Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Social Proofing. Tribalism. What are the most powerful psychological triggers for shaping consumer behavior and beliefs? In an all-new episode, we get insights from Jake McKenzie, CEO of Birmingham, AL-based Intermark Group, one of the nation's top psychology-driven ad agencies. By blending sociology, psychology, behavioral economics, and technology, it's possible to dramatically increase the efficacy of marketing programs. The problem: Far too many marketers start with a creative concept informed by demographic data masquerading as insight. In this can't-miss episode, we explore ways to hack the human psyche to boost marketing performance.

Brought to you by Taskin, the first name in ultra-stylish, premium-quality travel gear for 🛩-setters everywhere.

👐🏻Shop now and save 30% with promo code R&RTAKE30 at TaskinSF.com: ow.ly/Vh6M30r9EpF👐🏻

IN THIS EPISODE:

🧐 An introduction to applied research and "creative psychology" (at 01:01)

🛍️ Adding psychographic insights to demographic data to optimize outcomes (01:43)

🦏 Animal House: Mohawk Flooring's carpet ride to market dominance (03:33)

📍 Building a better brief: Inside the mind-mapping process to make insights actionable (06:59)

👩🏼‍🦱 The problem with marketing personas: Context is everything (08: 57)

👀 The power of psychological heuristics like Social Proofing (10:36)

🍎 Who cares about product specs? Peer pressure doesn't fall far from Apple (12:50)

😳 Juicing demand by building a sense of scarcity–and why too many brands fear it (14:15)

🤓 Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and advances in neuromarketing (16:23)

👥 Focus groups: The need to get past what participants tell you (17:44)

🚭 Smoking surprise: The least and most predictive indicators of a future purchase (18:33)

🙅🏽‍♀️ Why anti-drug campaigns fail to leverage what works in changing behavior (20:13)

✊🏼 Harley-Davidson & Rita's Italian Ice: How brands can tap tribal psychology (21:03)

Approx. 24 minutes, 18 seconds. For US audiences. Review cookie and privacy policies for iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud and all other streaming services.

The Ricks share some of insights on marketing's new normal. Non-essential worker Barbie makes the most of quarantine. Baby reveals come to Zoom. Plus, are virtual barbers head and shoulders above the real thing? From June 26. 

Brought to you by Taskin, the official business and travel gear of bucket lists everywhere.

👐🏻Shop now and save 30% with promo code R&RTAKE30 at TaskinSF.com👐🏻

IN THIS EPISODE

✂️ Weeks into lockdown, Rick W. is digging for his Flowbee (at 1-min, 11-second)

💇🏻‍♂️ Rick M. decides to cut his own hair—so what could go wrong? (at 1:50)

📈 Do out-of-work barbers have a future in consulting? (at: 3:00)

🏠 Sheltering-in-dreamhouse: Meet non-essential worker Barbie (at: 4:10)

🛍 Just how much has the coronavirus pandemic changed marketing? (at 5:38)

🌎 The digital world's population boom (at 6:50)

🍕 BOPIS with a side of pizza: Your business model, revisited (at 9:12)

💈 Will the new barbershop experience come with nitrous oxide? (at 11:00)

🎪 Can VR save trade shows? (at 11:34)

🤑 Is it time to cut your marketing budget? Or double down? (at 16:05)

🤝 Deal making in a post-handshake world (at 16:57)

👶🏻 Baby reveals, by way of Zoom (at 19:30)

Approximately 20 minutes, 40 seconds. For US audiences.

Review cookie and privacy policies for iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud and all other streaming services.

A haunted house that's so scary, it requires a 40-page waiver. Why lab-grown brain matter may be sentient. Kellogg's follows the Ricks lead on cereal-infused IPAs. Marvel's latest ugly Christmas sweaters, and a whole lot more.

IN THIS EPISODE:

👨🏻‍🚒 Burn Notice: Dry, windy conditions have California in the hot seat (at :52 seconds)

💀Hell House: A haunted mansion that's so scary, nobody has made it through—despite a $20K reward (at 1:41)

🧠 Is lab-grown brain matter sentient? Science says it's a nightmare possibility (at 4:07)

🥪 Love at first bite? Lays' new Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup potato chips (at 6:02)

🍺 Did the Ricks inspire Kellogg's new Corn Flakes IPA? We'd drink to that (at 6:47)

🎅🏼 Ho-Ho-Hostess: Chocolate Mint Twinkies take the holidays by storm (at 8:55)

😋 Rick W. may need a few minutes alone with his It's-It (at 9:51)

🗿Chocolate-covered Oreos for the ages (at 12:08)

👻 Sheet Hits the Fans: Marvel's new trio of ugly Christmas sweaters (at 13:00)

🧛🏼‍♂️ Halloween Sales: Flying broomsticks, or down for the count? (at 14:12)

🤢 Beware the Booger, Man: This year's best tasting Halloween candy (at 15:55)

🧙🏼‍♀️ Bloody AOL: This year's most popular Halloween costumes (at 16:50)

Or Listen Here 🎃Season 3 Premiere World's Scariest Haunted House Marvel's Horrific New Christmas Sweaters Kellogg's Corn Flakes IPA & More

Approximately 18 min, 7 sec. For US audiences. Review cookie and privacy policies for SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify, and all other streaming services.

Just when you think Burger King can't top the crowning glory of last year's Whopper Detour campaign promoting its mobile app, it pulls off a battle royal from within its chief rival's own stores. 

Last year, BK won countless awards for geo-targeting offers for a 1-cent Whopper to customers who come within 800 feet of a McDonald's (see the success story below). But BK Germany may have upped the ante—again. 

In a cross promotion celebrating the release of "It Chapter Two," Burger King is using advertising on Facebook and Twitter to invite consumers to download its mobile app and scan a review of "It" within a movie magazine McDonald's distributes in-store.

According to The Drum, when consumers download the app, they're able to play an augmented reality-enabled mobile game that displays a "flee and run" route to the nearest BK. If they make it there within a certain amount of time, they're able to buy a Whopper for just one cent. 

It's just the latest in the kind of inventive campaigns that helped BK clean up at this year's Cannes Lions Advertising Festival—and at the cash register. And in truth, BK's unorthodox philosophy about marketing has been on display as far back as its work with CPB Group.

With this brilliantly devious cross-promotion, the QSR might just win "Creative Brand of the Year" for a second year in a row. 

Inside Mary Meeker's 2019 Internet Trends Report. Grand Prix Winners from this year's Cannes Lions Advertising Festival. Miller Light turns a beer into a game controller. Plus, all the coolest Funko toys headed to San Diego Comic-Con, and a whole lot more.

IN THIS EPISODE

🕷    'Spider-Man: Far from Home' arrives just in time (at :48 sec)

🦇    Poll about best Caped Crusader leaves out Adam West, fans go batshit (at 1:26)

🍻    Miller Lite turns a beer can into a game controller, and we'll drink to that (at 3:39)

👍🏻      Who's a better Internet role model: Keanu Reeves or Mark Hamill?  (at 6:20)

🤡      Chuckles, Krusty, or Pennywise? Funko's funky Comic-Con line up (at 8:32)

📱      Key insights from Mary Meeker's 2019 Internet Trends Report (at 10:20)

🏆      Grand Prix winners at the 2019 Cannes Lions Advertising Festival (at 19:08)

⭐️     Holy Hollywood icons: Look who's getting a star on the Walk of Fame (at 22:03)

🦁     2019 Cannes Lions' Buzzword Bingo (at 22:40)

🦸🏻‍♂️    More special edition toys coming to San Diego Comic-Con (at 24:04)

Approx. 27 min.

(For US audiences. Be sure to review privacy and cookie policies for SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify and all other streaming services.)   

Coca-Cola's silent print ads you can hear. Burger King's New Unhappy Meals. Leadership Advice from Artificial Intelligence. Plus: How to think like a futurist, ASMR for Artists, and a whole lot more.

IN THIS EPISODE:

🍿  Will 'Avengers' End 'Avatar's' Reign and Top $3 Billion? (at :35 seconds)

🧠  Leadership Slogans from Artificial Intelligence (at 2:30)

🎧ASMR Affirmations for Artists (at 3:48)

🗣  Social Media Toughens Up (at 6:36)

🥤Coca-Cola's Silent Print Ads You Can Hear (at 10:09)

🍔        Burger King's Unhappy Meals (at 13:14)

🛍        The #1 Channel for Customer/Retailer Communications (at 16:14)

🔮5 Top Ways to Think Like a Futurist (at 16:14)

🛒The #1 Most Powerful Tool for Driving In-Store Traffic

(Approx. 21 min, 35 sec. For US audiences. See cookie and privacy policies for Soundcloud, iTunes, Spotify and all streaming services.)

Also listen on iTunes —and now on Spotify, too!

For nearly 70% of online shoppers, the path to your brand or retail website goes through Amazon, according to a global survey of  4,500 consumers cited by MarketingLand. It turns out 44% of consumers often check Amazon, and 24% always do, when shopping online. When they don't start there, their first stop is Google, of course. But either way, 89% will cross-reference Amazon at some point in the online purchase process. What does that mean for your online marketing strategy? 

s

It's time to review what we got right, and what we got wrong, in our first annual predictions episode in early 2018. Which of our  prognostications on marketing, media, tech and pop culture turned out to be spot on? Which ones were serious misses? It's time to grade the good, the bad and the WTF predictions—one year later.

IN THIS EPISODE

🍡Pez Candy: Time for a 'Rick & Rick' Dispenser? (at 1:07)

🏛Politics: Did More Brands Take Sides, or Channel Switzerland? (at 2:07)

🏈 The San Francisco 49'ers: Touchdown? Or Fumble? (at 3:51)

🔠 Google Parent Alphabet: Playing the Name Game? (at 4:12)

🗣'The Post-Screen Internet': Are More Brands Prepping? Or Procrastinating? (at 4:36)

🍎Apple: Spit-Shined? Or Bruised? (at 7:27)

🏰Disney: The #1 Box Office Winner Every Month of the Year? (at 9:55)

😎 AR & VR: Are Brands Getting Their Goggles On? Or Playing 'Wait-and-See'? (at 13:58)

🎬Video Marketing:  ⏩? Or ⏸? (at 16:36)

🍕Brand Digital Innovation: Delivering? Or in a Ditch? (at 17:36)

🧠A.I. in 2018: Milestone? Or Reality Check? (at 18:27)

Use the Player  Above or Listen on iTunes

(Approximately 22 min. For US Audiences Only. See SoundCloud's Cookie and Privacy Policies)

From an episode of Rick & Rick from earlier this year:  Rick Mathieson & Rick Wootten talk  about what data now shows IHOP'S "IHOB" stunt was a grand slam (sorry, Denny's). Plus: Things our grandkids will be amazed that people said in 2018.

Approx: 24 min

(This content for US audiences. Note that SoundCloud uses cookies for analytics per their privacy policy.) 

In a all new podcast,  Rick Mathieson and Rick Wootten talk:

Netflix's hit series, Altered Carbon: It's not as far fetched as you may think (:36)

How to live inside HBO's "WestWorld" at SXSW (20:15)

KFC's Royal FCK-up (5:20)

NASA's new Coca-Cola Insta-Slushie (10:28)

The disconnect between the tech marketers love and what consumers actually want (6:24)

Whether brands really need a "voice agency of record (15:00)

Plus a whole lot more

 Or listen on iTunes:

Rick&Rick-Peak Smartphone Altered Carbon & More

 Meet RICK MATHIESON and RICK WOOTTEN