Marketing Icon: Rory Sutherland

Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK, joins James Pringle and Hector Mason on Riding Unicorns to delve into the fascinating intersection of behavioural science, marketing, and business strategy. With a career dedicated to understanding human decision-making, Rory shares his unique perspective on how psychological insights can unlock growth and create competitive advantages in today's business landscape.

In this episode, Rory explores why even the most brilliant ideas can fail without the right marketing approach and how concepts like the Netflix subscription model and the reliability of brands like McDonald's and Five Guys build customer trust through consistency. He introduces the concept of “inshittification” — when successful companies lose their way by prioritising profits over user experience — and critiques the tech industry’s obsession with automation at the expense of user needs.

Rory’s thought-provoking insights touch on everything from counterintuitive customer behaviour and the hidden power of psychological hacks to why founders need to consider both product and distribution as essential locks to unlocking success. This episode offers practical takeaways for founders, VCs, and creatives on how to better align products with consumer psychology and navigate today’s competitive market.

Listen now for Rory Sutherland’s refreshing take on behavioural science and its unexpected impact on business growth.

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