Mystery Effect Read online I submit a gas and electricity reading every month. Not because I'm diligent or disciplined. But because my supplier (Octopus Energy) nudges me to do so. Every time I leave a gas reading, they let me spin a wheel to win a potential reward. Most suppliers just ask for a reading (left). Octopus offer a chance to win (right). I've shared this before, but I haven't shared much evidence as to why it works. So, take a look at these images from a 2022 study¹.Which would...

Long-Term Goals = Success? Read online You've probably heard of the “Yale Goal Study". Here's the study. In 1953, researchers interviewed Yale’s graduating class. They asked a simple question: “Have you written down your goals for life?” Twenty years later, they tracked the same students down. And discovered something dramatic. Just 3% had written specific goals. And that 3% had built more personal wealth than the other 97% combined. It’s a perfect self-help story, with a simple lesson. Make...

Commitment Devices Read online Often we plan to do something and don't. Donating blood, going on a run, watching that webinar. We want to, but forget. This drives marketers insane. People sign up for their events—but no one comes. Katy Milkman, a brilliant professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, found a solution¹. She used a commitment device. Milkman and her colleagues teamed up with a large American utility firm to see if they could prompt more of the company's...