profile

Nudge Newsletter

Why do fake creams outsell real science? | Nudge Newsletter

Published 3 days ago • 1 min read

Operational Transparency

​Read online​

Voltarol is the world's number one pain relief gel.

Unlike almost every other gel on the market, Voltarol actually works.

Clinical tests have been done to prove that the gel penetrates the skin to supply pain relief.

And yet, there are dozens of other very successful paom relief creams that don't supply real pain relief.

Take Blue-Emu, an over-the-counter cream with $42 million in annual sales.

So, why is Blue-Emu successful in a world where Voltarol exists?

Because most people don’t wait for results.

They judge the cream the second they rub it in.

If it tingles, cools, or smells strong, it feels like it’s working.

That’s what Blue-Emu does.

The science doesn't matter, but the experience does.

Blue-Emu feels like it's working, and that's enough to trick the brain into believing that the pain is soothing.

And all types of companies do this:

Red Bull tastes medicinal to suggest its caffeinated potency.

Toothpaste creates foam that doesn't actually clean teeth but feels like it does.

Spray cleaners smell artificially strong, making us believe they clean better.

Supercars are made to sound artificially louder, making them feel faster.

In marketing, perception beats proof every time.

Nudge just hit 30k YouTube subs! Thanks for the support. — Phill ​

P.S. I'm planning to launch another Nudge Unit in Nov. Here's the waiting list.​

As a behavioural science practitioner, I believe in the peak-end rule.

​

​Tune into Nudge | Advertise with Nudge | Unsubscribe

Nudge Newsletter

Phill Agnew

I spend 18 hours each week turning marketing psychology into readable newsletters.

Read more from Nudge Newsletter

The Ringelmann Effect Read online In 1882, French engineer Maximilien Ringelmann studied effort.¹ He measured how much weight each man could pull. Individually, the men could pull 85 kg. But in groups of seven, they averaged just 65 kg, a 24% drop. This became known as the Ringelmann Effect. Put simply, it proved that as group size increases, individual effort decreases. Most of us will have seen this in the workplace, typically in bloated meetings where nothing gets done. But it's not...

10 days ago • 1 min read

The Effort Illusion Read online In 2003, two researchers¹ proved the illusion of effort. It means we value things more if we believe it took a lot of time to create. Chinander and Schweitzer had groups watch identical presentations. Groups were told one of two things: "This presentation took 8 hours and 34 minutes to prepare." "This presentation took 37 minutes to prepare." Those told the presentation took longer to prep rated it significantly higher. Can I prove this works? On Nudge, I like...

17 days ago • 1 min read

The Nature Effect Read online Are you happier outside? In one 2013 study¹ one million iPhone notifications were sent to 20,000 Brits at various times of day, over a six-month period. The app prompted participants to report their happiness. The app used in the study The phone's GPS determined if the participant was outside or inside. Turns out, those outdoors were much happier. Compared to those inside, participants outside were "significantly and substantially happier", according to the...

24 days ago • 1 min read