How sights, smells and sounds alter what you buy
Nudge29 Sep 2025

How sights, smells and sounds alter what you buy

In 2011, Coca-Cola introduced a white version of their Coca-Cola can. The drink inside was identical to original Coca-Cola, but customers drinking from this white can hated the taste. The white can made buyers think the Cola tasted worse. To explain why, I need to delve into the science of sensehacking. With Professor Adrian North, I’ll explain why tennis players grunt loudly, why cars smell different when new, how a tablecloth alters our taste, and that music changes what you buy. --- Join the Nudge Vaults waiting list: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join the Nudge Unit waiting list: https://maven.com/nudge-unit/course-cohort Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Today’s sources Bschaden, A., Dörsam, A., Cvetko, K., & Stroebele-Benschop, N. (2020). The impact of lighting and table linen as ambient factors on meal intake and taste perception. Food Quality and Preference, 79, 103797. Cañal-Bruland, R., Müller, F., Lach, B., & Spence, C. (2018). Auditory contributions to visual anticipation in tennis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 36, 100–103. Garber, M. (2012, July 26). The future of advertising will be squirted into your nostrils as you sit on a bus. The Atlantic. Golan, M., & Fenko, A. (2015). Toward a sensory congruence model: Matching sounds with material properties. Food Quality and Preference, 46, 33–43. Guéguen, N., Jacob, C., Lourel, M., & Pascual, A. (2012). When drivers see red: Car color and driving behavior. Color Research & Application, 37(5), 452–455. Hanss, D., Steger, D., & Giesel, F. (2012). The influence of car color on driver behavior and perceptions of speed. Color Research & Application, 37(4), 304–309. Hirsch, A. (1991, February 4). Preliminary results of olfaction Nike study. Marketing News, 25, 1–2. Horswill, M. S., & Plooy, A. M. (2008). Auditory feedback influences perceived driving speed. Perception, 37(7), 1037–1043. Leenders, M. A. A. M., Smidts, A., & El Haji, A. (2019). Ambient scent as a mood inducer in supermarkets: The role of scent intensity and time-pressure of shoppers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 48, 270–280. Milliman, R. E. (1982). Using background music to affect the behavior of supermarket shoppers. Journal of Marketing, 46(3), 86–91. North, A. C., Hargreaves, D. J., & McKendrick, J. (1999). The influence of in-store music on wine selections. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(2), 271–276. Spence, C. (2021). Sensehacking: How to use the power of your senses for happier, healthier living. Viking. Wall Street Journal. (2012, October 23). Why consumers doubt silent vacuum cleaners. Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203406404578074671598804116 Zellner, D., Geller, T., Lyons, S., Pyper, A., & Riaz, K. (2017). Ethnic congruence of music and food affects food selection but not liking. Food Quality and Preference, 56, 126-129.

Episoder(281)

#56: The lazy, scared and overwhelmed consumer

#56: The lazy, scared and overwhelmed consumer

Wondering why your latest product won’t sell? Well it might be due to lazy, scared and overwhelmed consumers. These are the three big barriers stopping customers from making a change and buying your p...

24 Mai 202124min

#55: Why Our Brains Crave Negativity

#55: Why Our Brains Crave Negativity

Could highlighting a product weakness increase sales? In today’s show, I join Adam Ferrier to explore the negativity bias and attempt to understand why we are drawn to negative events over positive on...

10 Mai 202117min

#54: Stop Listening to Customers?!

#54: Stop Listening to Customers?!

Customers lie all the time. In fact, we all lie, often without even knowing it. When asked, 25% of high school seniors say they’re in the top 1%. Often talking to customers can lead to bias, unreliabl...

26 Apr 202123min

#53: Do our ancestors dictate our decisions?

#53: Do our ancestors dictate our decisions?

Think about all the decisions you’ve made in your life. Deciding where to work, agreeing to go on that first date with your spouse, asking for fries with your burger. We like to think all of these dec...

12 Apr 202120min

#52: IKEA Effect: We Love What We Create

#52: IKEA Effect: We Love What We Create

Many hate building IKEA furniture and yet tend to value it higher than pre-built furniture. In fact, many prefer it to expert-built furniture. Tune in to learn why we irrationally value Super Bowl tic...

29 Mar 202120min

#51: Advertising Ethics: Can Facebook ads swing an election?

#51: Advertising Ethics: Can Facebook ads swing an election?

Following the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, commentators began to claim that highly targeted personalized ads had helped swing the 2016 election in Trump’s favor. In this episode, I speak to Patri...

15 Mar 202118min

#50: What marketers can learn from your Facebook profile

#50: What marketers can learn from your Facebook profile

What is the best way to learn about someone's personality without meeting them. Is it by talking to their spouse? Or is it by looking at their Facebook profile? Research suggests that Facebook knows m...

1 Mar 202125min

#49: Nudges to help customers onboard

#49: Nudges to help customers onboard

For many, marketing is about getting as many people as possible to sign up for your product or service. It’s about getting people through the door. However, that’s just part of the process. To run an ...

15 Feb 202123min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

stopp-verden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
dine-penger-pengeradet
e24-podden
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
utbytte
pengepodden-2
finansredaksjonen
pengesnakk
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
okonomiamatorene
rss-sunn-okonomi
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
lederpodden
rss-markedspuls-2
rss-andelige-tanker-med-camillo
rss-impressions-2
rss-fa-makro