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The Choice Factory: 25 behavioural biases that influence what we buy Kindle Edition

by Richard Shotton (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 829 ratings
Before you can influence decisions, you need to understand what drives them. In The Choice Factory, Richard Shotton sets out to help you learn.

By observing a typical day of decision-making, from trivial food choices to significant work-place moves, he investigates how our behaviour is shaped by psychological shortcuts. With a clear focus on the marketing potential of knowing what makes us tick, Shotton has drawn on evidence from academia, real-life ad campaigns and his own original research.

The Choice Factory is written in an entertaining and highly-accessible format, with 25 short chapters, each addressing a cognitive bias and outlining simple ways to apply it to your own marketing challenges. Supporting his discussion, Shotton adds insights from new interviews with some of the smartest thinkers in advertising, including Rory Sutherland, Lucy Jameson and Mark Earls.

From priming to the pratfall effect, charm pricing to the curse of knowledge, the science of behavioural economics has never been easier to apply to marketing.

The Choice Factory is the new advertising essential.
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  1. Print length
    221 pages
  2. Language
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  3. Publisher
    Harriman House
  4. Publication date
    12 Feb. 2018
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Review

"This beautifully written book brings to life the counter-intuitive ways in which we make our everyday decisions." -- Jules Goddard, Fellow, London Business School. "The Choice Factory is a fun easy read packed with sound research that marketers can apply to their businesses immediately." --Nir Eyal, author Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

"Most books in this area are academic and dry as dust. If you want to know how research and sociology can impact on real life in the real world, Richard's book will show you - using simple words and examples that real people can understand." --Dave Trott, creative director, author of Predatory Thinking and founder of three creative agencies

"In a cacophony of overstatement, Richard Shotton possesses a melodious and balanced voice. In this short but powerful tome you can learn about how marketing actually does influence consumers. Or, for the more prosaic among us, how to get people to re-use towels, buy wine when German Oompah music is playing and select a broadband supplier by mentioning Charing Cross Station. The book also mentions me (all too briefly) which I also find enticing. --Mark Ritson, columnist for Marketing Week and Professor at Melbourne business school

"Actionable, memorable and powerful... Shotton has taken the jewels of behavioral economics and made them practical." --Seth Godin, author of All Marketers are Liars

"Comprehensive, compelling and immensely practical, the Choice Factory brings the building blocks of behaviour change together in one place." --Richard Huntington, Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi

"A top-class guide for those who want to put BE to work, rather than just illuminate their journey to work." --Mark Earls, author of Herd

"A guide to your own mind, a roadmap of your blind spots, a toolkit for better advertising. The Choice Factory employs robust behavioral science in an approachable manner to demonstrate how you make and influence decisions. Synthesizing a vast body of research, live experiments and numerous examples, he shows that there is a bias for every occasion and how to use them as tools to craft better communications." --Faris Yakob, author of Paid Attention

"Richard delivers a wealth of cases proving the efficacy of working with, rather than against, the grain of human nature. This is catnip for the industry." --Phil Barden, author of Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy

"Richard Shotton's application of behavioural economics is bang on the button. This book is timely, insightful, fascinating and entertaining." --Dominic Mills, ex-editor of Campaign

"If you're a marketer, understanding what really makes people tick - as opposed to what they might tell you - is vital. This book takes us on an elegant, witty and digestible tour of the 25 main principles of behavioural science. Richard Shotton has read widely so that you don't have to, but he gives full credit to his many sources should you wish to pursue any of the topics further. This is a delightful and indispensable read for anyone in marketing, particularly those early in their careers." --Tess Alps, Chair of Thinkbox, the UK's marketing body for commercial broadcasters

"At last someone has written a commonsense, practical guide to using behavioural science to sell things. It is backed by lots of research and working examples drawn from the author's own experience and his encyclopedic knowledge of the industry. In short, this is a classic advertising textbook in the making." --Steve Harrison, British copywriter, creative director and author

"This book is a Haynes Manual for understanding consumer behaviour. You should buy a copy - and then buy another copy to give to one of the 97% of people in marketing who are too young to remember what a bloody Haynes Manual is." --Rory Sutherland, columnist for The Spectator and Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy One

About the Author

Richard is the founder of Astroten, a consultancy the applies behavioural science to marketing. He started his career as a media planner 19 years ago, working on accounts such as Coke, 118 118 and comparethemarket.com, before specialising in the application of behavioural science. Richard is interested in how findings from behavioural science can be applied to advertising. He writes about the behavioural experiments he runs for titles such as Marketing Week, The Drum, Campaign, Admap and Quartz. He tweets about the latest social psychology findings from the handle @rshotton.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B079DPPFBC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harriman House; 1st edition (12 Feb. 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 876 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 221 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 085719609X
  • Customer reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 829 ratings

About the author

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Richard Shotton

Richard Shotton

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Richard began his career in marketing twenty-four years ago before setting up his own company, Astroten. Astroten help clients such as Google, Facebook, Sky, BrewDog and Mondelez apply findings from behavioural science to their marketing.

Richard is the author of The Choice Factory which explains how behavioural science can solve business challenges. The Choice Factory was voted best sales and marketing book of the year at the Business Book Awards. It was a #1 bestseller on Amazon and is now available in 15 languages.

In 2021 Richard was made an honorary lifetime fellow of the IPA and an associate of the Moller Institute, Churchill College, Cambridge University.

In 2023 he launched the podcast Behavioral Science for Brands with MichaelAaron Flicker. He tweets about the latest social psychology findings from the handle @rshotton.

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4.6 out of 5 stars
829 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides practical insights and actionable research techniques. They describe it as an interesting read that is easy to understand and navigate. The book is written in layman's terms and straightforward, making it accessible for anyone.

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69 customers mention ‘Insight’69 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides practical insights and an introduction to the subject. They describe it as a well-researched, entertaining guide that conveys essential concepts quickly. The book focuses on real-life applications and implications, making it easy to understand.

"...books go into much more depth on some of the ideas, this conveys essential concepts quickly - ideal if this is your first foray into behavioural..." Read more

"...Its easy to read and explain in an entertaining manner. If you want a more in depth understanding there are other books on the subject...." Read more

"An excellent book on human behaviour and biases . Great book for all marketing managers and advertising managers to learn from" Read more

"...read any books on behavioural economics before then is a great introduction to the subject and I can't wait to work my way through some of the books..." Read more

60 customers mention ‘Readability’60 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They say it's a must-read for marketers, with real-life examples. The author is described as fantastic and the book is a great gateway into the genre.

"This is a great little book, full of interesting nuggets of information and practical suggestions for putting theories into practice...." Read more

"Great book if you have an interest in Marketing, or curious behind the psychology of how and why we make the choices we do when buying..." Read more

"...is the perfect antidote-it's very accessible, easy-to-read and a real page-turner...." Read more

"...A must have for any marketer and a great read for anyone who wants to understand better how we ‘tick’. Find a comfy chair and read on...." Read more

56 customers mention ‘Ease of reading’53 positive3 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and navigate. They appreciate its straightforward style and clear structure. The book is written in layman's terms for anyone to benefit, providing simple things that they can apply to their businesses.

"...There are 25 short chapters, each describing a bias exhibited in human behaviour and how they might be exploited in order to create a more effective..." Read more

"...Its easy to read and explain in an entertaining manner. If you want a more in depth understanding there are other books on the subject...." Read more

"...it's incredibly well-written, it consolidates and simplifies a lot of the experiments I've read about in various books over the years and it taught..." Read more

"...The beauty for me is that it’s written in layman’s terms, so anyone can benefit and each bias is covered in a handful of pages making it easy to dip..." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Accessibility’7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book accessible and useful. They say it's a handy toolkit.

"...biases, I’m sure you’ll find the book to be a really handy & accessible toolkit." Read more

"I devoured The Choice Factory, it is such an accessible and intelligent read...." Read more

"...The accessibility reminds me of the superb Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely...." Read more

"...Very well written and accessible. Has given me a different perspective on the adverts that bombard me daily." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Entertainment value’7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's entertainment value. They find it engaging and humorous, keeping them hooked. The book covers relevant topics in an entertaining way that grabs their attention.

"...It's also very funny in places-I laughed out loud on more than one occasion...." Read more

"...a book that tells the story of behavioural science in a way thay's engaging and specifically aimed at marketing and advertising professionals...." Read more

"...improve the business in each possible way, from relevancy, to atttention grabbing, persuasion or effective campaigns...." Read more

".../ Advertising but is equally approachable, never dry and even funny!" Read more

Game Changing - Future Award-Winning Book?
5 out of 5 stars
Game Changing - Future Award-Winning Book?
As a Chartered Marketer, with c.25 years-experience in Marketing & Consultancy, as a Board Member of an Olympic Sport and as a University Lecturer teaching about Marketing and Strategy, I love it when books come along that make you ‘Think Different’, by sharing insights and knowledge that is not only entertaining, but exceptionally well, supported with many useful examples and nuggets from practice and academic research.If you DO NOT want to learn, then I would recommend that you do not read this book.If, however, you want to learn all about biases that impact upon individuals, organisations, marketing and marketing communications, dive right in.I was so fascinated with the book, that it only took me a few days to read cover to cover – whilst at the same time reviewing some of the journal papers that are introduced.The concepts discussed in individual chapters include The Fundamental Attribution Error, Social Proof, Negative Social Proof, Distinctiveness, Habit (Disrupt this), The Pain of Payment, The Danger of Claimed Data, Mood, Price Relativity, Primacy Effect, Expectancy Theory, Confirmation Bias, Overconfidence, Wishful Seeing, Media Context, The Curse of Knowledge, Goodhart’s Law, The Pratfall Effect, Winners Curse, The Power of the Group, Veblen Goods, The Replicability Crisis, Variability, Cocktail Party Effect and Scarcity as well as the Bystander effect.Even if you have experience of these concepts, some of the insights also help you think about different examples too, which link to your areas of interest.Be willing to learn why Peroni can help sell more Carlsberg or Budweiser, or why football fans may even struggle to remember which beer brands are sponsoring the games they are watching or the teams they support. And then, if you are watching football or sport, why the pubs, cafes, restaurants, off-licences, or supermarkets hope that you have not brought cash. Similarly, if you are drinking coffee or soft beverages, are you noticing if the coffee is costing you £74/Kg, or why a smaller, funny tasting drink is costing you a lot more than drinking Coca-Cola (simply because it tastes funny).I cannot recommend this book more highly to any of my students, friends and colleagues interested in learning about things that are not always obvious.When the World Zigs – Zag!
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • A. J. Willshire
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to behavioural science for marketers
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 May 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This is a great little book, full of interesting nuggets of information and practical suggestions for putting theories into practice.

    There are 25 short chapters, each describing a bias exhibited in human behaviour and how they might be exploited in order to create a more effective marketing campaign. Much reference is made to notable advertising campaigns and space is given to leading industry figures to weigh in with their opinions.

    This book is also an excellent primer on behavioural science. I had heard of many of the biases before but having them all presented together is really helpful and helps the reader compare and contrast quite readily. While other books go into much more depth on some of the ideas, this conveys essential concepts quickly - ideal if this is your first foray into behavioural science. (If you don't work in marketing, however, you will find it interesting but large chunks may be less relevant)

    I've worked in advertising analytics for a decade and I know Richard to be one of the foremost thinkers and practioners in the field. This is apparent throughout because he is able to draw on first-hand experience running experiments, gathering data and planning campaigns. It's also worth following him on Twitter - @rshotton - to benefit from a near-constant stream of ideas or concepts that have crossed his desk. Some people hoard their learning - Richard is extremely generous with his.

    (Extremely) Minor quibbles:
    As the book progresses, the author describes how each bias might occur in the course of a single day. I found some of these to be slightly contrived in places. Also, because the chapters are self-contained, there can be superfluous repetition, e.g., one industry figure was introduced in almost the same way in two chapters very close to each other.
    A slightly larger quibble relates to a well-known study referenced uncritically in a chapter. Given that another study is ruthlessly (and correctly) dissected in the book, I'd have liked to have seen similar analysis across the board.

    However, the book entirely succeeds in its aims and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone working in marketing who wishes to understand more about the strange ways that we all behave when it comes to making purchases.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Daniel Wood
    5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and easy to read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 December 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Great book if you have an interest in Marketing, or curious behind the psychology of how and why we make the choices we do when buying

    Broken down into 25 easy and quick chapters to read, each one is fully researched and has case studies backing up what is taught. Its easy to read and explain in an entertaining manner. If you want a more in depth understanding there are other books on the subject. However as an introduction to the subject, it can't be beat.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • ashwin kotadia
    4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 November 2019
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    An excellent book on human behaviour and biases . Great book for all marketing managers and advertising managers to learn from
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  • Mr. Seuss
    5.0 out of 5 stars A joy to read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 March 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I've read a couple of the classic books on behavioural economics ('Thinking, Fast and Slow' by Daniel Kahneman & 'Nudge' by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein), and whilst I found elements of those books interesting and they have clearly had a big influence, they were pretty dry and hard-going to read at times.

    'The Choice Factory' is the perfect antidote-it's very accessible, easy-to-read and a real page-turner. I can't remember how I first stumbled across Richard Shotton but I have been following him on Twitter for a couple of months and he consistently tweets interesting and educational things which inspired me to purchase this book as soon as it was published.

    Within the first five pages I knew the book was special because it's incredibly well-written, it consolidates and simplifies a lot of the experiments I've read about in various books over the years and it taught me some new things. It's also very funny in places-I laughed out loud on more than one occasion.

    If you work in advertising/marketing then this book is clearly an essential purchase for you but even if you don't (as I don't), I would recommend this book to anyone as we are all consumers so we can all learn a thing or two from reading this book. If you've never read any books on behavioural economics before then is a great introduction to the subject and I can't wait to work my way through some of the books suggested in the 'Further reading' section at the end of 'The Choice Factory.'
    18 people found this helpful
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  • MR A J HILL
    5.0 out of 5 stars 25 'light bulb' moments contained within ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 September 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This is a superb fountain of knowledge, written in a highly accessible form. I’m no academic, but I do have an inquisitive nature as to how psychology and behaviour work together.

    Each bias is introduced with a case study / experiment to provide context, followed by a short discussion to aid understanding and then ideas as how to implement. The beauty for me is that it’s written in layman’s terms, so anyone can benefit and each bias is covered in a handful of pages making it easy to dip in and out of.

    A must have for any marketer and a great read for anyone who wants to understand better how we ‘tick’.

    Find a comfy chair and read on. Looking forward to the next instalment!
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    MR A J HILL
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    25 'light bulb' moments contained within ...

    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 September 2022
    This is a superb fountain of knowledge, written in a highly accessible form. I’m no academic, but I do have an inquisitive nature as to how psychology and behaviour work together.

    Each bias is introduced with a case study / experiment to provide context, followed by a short discussion to aid understanding and then ideas as how to implement. The beauty for me is that it’s written in layman’s terms, so anyone can benefit and each bias is covered in a handful of pages making it easy to dip in and out of.

    A must have for any marketer and a great read for anyone who wants to understand better how we ‘tick’.

    Find a comfy chair and read on. Looking forward to the next instalment!
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    2 people found this helpful
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  • dickthewhite
    5.0 out of 5 stars Go to Manual for Human Behaviour: Buying and Selling
    Reviewed in Canada on 8 March 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This is a remarkable book that stands well above others in behavioural science. Writing style is very engaging and approachable. Written in bite-sized pieces it weaves together many themes across many bites without breeding confusion. This is skilful. Each chapter leads into the next. This is also skilful.

    The manual hammers home what works, why, when and for whom; and also what doesn’t work, why, when and for whom. There is a lot of how sprinkled in, with an admission that the how is the art of trial and error. This is a great homage to the human aspects of behavioural science and, perhaps, the greatest praise that can be given for Shotten’s book and the challenge and reward that it sets for its readers.

    Buy it.
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  • alex
    5.0 out of 5 stars choice factory
    Reviewed in Spain on 30 May 2023
    Verified Purchase
    muy bien rpeparado y envuelto genial!
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  • Avnish Anand
    5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book if you want to apply behavioural science in marketing
    Reviewed in India on 28 January 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I have a lot of interest in behaviour science, cognitive biases and psychology. I have read most of the popular books. But I have struggled to put them to use. In my life as a marketer and product and business leader.

    With Choice Factory, I know much better now. It has 25 small chapters covering one cognitive bias each. Most of the biases are well known. I knew the theory and the research. But this book gives you relevant examples from the marketing world. And tips on how to put them to use.

    I am part of DTC jewellery brand. Many of the chapters are not relevant or not useful. Some are weak or not fully convincing. But there are enough gems in there. I usually highlight when I read. But this time I made notes. Of stuff I am going to use. And I have atleast 8-10 good ideas. That’s usually more than what you can get in a good book.

    Disclosure - The book was slightly expensive and I waited for the price to fall. For more than a year. I was such an idiot.

    Some of my favourites are the chapters on Goodharts Law, Pratfall Effect, Fundamental Attribution Error, Variability, Danger of claimed data, negative social proof, distinctiveness, the curse of knowledge, mood, habit and a couple more.

    Will finish this review with this amazing quote from David Ogilvy which says so much about biases.

    “People dont think about how they feel. People dont say what they think. People dont do what they say”

    Must read for everyone who works in the consumer space.
    Customer image
    Avnish Anand
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    A wonderful book if you want to apply behavioural science in marketing

    Reviewed in India on 28 January 2021
    I have a lot of interest in behaviour science, cognitive biases and psychology. I have read most of the popular books. But I have struggled to put them to use. In my life as a marketer and product and business leader.

    With Choice Factory, I know much better now. It has 25 small chapters covering one cognitive bias each. Most of the biases are well known. I knew the theory and the research. But this book gives you relevant examples from the marketing world. And tips on how to put them to use.

    I am part of DTC jewellery brand. Many of the chapters are not relevant or not useful. Some are weak or not fully convincing. But there are enough gems in there. I usually highlight when I read. But this time I made notes. Of stuff I am going to use. And I have atleast 8-10 good ideas. That’s usually more than what you can get in a good book.

    Disclosure - The book was slightly expensive and I waited for the price to fall. For more than a year. I was such an idiot.

    Some of my favourites are the chapters on Goodharts Law, Pratfall Effect, Fundamental Attribution Error, Variability, Danger of claimed data, negative social proof, distinctiveness, the curse of knowledge, mood, habit and a couple more.

    Will finish this review with this amazing quote from David Ogilvy which says so much about biases.

    “People dont think about how they feel. People dont say what they think. People dont do what they say”

    Must read for everyone who works in the consumer space.
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  • mattdbergman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best in Class in Practically Applying Behaviorial Economics to Marketing - An Incredibly Valuable Read
    Reviewed in the United States on 29 May 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I love behavioral economics. I grew up with the concepts and find them to play incredibly vital roles in all the fields I work in. So, I’ve been delighted to see increasing coverage of the field (as well as neuroscience, neuromarketing, etc.). From the perspective of a marketer, Richard Shotton’s The Choice Factory is the best I’ve come across, and it’s not particularly close. It’s a tremendously robust and impressive effort, offering abundant opportunities for real implementation.

    The key reasons why I think this offering stands apart:

    • There are plenty of good surveys on the market of the cognitive biases and irrationalities inherent to all of us that have critical impacts on out decision-making. Some are even more comprehensive than this book in merely listing every behavioral bias researchers have investigated. But when you combine the breadth and the depth here, The Choice Factory is best in class. It devotes substantial attention to fully 25 biases. Each is given comprehensive treatment and, in each instance, practical applications and caveats are addressed in detail. That’s impressive coverage.

    • The variety of biases the author discusses runs the gamut and does a particularly good job of addressing the key psychological elements that most consumers confront as they go about their buyer journey. Biases related to mood; to price; to social context; to folks’ perceptions of others and so on so forth. Moreover, the breadth of the biases covered is outstanding and corresponds with an entire buying cycle, in some cases, multiple buying cycles.

    • Nice mix in covering some of the biases that are perhaps more familiar e.g., overconfidence, confirmation bias, price relatively, primacy, etc., with some that are less well known and at times counterintuitive such as the pratfall effect.

    • One of the best gifts Mr. Shotton offers is a succinct yet probing look at the evidence underlying the case for each bias and indeed, if the evidence isn’t convincing, or is being marshalled in a way it ought not be, that’s made clear. Indeed, an entire chapter is devoted to the “replicability crisis” – an alarming tendency over the years in which future researchers have been unable to replicate the initial findings of their colleagues.

    • Evidence also plays a strong role in what is a tremendous organizational structure of the book. The book is written at the reader, with the reader the main character at the beginning of each chapter, assuming the reader is going through an ordinary day, setting the common scenes where each bias has a chance to play itself out. Mr. Shotton then describes the behaviors that constitute the bias and then moves to discuss the historical and contemporary evidence.

    • Importantly and refreshingly, Mr. Shotton can speak from firsthand experience, having conducted an extensive amount of experimentation, replete with large sample sizes and statistically robust methodologies with his colleagues, so he’s able to truly bring his own credibly to bear. Next, Mr. Shotton will often discuss the underlying factors that the evidence suggests produces the bias. Where the evidence doesn’t tell a clear story, that’s made clear. Indeed, this is also an outstanding book to get some deep insight on sound experimentation method. In several of the chapters, Mr. Shotton discusses the nature of what optimal research into many of these biases ought to look like and compares the optimal to what’s actually been done.

    • Following the research discussion, Mr. Shotton moves directly to practical applications and they’re dynamite. Differing from some books where the application section is just too simple, in each chapter, Mr. Shotton discusses in detail at least three mechanisms via which a marketer might be able to make use of the bias at issue and the relative effectiveness and potential pitfalls for each of those approaches.

    • Bear in mind then, that this book is presenting you, the marketer, with 75 potential new tools to use.

    • Excellent job of noting when certain biases bear close relationships to one another and how some interact with others. Also excellent in describing the necessary conditions that must be in place for a bias to manifest itself in a way that’s practically relevant even at all.

    • I don’t intend this as criticism, but it should be noted that the examples in the book do tilt heavily toward B2C as opposed to B2B. But that’s to be expected, given that cognitive biases, while a business-wide and societal issue in the sense that we all suffer for them, are first and foremost about individual thinking.

    • The author calls a spade a spade and I agree with him. He comes down on the side of “watch what customers do” as opposed to listening religiously to what they say. There’s some excellent coverage of how to design surveys that are particularly effective in flushing out an honest individual answer and surveys your firm brings to market ought to be in conformity. The same is true of the principles shared in respect to customer observation.

    • As those who know the field will know, there are those who take ethical issue with markers utilizing behavioral “nudges”. For a whole bunch of reasons – most notably, that’s it’s well proven that folks who make the effort to become educated about how their own minds work and to be self-aware are much tougher customers in terms of being nudged, so long as nothing truly outlandish is done, I see no ethical problem. That’s especially true because, wanting repeat customers, companies are going to work hard to give all buyers an outstanding customer experience, whether the purchase was inspired by a nudge or not.

    • What’s genuinely appreciated is Mr. Shotton devoting an entire chapter of the book to a serious treatment of ethical issues. He concludes, I think sensibly, that behavioral nudges are every bit as ethical as any other type of marketing that appeals to emotion and persuasion. He also argues sensibly that there is some inherent self-regulation; customers who feel swindled make for dangerous enemies.

    This book covers a ton of valuable ground in a power packed 202 pages. I strongly recommend it to marketers. These are tools that can be implemented immediately, blending right into ongoing campaigns. And I appreciate – and suspect you will too – that the author isn’t preaching here. He’s not making claims that employing these techniques will save bad businesses selling bad products. He sensibly argues that marketers ought to be using all the legitimate tools at their disposal, and these are nothing if not legitimate.

    **
    If nothing else, there’s simply no downside to marketers understanding the mental processes their customers are undergoing. And if you’re smart, you’ll also use this book as a chance to check your own self-awareness. We all succumb to the biases mentioned here sometimes, but staying disciplined, vigilant and aware helps a great deal. While offering so much more, The Choice Factory is worth its price just in what it teaches readers about the way their own mind works.

    Mr. Shotton, as it happens, will be in New York on June 4 speaking about the book and I’m excited to attend and get to meet him in person. Bravo for a wonderful offering.
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  • hisfadgesty
    5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, interesting and surprising
    Reviewed in Germany on 28 December 2019
    Verified Purchase
    A truly fantastic read.
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