What most people miss about marketing | Rory Sutherland (Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK, author)

1. Prioritize Psychological Thinking

When solving problems in business, prioritize thinking psychologically over strictly logically, as human behavior is complex and non-linear, often defying purely rational models.

2. Build Brand with Consistency, Distinctiveness, Fame

For early-stage founders, build your brand by being consistent, distinctive, and famous, because fame creates non-linear advantages, attracting customers and talent without you having to find them.

3. Preserve Product Idiosyncrasies

Preserve slightly odd or distinctive features in your product, as these idiosyncrasies can make your offering memorable and stand out, much like the yellow label of Verve Clicquot.

4. Innovate with “MAYA” Principle

When designing new products, aim for “maximally advanced yet acceptable” changes, as consumers generally prefer evolution over complete reinvention, making it easier for them to adopt new behaviors.

5. Beware Over-Optimization

Avoid over-optimizing for pure efficiency or logic, as sometimes sensory cues or slight imperfections (like the buzz of a razor) are necessary for users to perceive a product as effective.

6. Incorporate Humor in Marketing

Design your product or marketing so that a stand-up comedian could do a routine about it, as slightly weird or counterintuitive elements can capture attention and make it memorable.

7. Good Products Don’t Auto-Succeed

Do not assume that good products automatically succeed or bad ones fail, because factors like timing, marketing, and psychological acceptance are often decisive in a product’s success or failure.

8. Re-Evaluate Past Failures

Don’t reject ideas solely because they failed previously, as timing is critical, and a product that was too early in the past might succeed now.

9. Design Autonomous Small Teams

Structure teams into small, autonomous units (e.g., 10-15 people) to leverage natural human instincts of reciprocation and obligation, leading to higher motivation and job satisfaction.

10. Use Human-Centric Briefs

Instead of rigid metrics, give staff human-centric briefs like “treat the customer like your grandmother” or “make your mum proud” to empower discretionary judgment and boost motivation.

11. Prioritize Problem Solving Over Speed

In customer service, allow calls to be as long as needed to solve the problem, rather than enforcing speed metrics, to prioritize genuine problem resolution and customer satisfaction.

12. Acknowledge Non-Linear Human Behavior

Recognize that human behavior is non-linear and complex, meaning small changes can have disproportionate effects, and sometimes the opposite of a good idea can also be effective.

13. Question Single-Answer Solutions

Challenge the assumption that there’s always a single right answer in business decisions, as real-life problems often have multiple valid solutions and incomplete information.

14. Leverage Strategic Irrationality

Recognize that behaving irrationally can be strategically rational, as unpredictability can deter competition and create an advantage in complex, game-theoretic situations.

15. Harness Habit & Social Copying

Understand that human behavior is strongly driven by habit and social copying, and leverage these instincts for product adoption rather than relying solely on rational arguments like cost savings.

16. Counter Survivorship Bias

Be aware of survivorship bias by remembering that marketing, timing, and luck are often decisive in product success, not just intrinsic quality, and many good products fail.

17. Manage User Imagery Carefully

Carefully manage the “user imagery” of new products, as early adopter perceptions (e.g., “smug environmentalist” for electric cars) can create psychological barriers for mainstream adoption.

18. Employ Two-Stage Idea Deliberation

Adopt a two-stage deliberation process: first, consider the logical answers, then dedicate time to explore “silly” or unconventional ideas, allowing for more creative solutions.

19. Simplify Core Product Function

For new products, focus on one core function and execute it exceptionally well, as too much functionality can create ambiguity and hinder user adoption.

20. Optimize Product Choice Architecture

Design product choices to offer just the right amount of options, avoiding both too few and too many, to make the decision process manageable and attractive to customers.

21. Value Non-Linear Fame

Recognize that fame creates non-linear advantages in business, making it easier to attract talent, build trust, and gain customer loyalty, even if its value is difficult to quantify directly.

22. Integrate Marketing & Tech in Parallel

Integrate marketing and technology development in parallel, rather than sequentially, as they are interdependent and working together from the start leads to more effective innovation.

23. Target Psych-Tech-Econ Sweet Spot

Aim for products that simultaneously work psychologically (people want it), technologically (it’s effective), and economically (it’s profitable) to achieve optimal success.