that dictate how we live our lives. Today, with Tom Bowden-Green and Luan Wise, we cover seven cognitive biases that…
- “This common pricing strategy is completely wrong!” Robert Cialdini · 27 min“Say you’ve calculated your price and it comes out at £120,121. Most would round it down to £120,000. That’s completely wrong.” That’s what Robert Cialdini told me on the…
- Robert Cialdini: “This study on 6,700 websites proved my principle!” · 27 minThis study analysed 6,700 websites in an unprecedented A/B test. The results proved something that Dr Robert Cialdini had been preaching for years. Today, on Nudge, Robert…
- The Secret Behind KFC’s Success · 24 minKFC keeps its recipe secret. It’s stored in a vault in an unknown location. Only two KFC executives know the ingredients. Neither are allowed to fly on the same plane. But…
- Why is it so hard to say no? · 31 minIn 1963, the Milgram experiments revealed something unsettling. Most people kept administering what they believed were painful electric shocks, not because they wanted to, but…
- The top 9 tips from 55 Nudge episodes in 2025 · 29 minIn today’s special end-of-year episode, you’ll hear the best insights from Nudge in 2025. Hear from Prof. Gerd Gigerenzer, Richard Shotton, Bas Wouters, Philip Graves, Prof…
- The nudge that persuaded Aussies to stop speeding · 21 minHow would you encourage Australians to drive slower? That’s what today’s guest on Nudge, Adam Ferrier, had to do. Being an applied behavioural scientist, he tackled this…
- Don’t listen to this podcast · 20 minSeriously. Don’t listen to this episode. Whatever you do. Don’t. Press. Play. (Warning: this episode contains explicit language.) --- Adam’s agency…
- Why We’re Irrationally Loyal to Amazon Prime · 21 min2 out of 3 internet users in the USA pay for Prime. Yet, most of them are irrationally loyal. They feel like the subscription provides more cost savings than reality. Today…
- Robert Cialdini: "Everyone Should Memorise This Persuasion Principle" · 28 minHis book Influence sold 5 million times. He’s known as the Godfather of Influence. He’s arguably the best-known behavioural science practitioner. And he’s finally (after years…
