The Intuitive Customer - Helping You Improve Your Customer Experience To Gain Growth

Episode Overview Ever buy something you couldn’t wait to get—and then let it sit in the box for days (or weeks)? You’re not alone. Guest host Morgan Ward joins Ryan Hamilton to explore why we often love the pursuit of products more than the possession of them. From unopened tools and “someday” sweaters to the viral Stanley Cup craze, they unpack the psychology of anticipation, dopamine, and why the thrill fades once the package arrives. This episode reveals what’s really driving that “add to cart” impulse—and how brands can design experiences that move customers from wanting to using.  Quote of the Episode “Apparently, the most appealing part of consumption for me is the buying—not the using.” — Dr. Morgan Ward 🔑 Key Takeaways Anticipation feels better than ownership. Dopamine spikes during the chase, making the search itself deeply rewarding. “Maybe later” kills momentum. Adding something to a wish list or cart often satisfies the craving—so we never come back to buy. Trends have expiration dates. When products are tied to social signaling (like the Stanley Cup craze), they must be used now or lose their power. Experience is the new product. Pop-ups, fittings, and even unboxing rituals add emotional value that can’t be postponed. Design for immediacy. Products that promise instant results or gratification inspire customers to open—and love—them right away. 📚 Resources Mentioned / Referenced The Stanley Cup phenomenon as a case study in social inclusion and urgency Discussion of anticipatory utility and the hedonic treadmill in consumer behavior Norton, Michael I., Daniel Mochon, and Dan Ariely. "The IKEA effect: When labor leads to love." Journal of consumer psychology 22, no. 3 (2012): 453-460. About the Hosts Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press 2025 Follow Ryan on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-hamilton-49b3321/) Morgan Ward is an adjunct marketing professor, weekly expert guest on The Take—11Alive’s in-depth news program that explores timely stories through expert insight—With over 20 years of experience advising clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500s and publishing in top academic journals, she’s passionate about decoding the symbolic and cultural forces that shape consumer behavior. Her work focuses on status, identity, and decision-making across sectors like luxury, retail, and tech. Beyond consulting, Morgan serves as an expert witness in branding and advertising litigation, bringing academic rigor to questions of perception, distinctiveness, and influence. Follow Morgan on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgankward-phd/)  

In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Professor Ryan Hamilton is joined by guest host Ben Shaw to explore the high-stakes world of rebranding. From Cracker Barrel’s logo backlash to Jaguar’s radical design overhaul, they unpack what happens when brands chase new audiences at the expense of their loyal customers. The conversation dives into the tension between rebranding vs. repositioning, why heritage brands face special challenges, how politics and culture can hijack brand decisions, and practical lessons for leaders trying to grow without alienating their core base. Key Takeaways Rebrand ≠ Reposition: A visual refresh is not the same as shifting your audience or your value proposition, conflate the two at their peril. Respect the Core Customer: Growth shouldn’t mean neglecting the customers who got you here; woo them as deliberately as you pursue new ones. Brand Stretch Matters: Broad idea-driven brands (e.g., Virgin, Crocs) can pivot more easily than heritage or status-driven brands (e.g., Jaguar, Burberry). Change Carries Political Luggage: In today’s climate, even aesthetic changes can be interpreted as taking sides so plan for backlash and communication. Experience vs. Marketing: Quietly improving the customer experience often triggers less resistance than highly visible logo or messaging changes. Segment Conflicts Are Real: Pursuing one segment often pushes you away from another. Sub-brands Can Create Safe Space: When segments clash, consider sub-brands or status tiers to reduce friction (e.g., Nike’s sport verticals, Burberry’s London/Brit/Brit Prorsum). Heritage is an Asset and a Trap: Brands built on nostalgia or legacy often risk losing their most valuable equity if they modernise too aggressively. Resources & Brands Mentioned Ryan Hamilton & Annie’s book: The Growth Dilemma – on managing relationships between customer segments. Brand case studies: Cracker Barrel, Jaguar, Burberry, Kohl’s, Nike, Crocs, Virgin, Michael Kors.

Summary Traditional customer feedback is broken. Post-call surveys and quarterly reports are too slow, cumbersome, and overly focused on the company’s needs rather than the customer’s reality. By the time insights land on a dashboard, the customer has already left—or worse, lost trust. In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, I (Colin Shaw) and Professor Ryan Hamilton sit down with Devidas Desai, SVP of Product Leader at ASAPP, to explore how AI that listens is reshaping the way organizations understand and respond to customers in the moment. We delve into why silence doesn’t mean satisfaction, why feedback must shift from lagging indicators to real-time signals, and how AI can transform agents into superheroes rather than script-readers. Along the way, Devidas shares his bold vision for the “death of dashboards” and why the future is “anti-dashboard.” If you’ve ever felt trapped in a maddening customer service loop (looking at you, broadband companies), this episode will resonate. More importantly, it will show you what’s possible when organizations finally stop treating feedback as an autopsy and start listening in real time. Best Quote: “AI that listens isn’t about replacing humans—it’s about keeping the human in the loop, so customers get both speed and empathy in the same conversation.” Devidas Desai, SVP, Product Leader at ASAPP Key Takeaways Feedback as Autopsy: Traditional surveys and dashboards give you a post-mortem, not a diagnosis. By the time you act, the damage is done. Silence ≠ Satisfaction: No feedback often means customers have given up on you—not that they’re happy. Real-Time > Real Late: True customer experience happens in moments, not in reporting cycles. AI that listens can capture sentiment, intent, and context as it unfolds. Human in the Loop: AI doesn’t replace humans—it augments them. The best systems blend automation with empathy and judgment. Agent Superpowers: With AI, agents can enter conversations fully briefed, emotionally aware, and guided toward the best next step. Less paperwork, more trust-building. Anti-Dashboard Future: Forget drowning in charts. The next wave is conversational dashboards where you ask questions, and AI gives clear, plain-language answers. Trust is the Endgame: Customers, agents, and leaders all need to trust the system. Real-time listening, done right, rebuilds that trust. Resources: Devidas Desai, SVP, Product Leader at ASAPP - https://www.linkedin.com/in/devidasdesai/ ASAPP https://www.asapp.com/   About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 87,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.   Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press 2025  Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify   This show was recorded in partnership with ASAPP  

In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Professor Ryan Hamilton is joined by guest co-host Ben Shaw, Chief Strategy Officer at MullenLowe, to explore the enduring role of brand archetypes in marketing and customer experience. They revisit the origins of archetypes in Jungian psychology and the influential book The Hero and the Outlaw (Pearson & Mark), before debating how useful the framework remains today. Together, they discuss the power of archetypes to create consistency, unlock creativity, and guide internal decision-making while also recognizing their limitations, risks of rigidity, and occasional resemblance to horoscopes. The conversation ranges from brand strategy in B2B to the impact of AI agents on future purchasing, highlighting how archetypes can still be adapted, evolved, and made practical for modern brand building. 🔑 Key Takeaways Archetypes as tools, not rules: Archetypes provide a shared language for teams and a lens for decision-making, but they shouldn’t become a straightjacket. Sub-archetypes unlock creativity: Going beyond the 12 canonical archetypes helps brands avoid sameness and find distinctiveness in crowded categories. Accessibility matters: Archetypes are most effective when they make complex strategy simple and relatable—otherwise they risk losing non-marketing stakeholders. Playing against type: Some of the most disruptive brands (e.g., Liquid Death) succeed precisely by defying category-expected archetypes. Archetypes in B2B: While not always necessary, they can still be useful to express human needs like trust, security, or freedom, even in highly functional categories. AI and archetypes: The rise of AI agents in commerce could challenge the role of storytelling in decision-making, but also presents opportunities for brands to encode their archetypes into machine-readable signals. Healthy ambiguity: Like many frameworks, archetypes work best when used as a catalyst for debate, inspiration, and consistency but not as a rigid formula. 📚 Resources Mentioned The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes — Carol Pearson & Margaret Mark Carl Jung’s theories of archetypes and collective unconscious Example brands: Liquid Death, Old Spice, Superman, The Beatles Applications of AI & Large Language Models in creative brand strategy

Your Customers are Lazy... and Bored: How to Use That to Your Advantage Show Notes:  This week on The Intuitive Customer, Colin takes a step back and welcomes guest host Morgan Ward to explore one of psychology’s favourite contradictions: why customers cling to the familiar, yet crave novelty. From music playlists to yogurt purchases, from comfort food to product design, Colin and Morgan unpack why we’re wired for both—and how brands can use that tension to create better customer experiences. Best Quote from the Episode “Familiarity earns trust. Novelty earns attention. Get the balance right, and you earn loyalty.” Key Takeaways Customers don’t always prefer the familiar or the new—it depends on context and need. Status quo bias (familiarity) is driven by loss aversion and cognitive laziness. Novelty seeking is driven by boredom and our need for optimal arousal. The best products deliver both—“updated classics” that balance safety and stimulation. Ask yourself: is your customer seeking comfort or excitement right now? Your answer determines whether to lean into familiarity or novelty. 🎧 Listen in to discover why customers sometimes want the same old thing… and sometimes something entirely different. About the Hosts: Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press 2025  Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Morgan Ward is a former marketing professor and experienced brand consultant, now founder of InsightHive—a behavioral strategy consultancy that helps companies apply consumer psychology to real-world brand challenges. With over 20 years of experience advising clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500s and publishing in top academic journals, she’s passionate about decoding the symbolic and cultural forces that shape consumer behavior. Her work focuses on status, identity, and decision-making across sectors like luxury, retail, and tech. Beyond consulting, Morgan serves as an expert witness in branding and advertising litigation, bringing academic rigor to questions of perception, distinctiveness, and influence. Follow Morgan on LinkedIn Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify  

In this milestone episode, The Intuitive Customer undergoes a transformation. Colin Shaw announces a step back from the regular hosting role, prompting a fresh chapter in the podcast’s evolution. Hosts Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton introduce two new expert contributors — Dr. Morgan Ward, a consumer psychologist, and Ben Shaw, a brand strategist — to bring fresh perspectives on customer behavior, brand experience, and the future of CX. Together, the four hosts discuss the state of customer experience today, particularly in light of the stagnant growth in the American Customer Satisfaction Index over the past three decades. They debate metrics versus meaning, the enduring value of physical retail, and the coming wave of non-visual AI-driven brand interactions. The episode sets the stage for a broader, more dynamic take on what it means to truly understand and serve customers in the modern age. Quote of the Episode "We're using metrics that are more relevant to the business than to the person actually experiencing the brand." — Dr. Morgan Ward Key Takeaways Customer satisfaction has plateaued: The American Customer Satisfaction Index has barely moved in 30 years, despite huge investments in CX. This calls into question the effectiveness of current CX strategies. ROI needs to be central: CX professionals must link experience improvements directly to financial returns if they want continued investment. Metrics can be misleading: Overly relying on simplified metrics like NPS can lead organizations astray, especially when they’re gamed or don’t reflect real consumer emotions. Retail is making a comeback: Resurgence in physical retail’s emotional power especially among younger consumers who crave tactile experiences. The future is voice-first: How AI-driven, non-visual brand experiences will redefine customer interaction demanding new forms of design thinking. Dual focus is key: Brands must balance operational improvements today with strategic planning for a fast-approaching future filled with disruptive technologies. Resources Mentioned American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI): www.acsi.org — Independent benchmark of customer satisfaction in the U.S. since 1994. About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 87,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press 2025  Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Ben Shaw Ben Shaw is Chief Strategy Officer at MullenLowe UK, having also led strategy at BBH and worked client-side with fast-growth start-ups Wheely and Unmind. He’s passionate about how brands can challenge culture convention and create ideas people want to spend time with, working on brands like Audi, Google and Burger King.  Beyond advertising, Ben champions mental health awareness and rare disease research, drawing on both personal experience and professional curiosity. Follow Ben Shaw Morgan Ward Morgan Ward, Ph.D. is a marketing scholar and former professor at Emory University and Southern Methodist University, with over two decades of expertise in consumer behavior and branding. She’s worked with clients ranging from start-ups to global brands, helping them translate behavioral science into strategies that resonate in culture and drive growth. Her academic research explores status, symbolism, and the psychology of consumption, and she has served as an expert witness in federal trademark and trade dress cases. Beyond her academic and consulting work, Morgan is fascinated by how cultural shifts shape what people desire, and how brands can both reflect and influence those desires. Follow Morgan on LinkedIn Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify  

You can theorise about Customer Experience all day, but gaining a Net Promoter score of 90 is not a theory. It shows a great focus and implementation of Customer Experience. This week, we are exploring how this was achieved with Kamron Kunce, VP of Marketing & Customer Experience at RJ Young. https://www.rjyoung.com/ RJ Young has been in business for over 70 years and boasts a world-class NPS score of 90+ — no small feat in today’s hypercompetitive market. Kamron shares how they’ve transformed their Customer Experience, navigated organisational silos, and are thoughtfully introducing AI into their processes — without losing that all-important human touch. If you’re wrestling with legacy systems, struggling to turn CX theory into practice, or figuring out how to scale with AI without alienating customers,  this episode is packed with practical tips you can take away today. And, if you're a regular listener, you'll know this one plays right into one of Ryan’s and my favourite themes: breaking down those silos! Best Quote From the Episode “Customer Experience is everyone’s responsibility. It’s not just about Customer Service — it’s about aligning the whole organisation around delivering value at every touchpoint.” — Kamron Kunce, RJ Young Key Takeaways ✅ CX must be a core business strategy, not a bolt-on function of Customer Service. RJ Young’s “Make It Right Guarantee” puts this principle front and centre. ✅ Map your Customer Journey — and revisit it regularly. Quarterly and annual reviews keep RJ Young’s CX aligned to ever-evolving customer expectations. ✅ Break down silos with transparency. Weekly cross-functional updates and quarterly company-wide video broadcasts ensure alignment across 700 employees and 9 states. ✅ Cross-functional collaboration is critical. Everyone, including Finance and HR, plays a role in the Customer Experience. ✅ Thoughtful use of AI is the future. RJ Young is leveraging AI to improve backend data insights and operational efficiency, without removing the human element that drives loyalty. ✅ CX + Culture go hand in hand. Embedding CX into your company culture is essential for sustainable success. Resources Mentioned RJ Young: https://www.rjyoung.com/  Kamron Kunce: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamronkunce/ About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 87,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press 2025    Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.   Subscribe & Follow   Apple Podcasts Spotify

In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Colin Shaw speaks with Andy Traba, VP of Product Marketing at NICE, about the company’s new mission: Creating a NiCE World. This isn’t just a rebranding message — it’s a strategic shift toward unified, proactive, and AI-enabled customer experiences. Andy and Colin explore why AI alone isn’t enough, the dangers of siloed implementations, and why leading organizations are turning to platforms — not point solutions — to orchestrate connected, emotionally resonant journeys. If your organization is serious about CX transformation, this conversation provides clear guidance on where to start, what to avoid, and how to align internal functions toward a shared customer strategy. Quote of the Episode “The moment you find success with AI, you’ll want more. That’s why you have to start with a platform — not a point solution — so your entire organization can scale, align, and deliver a truly connected experience.” — Andy Traba, VP of Product Marketing, NiCE   🔑 Key Topics Covered: NICE’s Global Happiness Index and the emotional impact of service Why 37% of customers still get stuck in repeat interactions The risk of siloed AI and “Frankenstack” technology stacks Platform strategies for AI orchestration and enterprise-wide memory Proactive service as the new CX battleground Segment of one personalization and behavioral science applications Practical starting points for CX leaders in 2025 📎 Resources Mentioned NiCE - https://www.nice.com/ NiCE Global Happiness Index Report - https://get.nice.com/2024-intl-happiness-index-report.html Connect with Andy Traba on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-traba-a75a1b3/ About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 87,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press 2025  Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify   This podcast was undertaken in partnership with NiCE  

AI is taking over—well, at least some parts of customer service. But how do you know when to automate and when to stick with the good old-fashioned human touch? In this episode, we dive into one of the most crucial decisions organizations are making today: When should you use AI, and when do customers actually need a human? Spoiler alert: If you let AI handle everything, you might save money—but you could also drive your customers straight to your competitors. Best Quote from the Episode: "You don’t want AI handling a $300 million defense contract. ‘Hello! I see you're interested in missile systems. Would you like fries with that?’" Key Takeaways: AI Should Enhance, Not Replace – AI can automate routine interactions, but when emotions are high (like fraud issues or complaints), a human is still king. The Wrong Cost-Cutting Strategy Can Cost You More – AI might save money upfront, but if it frustrates customers, it can drive them away. Know Your Audience – Some customers love chatbots; others despise them. Testing is critical. Context Matters – A simple question like checking an account balance? AI can handle it. A frustrated customer dealing with a major issue? Bring in the humans. AI + Humans = The Winning Formula – Studies show AI-generated emails can be more empathetic than human ones (yes, really!), but the best approach is using AI to support human interactions, not replace them. Why You Should Listen: If you’re thinking about rolling out AI across your customer experience, stop and listen to this episode first. We break down the risks, the rewards, and how to make sure you don’t end up with a frustrated customer base ready to rage-tweet about you. Resources Mentioned Wall Street Journal Article: Turns Out AI Is More Empathetic Than Allstate’s Insurance Reps https://www.wsj.com/articles/turns-out-ai-is-more-empathetic-than-allstates-insurance-reps-cf5f7c98?utm_source=chatgpt.com About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify  

How do you grow your revenues without upsetting your existing customers?  In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton dive into the new book he has written with Anne Wilson, Senior Lecturer at Wharton.  Published by Harvard Business Review Press, the book is called:  The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things Available here: https://bit.ly/3ZCN2wD Professor Ryan Hamilton reveal how brand growth often gets derailed not by bad strategy, but by insufficient attention to how your customer segments relate to each other. You may think your audiences are living on separate islands, but spoiler alert: they’re not. They're watching each other, seeing what the other does, and sometimes they don’t like it and will move elsewhere.  From Crocs to Prius to the Bud Light fiasco (and yes, even neo-Nazis in New Balance sneakers), this episode pulls no punches. It’s a fast-paced, funny, and brutally honest look at why many brands fail to grow—and how you can avoid becoming the following cautionary tale. 💥 Best Quote from the Episode: "If your growth strategy relies on one customer segment not hearing what you're saying to another, it's already a bad strategy." — Prof. Ryan Hamilton 🧠 What You’ll Learn: Why growth isn’t just about what you offer—it’s about who sees you offering it The hidden relationships between customer segments and how they impact brand value Why Bud Light’s attempt to broaden its appeal led to a marketing meltdown How Crocs turned from a fashion joke to a fashion statement What to do when the wrong customer segments start adopting your brand How to spot leader–follower segment dynamics and use them to scale Practical questions to ask before you launch a growth strategy 📘 About the Book: The Growth Dilemma Ryan’s new book with Annie Wilson is out now! Published by Harvard Business Review Press, The Growth Dilemma explores how inter-segment conflict affects brand growth and what to do about it. It’s innovative, practical, and unlike anything else out there. Buy it now: https://bit.ly/3ZCN2wD 📣 Get Involved If you're leading a brand, managing customer segments, or thinking about how to grow, this episode is for you. Reach out to Ryan on LinkedIn if you're interested in: Workshops Keynotes Or just picking his brain over a coffee (virtual or otherwise) 📨 Connect with Ryan: https://bit.ly/3SvsqTh About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience. Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of the book 'The Intuitive Customer'. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and featured in major media outlets, including The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things.” Harvard Business Press 2025.  Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.   Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify  

Have you ever said “thank you” to a chatbot or Chat GPT? Well, you’re not alone—and you might just be weirder than you think. It turns out AI can be more empathic than people. But what do Customers think of AI experiences? Academic research reveals the answers we discuss in this show.  In this special live-recorded episode from the SOCAP Conference, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton explore the psychology behind how customers actually feel about AI—and what that means for your customer experience. Ryan dives into the latest academic research on AI trust, customer behaviour, and why people treat AI like it’s part of the cast of Friends. Meanwhile, Colin keeps things grounded with real-life examples with his usual “so what?” test. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why 50% of customers trust companies less when they know AI is involved How AI literacy backfires (the more people understand it, the less they use it!) The subtle “outgroup” bias customers apply to AI systems Why hedonic recommendations (like chocolate) must come from humans How one bad AI interaction can poison the well for all future ones What the hell “personification” means—and why it matters for your brand The surprising emotional tension behind AI adoption (it’s empowering and scary) Best Quote from the Episode: “AI isn’t human, but customers treat it like it is—and that means it’s being judged by human standards. If it screws up once, they’ll remember. And they’ll blame all AI for it.” – Professor Ryan Hamilton Resources Mentioned This podcast is sponsored by SOCAP International and IA Solutions, who are both as passionate about improving customer experience as we are. SOCAP: https://socap.org/ IA Solutions: https://iacallcenter.com/  Research References: Castelo, Noah, Maarten W. Bos, and Donald R. Lehmann (2019), “Task-Dependent Algorithm Aversion,” Journal of Marketing Research, 56 (5), 809-825. Dietvorst, Berkeley J., Joseph P. Simmons, and Cade Massey (2015), “Algorithm aversion: people erroneously avoid algorithms after seeing them err,” Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 144, 1, 114. Hermann, Erik, and Stefano Puntoni, (2024), “Artificial intelligence and consumer behavior: From predictive to generative AI,” Journal of Business Research, 180, 114720. Ipsos (2022), “Global opinions about AI – January 2022, https://t.ly/qyyEI Longoni, Chiara, and Luca Cian (2022), “Artificial Intelligence in Utilitarian vs. Hedonic Contexts: The “Word-of-Machine” Effect,” Journal of Marketing, 86 (1), 91-108. Puntoni, Stefano, Rebecca W. Reczek, Markus Giesler, and Simona Botti (2021), “Consumers and Artificial Intelligence: An Experiential Perspective,” Journal of Marketing, 85 (1), 131-151. Santoro, Erik, and Benoît Monin (2023), “The AI Effect: People rate distinctively human attributes as more essential to being human after learning about artificial intelligence advances,” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 107, 104464. About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.   Subscribe & Follow   Apple Podcasts Spotify

How happy are you when you buy auto insurance? If your answer is anything other than thrilled, you’re not alone. In fact, years ago, a UK insurance company tried to convince us otherwise with their tagline “Quote Me Happy.” Spoiler alert: Nobody was happy. This raises a fascinating question: What role does advertising play in the customer experience, and why is there such a massive disconnect between the ads we see and what we actually get? In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton dive deep into the Great Expectation Gap—and they’ve brought in a special guest: Ben Shaw, Chief Strategy Officer at MullenLowe (and, fun fact, Colin’s son). It turns out that years of heated Sunday lunch debates on advertising vs. CX have led to this moment! 🍽️ Together, they explore why marketing often sets unrealistic expectations, how brands can align advertising with reality, and why great advertising can only work if the customer experience delivers on the promise. 💡 Tune in to discover: ✅ Why customers feel frustrated when reality doesn’t match advertising promises ✅ The power of the word "BUT" in advertising and how it reveals hidden customer tensions ✅ The real reason marketing and CX teams aren’t on the same page—and how to fix it ✅ How Apple mastered the art of aligning advertising and customer experience ✅ Why spending more on advertising won’t solve a broken CX (no matter how creative the campaign is) Best Quote from the Episode: The Brand makes the promise in the Market, the Customer Experience should deliver against that promise. — Colin Shaw  Resources Mentioned Ben Shaw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benshawuk/ 'Brand Ben' on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benshaw37?_t=ZN-8ujJORxL3SQ&_r=1 Mullen Lowe: https://www.mullenlowe.co.uk/  About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify #CustomerExperience #Marketing #Advertising #Branding #CX

Episode Summary: Everyone’s talking about AI like it’s some kind of CX fairy godmother—“Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo! Your NPS just went up 50 points!” Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work like that. In this episode, Colin and Ryan are joined by Frederic Durand, CEO of Diabolocom, and Collin D. Ehret, Senior Enterprise Sales Director (yes, another Collin… brace yourself), for a no-fluff, practical, and slightly irreverent discussion about what it really takes to implement AI in your customer experience. Diabolocom Website: https://www.diabolocom.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diabolocom/ Frederic Durand LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fpdurand/  Collin D. Ehret  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/collinehret/    This is a must-listen if you're wondering: Why most AI deployments stall before takeoff How to avoid drowning in customer data Why your silos are killing your CX And how AI can actually make your human interactions better You’ll hear real-world examples, hard-earned insights, and maybe even a laugh or two (two Colins on one podcast—what could go wrong?). 🔥 Best Quote from the Episode: “AI isn’t a magic wand. If your process is a mess, AI will just make it a faster, more expensive mess.” — Frederic Durand, Diabolocom 🎯 Key Takeaways: Start small, think big: The best AI implementations begin with narrow, clearly defined use cases—not a 3-year transformation plan with 47 KPIs. Data is your foundation: If your data isn’t clean, your AI won’t be either. Garbage in = garbage out, just faster and more confidently wrong. Break the silos: AI can’t fix your customer experience if Marketing, IT, and Customer Service are all playing in separate sandboxes. Empathy still wins: When AI takes care of the boring stuff, your humans can focus on being... well, human. And that’s what customers remember. Vendors should act like partners: Don’t buy tools. Build relationships with people who’ve seen the battlefield—and won. About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify  

Eight years, 750,000 downloads, and 400 episodes later, The Intuitive Customer is celebrating this major milestone! In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton reflect on what has changed in customer experience over the years and share their biggest learnings. 📊 The Reality of Podcasting: Podcasting is booming, with 546 million listeners worldwide. 47% of the U.S. population (12+) listens to a podcast at least once a month. Podcast ad spending is projected to hit $4.02 billion in 2024. But here’s the kicker: 50% of podcasts die after three episodes. Only 20% make it past 10 episodes. Most don’t last three years. 💡 We are in the top 2% of all podcasts globally—thanks to you, our listeners! Key Takeaways “Customer experience isn’t just about the experience—it’s about the memory of the experience. People don’t remember every detail; they remember the peak and the end. If you’re not designing for memory, you’re missing a massive opportunity.” 🏆 The Big Customer Experience Lessons from 400 Episodes: 🔹 1. CX is Still a Work in Progress (And That’s a Problem) 🔹 2. Memory Matters More Than You Think 🔹 3. Behavioral Science is the Secret Sauce (That Many Ignore)   Resources Mentioned MasterClass Series: https://beyondphilosophy.com/why-customers-make-instant-decisions-and-how-to-effect-it/ Memory Mini-Series: https://beyondphilosophy.com/our-behavior-is-motivated-by-what-we-recall-so-how-are-memories-formed-memory-mini-series-1-3/   About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify

First impressions aren’t just important—they’re everything. Research shows that customers, clients, and even your colleagues are forming opinions about you, your brand, and your business in mere seconds—often before you even get a chance to introduce yourself! In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton dive deep into the psychology of first impressions, exploring the fascinating (and slightly terrifying) science behind snap judgments. How fast do customers decide whether they like or trust you? Why do first impressions stick so stubbornly? And most importantly—how can you make sure your business gets it right? From real-world business insights to slightly embarrassing personal stories (yes, there’s a “matching tie and handkerchief” moment), this episode is packed with actionable takeaways, humor, and behavioral science gold. If you’ve ever wondered why customers make instant decisions about your brand—and how to make sure those decisions work in your favor—this is an episode you don’t want to miss. Best Quote from the Episode: "People decide if they like you before you even open your mouth. Customers do the same thing with your business. And once that first impression is locked in? Good luck changing it." – Colin Shaw Key Takeaways: ✅ Customers form opinions in seconds. Studies show that people can judge competence, trustworthiness, and likability in as little as 10 seconds—or less! ✅ Your rational brain is slower than your gut. Neuroscience suggests that we make decisions before we consciously think about them—then we just make up a story to justify the decision we already made. ✅ Bad first impressions are a business killer. If your website looks outdated, your store is messy, or your customer service rep is unfriendly—customers won’t stick around to give you a second chance. ✅ The Halo Effect can work for you (or against you). One good first impression can positively color how customers see your entire brand. But a bad one? That impression sticks. ✅ First impressions happen multiple times. The moment a customer sees your ad, lands on your website, calls your contact center, or walks into your store—each moment is a new first impression. Make them count. ✅ Be careful what YOU look for. Your own biases affect how you judge customers, employees, and even your team. If you assume someone is a "bad fit," you’ll find reasons to confirm it—even if it’s not true. 🔎 Why You Should Listen: Want to know how to create the perfect first impression for your business? Curious about the crazy science behind why people judge in a split second? Want to hear Colin and Ryan debate whether a “matching tie and handkerchief” can ruin your career? About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify

Trust: it’s the glue that holds relationships together—both personal and professional. Yet, so many businesses get it wrong. In this special milestone episode (yes, 400 episodes!), Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton break down why trust is the foundation of every great customer experience and, more importantly, how you can earn it, keep it, and leverage it to drive growth. From sneaky fees that erode confidence to honesty that wins lifelong loyalty, we’re covering ten essential actions that will guarantee your customers trust you—and keep coming back. Plus, we share some eye-opening research on why people sometimes lie more when they actually like you (yes, really). If you’re serious about customer experience, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss. 🎧 Listen now to discover: ✅ Why trust isn’t automatic—it has to be earned (and how to do it). ✅ The #1 mistake companies make that destroys trust instantly. ✅ How honesty—especially when things go wrong—can turn a crisis into a customer loyalty win. ✅ The psychology behind why people sometimes lie to be nice (and how this hurts customer relationships). ✅ Why overcommunication is your secret weapon for building long-term trust. 🔹 Best Quote from the Episode: "Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets. You can do everything right for years, but one moment of dishonesty or poor communication can undo it all." 🚀 Key Takeaways: Customers can smell dishonesty a mile away—transparency and consistency are non-negotiable. Trust isn’t just about marketing or sales; it’s company-wide, from legal to customer support. Want to build customer loyalty? Own up to mistakes—your customers will trust you more, not less. The easiest way to build trust? Do what you say you’re going to do. People trust companies that communicate often, even when there’s no new update. Silence breeds doubt. 📢 Don’t just read about it—hear it for yourself! Tune in now and learn how to make trust your biggest competitive advantage. About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify

Are we thinking less in the age of information overload? In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton discuss the hidden dangers of short-term thinking in customer experience. Businesses are obsessed with quick fixes, but is this addiction to fast results actually damaging long-term success? Join us as we explore why short-form content gives the illusion of learning, why deep understanding requires more than a 30-second soundbite, and how behavioral science can transform your customer experience for the long haul. From the pitfalls of Net Promoter Score (NPS) to the psychological magic of the Peak-End Rule, this episode is packed with insights that will change how you approach CX. Plus, hear why Colin thinks AI could be the modern-day version of Google Maps—and why that’s not necessarily a good thing! Quote of the Episode “Shortcuts create a false sense of progress. Just because something looks easy doesn’t mean it actually works.” Key Takeaways: 🔹 Short-form content is tricking us into thinking we’re learning – but real understanding takes time, effort, and curiosity. 🔹 Net Promoter Score (NPS) isn’t the holy grail – It’s useful, but without deeper analysis, it’s just another vanity metric. 🔹 The Peak-End Rule explains why customers remember emotions, not experiences – Learn how to optimize key moments in your CX journey. 🔹 AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not a substitute for real thinking – Automation is helpful, but businesses that over-rely on it risk becoming robotic and disconnected. 🔹 Long-term relationships matter more than quick wins – Sustainable customer loyalty is built through trust, emotional connection, and meaningful engagement. About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify

🔹 Ever wonder why you always end up choosing the medium popcorn, even when you weren’t hungry? Or why some websites magically guide you toward the “best” deal? That’s not luck—it’s behavioral science in action. In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton reveal the power of nudging—tiny tweaks that subtly influence decisions without forcing them. But here’s the catch: sometimes nudges don’t work at all. So, what separates a genius nudge from a total flop? That’s exactly what we’re unpacking today. 🔥 Best Quote from the Episode: "Nudges feel like magic when they work. But throw the wrong nudge at the wrong audience, and it’s like trying to convince a Diet Coke fan to drink Pepsi—it’s just not happening!" – Professor Ryan Hamilton 🎯 Key Takeaways: ✅ Small changes = big impact – A well-placed nudge (like a cleverly designed pricing tier) can significantly influence customer choices. ✅ Choice architecture is everything – The decoy effect, compromise effect, and default bias all play a role in steering decisions without customers realizing it. ✅ Why nudges fail – Not every customer is persuadable. Nudges won't move the needle if someone has a strong preference (like die-hard brand loyalty). ✅ Testing is essential – Don’t just assume a nudge will work. Test different variations in real-world scenarios before rolling them out at scale. 🚀 Why You Should Listen If you’re in customer experience, marketing, or sales, this episode will change how you think about influencing behavior. Learn how to craft nudges that actually work—and avoid the ones that flop. So, what are you waiting for? Hit play and discover the tiny tweaks that can have a BIG effect! About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.  Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.   👉 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Got a nudge story? Connect with Colin & Ryan on LinkedIn and share your experiences! 🎙️🚀

Discounting—it feels like a surefire way to attract customers, right? Everyone loves a good bargain. But what happens when discounts stop being a tool and start becoming an expectation? In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton dive into the dangerous addiction of price discounting—how it lures in customers, why businesses struggle to stop, and the long-term damage it can do to your brand and bottom line. You'll hear painful stories of businesses that have trained their customers never to pay full price, the psychology behind why discounts are so irresistible, and why, if you’re not careful, your company could end up hooked on discounting like a bad habit. This episode is packed with insights, humor, and practical advice you won’t want to miss! Best Quote from the Episode: "We knew we had a problem when one of the executives said, ‘This is like heroin—we can’t stop!’" Key Takeaways: ✅ Discounting Works—But Be Careful! Customers love a good deal, and discounts create instant excitement. But if you do it too often, you’re not just offering savings—you’re training customers to expect them. ✅ Reference Points Matter A “Was $7, Now $5” deal feels like a win, even if $5 was always a fair price. Discounts give customers an anchor price, making them feel like they’re getting a bargain—even if they’re not. ✅ Big Numbers Win People respond more to “SAVE 30%” than “SAVE $2.” The bigger the number, the better the deal seems. ✅ The Thrill of the Hunt Shoppers love feeling like they “won” at shopping.  ✅ The Danger of Training Customers If customers know you’ll discount every two weeks, they’ll never pay full price again. Some companies become trapped in perpetual discounting cycles, losing profit just to keep customers coming back. ✅ Compete on Value, Not Just Price Apple doesn’t run 50% off iPhone sales every Black Friday. Their customers pay full price because they believe in the value. If your business relies on discounts, ask yourself: Would customers still buy from us if we didn’t offer them? ✅ Are You a Discount Addict? If discounts are your main strategy, it’s time to rethink. Are you making real money, or just moving stock? If the answer makes you nervous, it’s time for a change. Why You Should Listen: This episode is a must-listen for business leaders, marketers, and CX professionals who want to break free from the discount trap and build a pricing strategy that doesn’t just attract customers—but actually makes money. About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify

🚀 Are your departments working together or just co-existing in polite chaos? Organizational silos are the silent killer of customer experience. Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, IT, Finance, HR—they all have their own priorities, their own goals, and their own version of success. But do those priorities align? More often than not, they don’t, and the result is a disjointed, frustrating experience for customers (and let’s be honest, for employees too). If you’ve ever tried to resolve a simple issue with a company only to be bounced between departments like a human pinball, you’ve experienced the dark side of silos firsthand. In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton dive deep into how silos are sabotaging your business and—more importantly—how to break them down. Colin also shares a particularly painful real-world example of a never-ending kitchen renovation that perfectly illustrates just how badly siloed teams can fail. (Hint: You’ll never look at a home improvement store the same way again.) 💡 Key Takeaways: 🔹 Common goals mean nothing if they aren’t lived out. Every company says “We put customers first”—but do they actually? If your Finance team makes policies that inconvenience customers, the answer is no. 🔹 Measure what matters. If Sales is rewarded for closing deals, but Implementation is penalized for poor customer satisfaction, you’ve got a problem. Aligning incentives across departments is the only way to drive real customer-centric behavior. 🔹 Cross-functional projects prevent disasters. Ever had a marketing team promise something a product team couldn’t deliver? Or a sales team sell a service that implementation couldn’t support? That’s what happens when silos rule the day. 🔹 Job shadowing changes everything. Want your IT team to build better systems for Customer Service? Have them answer support calls for a day. Want your Finance team to be more customer-friendly? Have them sit in on refund requests. 🔹 Socializing isn’t just for fun—it’s strategic. People who know each other personally collaborate more effectively. The simple act of breaking bread (or sharing a drink) can go a long way toward bridging the gaps between teams. 🎤 Best Quote from the Episode: "I once had an assistant who scheduled my meetings across London without realizing she had me zigzagging across the city like a lost tourist. After one day shadowing me, she never made that mistake again. People don’t realize the pain they cause others until they see it firsthand." – Colin Shaw About the Hosts:  Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.