The Dark Arts of Marketing When Persuasion Becomes Manipulation Marketing has always walked a fine line between persuasion and manipulation. At its best, marketing helps people make informed decisions about products that improve their lives. At its worst, it nudges, tricks, and pressures consumers into behaviours they might never have chosen if they had been
From Maslow to The Sims: How a Psychology Theory Became a Game Mechanic Why a mid-20th century theory of human motivation quietly shaped one of the most successful video games ever made, and influenced popular culture far beyond academia. If you have ever played The Sims, you have unknowingly interacted with one of the most
Video - Fast, Slow, Sold? Analysing the Infamous Pot Noodle “Horn” Advert Fast, Slow, Sold? Analysing the Infamous Pot Noodle “Horn” Advert When crude humour meets clever marketing strategy Few adverts manage to be memorable, controversial, and strategically effective all at once. But the 2005 Pot Noodle
The Customer Isn’t Always Right: 5 Times the Public Got It Completely Wrong (Plus 5 Honourable Mentions) “The customer is always right.” It’s one of those phrases that sounds brilliant on a motivational poster, right up until you’re dealing with a queue of furious adults arguing over a chicken sandwich like it’s the last helicopter
Gap’s 2010 Logo Redesign: Timeline, Backlash, and Aftermath Why Gap Decided to Change Its Iconic Logo By 2010, Gap’s branding had remained largely unchanged for over two decades. The familiar “blue box” logo; white GAP letters in a serif font inside a navy blue square, had symbolised the company since 1990. However, after the 2008
Jacob Rees-Mogg, Misinformation and the Performance of Power What marketers can learn from incorrect claims, propaganda techniques and media spectacle Jacob Rees-Mogg is one of the most recognisable political figures of modern British politics. Tall, archaic in tone, consciously anachronistic, and almost permanently leaning into a Victorian cosplay of authority, he is a reminder that
How Tropicana’s Packaging Changed the Game - and What Marketers Can Learn from Its High-Profile Missteps Packaging Isn’t Just Packaging For brands in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), packaging sits at the intersection of brand identity, shopper behaviour, and sales performance. Few case studies encapsulate this like Tropicana’s 2009 redesign; a decision meant to modernise the
The Psychology Behind Christmas Marketing: How John Lewis, Coca-Cola and M&S Shape Our Festive Behaviour Understanding the cognitive biases, cultural rituals and emotional triggers that make Christmas campaigns so effective Few moments in the marketing calendar carry as much psychological weight as Christmas. It is simultaneously a cultural ritual, a commercial engine, a memory machine
When Spin Meets Reality: Political, Wartime and Social Justice Propaganda Failures When States Sell Stories - and the Truth Hits Back Political propaganda has existed as long as power itself. Governments, military leaders and movements have always tried to shape reality through messaging – whether to justify wars, hide failures, maintain morale, or enforce ideology.
Conspicuous Consumption: Why We Buy to Be Seen (and What Marketers Need to Know) The psychology of status-driven spending, identity through possessions, and how marketers can ethically tap into our need to stand out. From designer trainers to Instagrammable brunches and £1,000 reusable water bottles, we live in a world where purchasing power doesn’t just
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