32. Rory Sutherland, Ogilvy UK

Theories, digressions, amazing points, laughs. Wow! I’m not sure I would describe this as an interview, but instead a tour du force from one of my favourite people in behaviour science.In 1hr and 42 minutes, we cover examples of the earliest behavioural scientists (Jesus and Aesop), to dog s*&t, horsepower, John Cleese, serial killers, naturism and a whole lot more!Rory Sutherland joined Ogilvy and Mathers as a graduate trainee and planner in 1988, becoming the creative director in 2001, from 2008 to 2012 he served as president of the institute of practitioners in advertising. In 2012 Rory founded the behavioural science practice within the Ogilvy group, whose goal is to develop marketing techniques inspired by the fields of psychology and economics rather than shape customers desires through conventional advertising. In his book, Alchemy, the power of ideas that don’t make sense, Rory argues that marketing ideas are built around a core that is profoundly irrational. Just a few of the vast array of themes from Rory’s incredible mind include:Why Jesus was a master of loss aversion.How irrational stories drive rational behaviourThe importance of anecdotal informationThe real reasons we make the decisions we doWhy we should stop asking the customerHow to make waiting lists a positiveWhy a meeting with no agenda is good sometimesWhy most inventors are really marketersWhy metrics are a distraction Thanks as ever to my co-host Dr Tiago Moutela, and as ever to our partners the Behavioural Science in Public Health Network (BSPHN).​

Om Podcasten

Welcome to the Real World Behavioural Science (RWBS) podcast, where we look at how behavioural and social sciences are being used in the real world to help change the public’s health, for good. The RWBS podcast is created by the Behavioural Science and Public Health Network (www.BSPHN.org.uk) and is aimed at people working in public health, academia and industry, who have an interest in how behavioural science is being used to improve health and wellbeing.Each month, Stu King (BSPHN Committee Member and founder & CEO of behaviour change specialists BeeZee Bodies) and Dr Tiago Moutela (Head of Behavioural Science at BeeZee Bodies), interview professionals from the worlds of public health, academia and industry, who are using behavioural science to help change people’s lives. We have episodes featuring: - Professor Jim McManus - Co-founder of the BSPHN & Director of Public Health, Hertfordshire County Council, UK - Dr Amy Bucher – Behavioural Scientist at MadPow, Boston, USA - Dr Nick Cavill – Quasi-academic and Director of a Public Health Consultancy, UK - Professor Chris Armitage – Professor of Health Psychology, University of Manchester, UK - Rich Sheridan – CEO and Chief Storyteller at Menlo Innovations, Ann Arbour, USA- Dr Justin Varney - Director of Public Health at Birmingham City Council, UK - Mike Kelly - Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University Institute of Public Health, UK - Wendy Wills - University of Hertfordshire- Kim Roberts - HENRY We have some great guests in the pipeline from across industry, public health and academia and from across the world, including: - Samuel Salzer - Habits Weekly, Sweden - Tim Chadborn - PHE Behavioural Insights Team Subscribe now!