Tag: Marketing

  • Rory Sutherland’s book recommendations and media picks: A personal challenge

    Rory Sutherland’s book recommendations and media picks: A personal challenge

    I’ve spent the last few months mainlining Rory Sutherland. Who am I kidding, he’s responsible for my interest in behavioural science in comms ever since I saw him talk at Cannes Lions about a decade ago. I don’t know how many hours of podcasts and YouTube clips I’ve consumed, but my brain is buzzing, and I have a strange urge to buy a ridiculously loud shirt and start dressing like a slightly hungover president of a reputable English cricket club.

    Note: I originally wrote about this on my old website but this list it bigger and better, and way more up to date.

    Rory’s the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK, but more importantly, he’s the advertising world’s chief anthropologist and court jester, here to remind us that logic is a terrible guide to understanding humans.

    This list is my attempt to organize the bender. It’s the ultimate starter pack for anyone who wants to escape the tyranny of the a Google rabbit hole and start making some real magic.

    The Behavioral brainwash (books that will rewire your brain for the better)

    This isn’t just a reading list. This is an epistemology. A toolkit for seeing the hidden wiring of human decision-making.

    Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

    The bible. Rory considers it the holy grail for understanding how our minds actually work, not how economists wish they worked. If you read nothing else, he says, at least read Kahneman’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech. But seriously, just read the fucking book.

    Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

    This is the practical follow-up. Ariely shows that our so-called “irrationality” isn’t a random bug, it’s a predictable feature. It follows patterns. Patterns you can spot, understand, and design for. It’s a game-changer.

    Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein

    A “tremendous book.” Rory loves it because it’s about becoming a “choice architect.” It teaches you how tiny, almost invisible changes in context can create huge behavioral shifts–without mandates or expensive campaigns. It’s marketing judo.

    Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics by Richard Thaler

    The origin story and a hilarious and brilliant journey of dragging mainstream economics, kicking and screaming, to the realization that humans aren’t emotionless robots optimizing a spreadsheet. It’s essential for anyone who feels like their job is at odds with human nature.

    The Rational Animal by Douglas Kenrick

    This one explores how evolution wired us to be a lot smarter than our conscious, “rational” brains give us credit for. Our deep-seated instincts are often doing the heavy lifting.

    Basic Instincts, Human Nature and the New Economics by Pete Lunn

    An Irish perspective on behavioral economics that offers a fresh, witty take on the whole field. Featured in Rory’s essential “Books that make you think differently” video.

    Risk Savvy by Gerd Gigerenzer

    A “wonderful book” that introduces a critical concept: “defensive decision-making.” People don’t just choose what’s best; they often choose what’s easiest to justify if it goes wrong. This explains about 125% of corporate behavior.

    Poor Economics by Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee

    Rory loves this because it’s a masterclass in the power of small interventions. It proves that tiny, psychologically-attuned incentives can create massive behavioral change. It’s the dream: maximum impact for minimum spend.

    Wanting by Luke Burgis

    This book unpacks a mind-fuck of an idea: mimetic desire. We don’t really want things on our own. We want what other people want. It’s a contagious disease. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. As Rory says, “I hope everybody else enjoys this book as much as I did.”

    Pathological Altruism by Barbara Oakley

    A brilliant spanner in the works for anyone who thinks “doing good” is simple. This book shows how well-intentioned acts can backfire spectacularly. It argues that altruism needs to be calibrated with a dose of cynical, second-order thinking, not just maximized blindly.

    The marketing magic kit

    Forget your slightly silly proprietary tools KPIs for a second. This is the real toolbox.

    Common Sense Direct Marketing by Drayton Bird

    Written by Rory’s first boss and “huge influence.” This isn’t theoretical bullshit; it’s a practical, get-your-hands-dirty guide from a direct marketing legend who taught Rory about what actually makes people pull out their wallets.

    Spent by Geoffrey Miller

    This is marketing with a side of evolutionary biology. Miller goes deep, exploring how our purchases are really just complex signaling mechanisms designed to show off our genetic fitness. It’s the hidden “why” behind consumerism.

    Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

    Rory champions this book constantly because it perfectly illustrates one of his core beliefs: the opposite of a good idea can also be a good idea. It’s a masterclass in how to build a business by focusing on the magic, not just the metrics.

    Alchemy by Rory Sutherland

    This is Rory’s own gospel. The core thesis of his entire worldview. It’s the grand argument for why illogical, irrational, and inefficient ideas are often the most brilliant. If you read only one book on this list, maybe make it this one. Or Kahneman. Fuck it, read both.

    Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy

    Rory’s verdict is simple and absolute: “Love it. His best book.” Enough said. Essential reading from the original Mad Man.

    Obvious Adams by Robert R. Updegraff

    Another “superb business book” that tells a simple story about a man who succeeds by stating the blindingly obvious things that everyone else overlooks. A powerful lesson in not overcomplicating things.

    $100M Offers by Alex Hormozi

    A “truly excellent book” because it flips the script on value. It’s less about what you’re selling and more about creating an offer so god damn good, people feel stupid saying no.

    Algorithms To Live By by Brian Christian

    A “sensationally good book” that applies core concepts from computer science (like the explore/exploit trade-off) to everyday human life. It’s a new lens for making better decisions.

    Obliquity by John Kay

    Sutherland calls this “the best short read for businessfolk.” It champions the powerful, counter-intuitive idea that you often achieve your goals by not aiming directly at them. It’s a dagger to the heart of KPI-obsessed managers.

    Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt

    “Should be a set text in schools.” A brilliant look at how the seemingly simple act of driving reveals the complex, unwritten rules of human social psychology, negotiation, and game theory.

    Zero to One by Peter Thiel

    “An excellent book from someone who seems to understand what Fitzgerald called ‘the whole equation’ of a business.” Rory respects Thiel’s grasp of the complete picture, not just one slice of it.

    Mind-expanding fiction

    Because storytelling teaches you more about humans than a focus group ever will.

    The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

    Rory thinks that detective fiction isn’t just entertainment; it’s a training manual for how to have an insight. Holmes teaches you to observe, not just see, and to find the significance in the trivial details everyone else ignores. A crucial skill for any strategist.

    The Clicking of Cuthbert by P.G. Wodehouse

    Rory has apparently read this short story more than 30 times. He calls it “the most perfect work of artistic creation in the history of the world.” Yes, he actually claims it’s better than the Sistine Chapel. You should probably read it. It’s very funny.

    Unexpected wisdom

    The best ideas often come from the weirdest places.

    Winston Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

    Described by Sutherland as “the most Rory book” he’d read in a year. It’s all about winning a war with creative absurdity, psychological tricks, and wild schemes that make no logical sense but worked brilliantly. Sound familiar?

    How to Solve It by George Polya

    Polya’s four-step method is great, but the killer insight Rory loves is this: spending more time understanding the problem is more valuable than rushing to a solution. A game-changer for anyone in a creative field.

    When More Is Not Better by Roger L. Martin

    An “excellent book” that throws a bomb at America’s obsession with efficiency above all else. It argues that resilience and slack are more important than optimization–a message straight from the Sutherland playbook.

    Screen time that’s actually worth it

    Jay Leno’s Garage (especially “Why I Don’t Own a Ferrari”)

    A perfect real-world example of rejecting the “obvious” status game. Leno rejects the bullshit and hassle of owning a Ferrari not because he can’t afford one, but because it’s an objectively worse experience. He buys cars for joy, not to impress dicks.

    Fawlty Towers

    Beyond being painfully funny, it’s a masterclass in cultural nuance, communication breakdown, and the psychology of a man constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. My Dad reccomends this too, for what it’s worth…

    “Books that make you think differently” YouTube video

    If you do nothing else, watch this. It’s a 17-minute download directly from Rory’s brain as he walks you through his favorites. It’s like getting a personal book club session with the man himself.

    “Inside the mind of a marketing genius” – Great Company

    A fresh, wide-ranging 2025 conversation that covers everything from the psychology of brand love to his recent, and somewhat baffling, TikTok fame.

    Podcasts to fill your ears

    Stop listening to generic business gurus. Listen to this instead.

    The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

    Shane Parrish is brilliant at deep dives, and his episodes with Rory are pure gold. They get right into the weeds of advertising psychology and mental models.

    On Brand with ALF & Rory Sutherland

    Co-hosted by Rory. It’s like being a fly on the wall as he and his friends dissect branding, advertising, and human silliness through a behavioral science lens.

    Modern Wisdom Podcast

    Rory joins Chris Williamson to unpack the hidden psychology behind what makes great advertising actually work.

    Out of Hours

    The episode “How To Stay Creative & Entrepreneurial in a Rational World” is fantastic. He talks about why he’d love to sell air conditioners (the context is everything) and his thoughts on AI.

    Invest Like the Best with Patrick O’Shaughnessy

    A must-listen. Rory explains why “spreadsheets and logic kill magic” and makes the case for pursuing psychological moonshots, not just technological ones.

    You’re welcome…

    ✨//A

  • Beyond the hype: An executive’s playbook for AI in marketing & communications

    Beyond the hype: An executive’s playbook for AI in marketing & communications

    You’ve sat through the PowerPoint decks and the YouTube videos. You’ve heard the promises about AI creative services. You’ve seen the glossy output from the “innovation team.” And yet, nothing has really changed, has it? Your brilliant team is still burned out. The work is still committee-driven. And the promised land of infinite, kick-ass creative ideas feels as far away as ever.

    What if the problem isn’t the AI? What if it’s the creative team itself?

    Not the people—the behavioural system they operate within.

    Everyone and their dog is teaching prompting. “Here’s how to talk to a robot.” Sure, it’s a nice start, but it’s not the game. The real, compounding advantage comes from rewiring the fundamental behaviours that govern how your team collaborates with a model—so the right creative moves happen by default, not by heroic, late-night heroics.

    This isn’t about toolkits but a total-body operating system upgrade. It’s the difference between fumbling with a phrasebook on a backpacking trip and becoming a truly fluent, human-model bilingual creative. The first gets you by. The second opens up a whole new world.

    We call this the Behavioural Creative Adaptation Model (BCAM), and it works by upgrading five layers of your team’s culture and workflows.

    Level 1: Psychological Safety. Stop the “Threat Response.”

    What breaks: Creative people quietly feel judged by machines. Leaders quietly worry about risk. That double-threat produces timid briefs, shallow experiments, and “secret prompts.”

    Behavioral foundation: Convert threat into curiosity; protect identity while experimenting. Psychological safety isn’t soft—it’s throughput. See Edmondson’s work on safety and learning climates (paper).

    Why it matters to you: If you’re a Creative Director or innovation lead, this is the cheapest throughput lever you’ve got. It unlocks the rest.

    Your team is quietly terrified. They’ve read the headlines. They think AI is here to take their jobs. This fear—the threat response—is a creativity killer. It leads to algorithmic aversion (avoiding the tool) or over-reliance (handing over their judgment). You’ve got to change the channel from “replacement” to “amplifier of taste and judgment.”

    How? You create rituals. Start every critique with “Studio Safety Rules,” where you explicitly agree to critique the work, not the person. Institute a one-page Critique Rubric with clear, objective criteria. And, for the love of all that is holy, demand a one-page AI Use Disclosure so everyone is transparent. If you don’t do this, you’re trying to build a rocket ship in a room full of people who are sure it will explode.

    Level 2: Human-Model Bilingualism. Speak the New Language.

    What breaks: Teams either over-index on intuition (smart but slow) or on computation (fast but soulless). “Great taste at scale” needs both.

    Behavioral foundation: Switch fluidly between human intuition and model computation.

    Why it matters to you: If you run AI creative services or AI-powered creative operations, bilingualism is your margin: more quality, less rework.

    Once the fear is gone, your team needs to learn the new language of creative AI collaboration. This isn’t about being good at prompting. It’s about switching fluidly between human intuition and computational logic.

    Your new default should be a Draft → Human Refine → Model Critique loop. Don’t just generate; iterate with a purpose. Build a Prompt Playbook mapped to specific tasks—is this for ideation, refinement, or fact-checking? And critically, you must develop a “Voice Card” with the brand’s unique taste and personality, so the AI has a reference point. This is how you avoid generic, committee-driven creative and build actual brand distinction.

    Level 3: Habit Architecture. Make the Right Way the Easy Way.

    What breaks: Smart teams rely on grit. Grit is for finals, not for Tuesdays. You want defaults that reduce thinking where thinking adds no value.

    Behavioral foundation: Design the environment so the right behaviors happen automatically. EAST says make it Easy, Attractive, Social, Timely (guide).

    Why it matters to you: This is where creative workflow redesign pays off. It’s also where your team acceleration workshops actually change behavior instead of giving everyone a nice tote bag.

    Good intentions are bullshit without good habits. If your team has to remember to do the right thing, they won’t. The environment must be designed so that the right behaviours happen automatically.

    Embed defaults. Pre-filled prompts, checklists, and reference libraries are your best friends here. Introduce micro-triggers at the moment of action. For example, a simple nudge that says “Add sources?” when someone exports a final asset. And start celebrating reps, not hours. Structure creative sprints around deliberate practice, not just endless, aimless meetings. This is a game of repetition, not revelation.

    Level 4: Team Orchestration. Ditch the Silos.

    What breaks: “We collaborate” is often code for chaos. Human–AI collaboration across roles needs choreography, not vibes.

    Behavioral foundation: Make collaborative human–AI work predictable and scalable across roles.

    Why it matters to you: If you’re a Creative Lead parachuting into a team or running a strategic brand consulting engagement, orchestration is your multiplier. Predictability is the new creativity.

    A traditional agency is bloated and siloed by design. That’s how they rack up billable hours. But in the age of AI, that model is dead. You need an agile, creative partner, a lean creative agency that moves like a strategic strike team. This means your new workflows need to be predictable and scalable across roles.

    Establish a Taste-Maker Council that does blind reviews of work against your rubric. This removes ego and politics from the equation. Define clear RACI charts for AI workflows so everyone knows their role and responsibility. And for the love of God, run a taste calibration with a reference deck and have your team score the same work. You’ll be shocked at how many different opinions there are—and how much faster you can move once you align.

    Level 5: Cultural Operating System. Make It Permanent.

    What breaks: You ship a great pilot. Then the org’s antibodies kill it. Culture eats roadmaps.

    Behavioral foundation: Bake the behaviors into policy, incentives, and learning so they persist and scale.

    Why it matters to you: This is how behavioural economics for brands meets AI systems and actually alters incentives. Culture, not tools, is your moat.

    This isn’t a pilot program; it’s the new normal. If you don’t bake these behaviours into your team’s culture, they will vanish when you turn your back.

    How? Publish a one-page, exec-friendly AI policy defining disclosure and model selection guardrails. Tying promotions and compensation to contributions to your team’s reusable library of prompts and processes. And by building a portfolio scorecard for leadership that tracks speed, quality, and reuse. This is how you future-proof a brand strategy and demonstrate a clear ROI on creative work.

    The New Creative Advantage

    This isn’t a guide for some far-off future. This works for the smartest, fastest, and most adaptable in-house creative teams. It’s what separates the teams failing with performative pilots from those building a scalable, repeatable, and genuinely robust creative engine.

    If you’re tired of slow, committee-driven creative that’s strangled by process, it’s time to stop looking for a new tool and start examining your team’s behaviors.

    It’s time to stop waiting for inspiration and start engineering it.

    Ready to rewire your team?

    We install the Behavioral Creative Intelligence Program in a 90-day sprint, giving you the scorecard, the policy, and a custom plan to lock in Levels 1–4.

    Let’s talk about how to get your Fractional Creative Director (FCD) ready for the future or how to build an AI for creatives workshop that actually changes how your team works, not just what tools they know.

    Don’t just adapt to AI. Use it to build a better, faster, more brilliant creative team. You’re welcome.

    ✨//A