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Richard Shotton, best-selling author and Founder of Astroten, reveals how simple behavioural insights can dramatically improve marketing performance.
In marketing, the smallest tweaks can make the biggest waves. Studies from MIT reveal that subtle shifts in wording can sway customer decisions by 35%, and a well-placed nudge can lift retention by 20%. These aren’t grand gestures or million-dollar campaigns; they’re precise, psychological levers hidden in plain sight.
“Most businesses put too much money into motivating their customer, making their product look fantastic and appealing. Not enough time, energy, or money in making it easier to buy… So, go through that customer journey, identify even the most trivial bits of friction, and if you remove them, they’ll tend to have an outsized effect,” says Richard Shotton, best-selling author and Founder of Astroten.
Richard took the stage at Vibe Marketing Tech Fest, Dubai 2025, to show, through live experiments and landmark studies, how behavioural biases influence consumer decisions and how marketers can harness them for better results.
Three things Martechvibe learned from his talk;
Concrete Beats Abstract
People are far more likely to remember messages they can visualise. Replace vague claims like “high quality” with tangible, image-rich language that sticks in memory, think “1,000 songs in your pocket” instead of “256MB storage.”
Remove Friction for Outsized Results
Even tiny obstacles, like extra clicks, unnecessary forms, can slash engagement. Removing small bits of friction can lead to outsized results, as in one study where auto-enrolment boosted sign-ups from 1% to 95%.
Show Effort to Boost Perceived Value
Customers want ease for themselves, but appreciate knowing you worked hard for it. So, highlighting prototypes, processes, and behind-the-scenes work, like James Dyson’s 5,127 iterations, can increase trust and willingness to pay.
Watch the full video here.
