Human behavior

Metaphor Downloads Playbook

• Blair Enns shares his whitewater kayaking experience where a metaphor helped him understand the skill quickly.


• The instructor said, "Kayaking is like skiing," which downloaded the skiing playbook into his brain for kayaking.

Making Content Interesting

• Unexpectedly denying audience assumptions makes content interesting, similar to behavioral science.


• This creates surprise and holds attention, as seen in a French ad campaign featuring the women's soccer team.

You’re more likely to find a behavior attractive if you get to do one of your favorite things at the same time. Perhaps you want to hear about the latest celebrity gossip, but you need to get in shape. Using temptation bundling, you could only read the tabloids and watch reality shows at the gym. Maybe you want to get a pedicure, but you need to

Mere Exposure Effect Explained

• The mere exposure effect means repeated exposure increases liking and positive feelings.


• Familiarity breeds contentment, which benefits long-running ad campaigns.

The IKEA Effect

• The IKEA effect explains our preference for self-made items.


• We overvalue these items due to invested effort, even if objectively flawed.

So rather than just going for a catchy message, consider the context. Think about whether the message will be triggered by the everyday environments of the target audience.

Compare the Market's Meerkat Success

• The UK brand Compare the Market copied GEICO's fluent device idea with Alexander the Meerkat.


• This character helped Compare the Market rise from fourth to number one in its sector.

The Internet broke the private-public wall; impulsive and inelegant utterances that used to be kept private are now available for literal interpretation.