Person
Adam Ferrier
Guest; consumer psychologist, co-founder Thinkerbell, author Stop Listening to the Customer and The Advertising Effect
Consumer psychologist, brand strategist, and co-founder of Thinkerbell (Australia's Creative Agency of the Year). Author of Stop Listening to the Customer. Guest arguing that market research is systematically unreliable and often actively harmful to brands (Episode 54), and explaining the negativity bias — why brands, journalists, and politicians who lean into flaws and negativity often win more attention (Episode 55). His cookie and chocolate-spread imperfection studies are cited again as evidence for the Pratfall Effect (Episode 58). His negativity-bias explanation resurfaces in the year-end recap (Episode 72).
Returns for two consecutive episodes (271-272) explaining the Jetstar 'Don't Fly' reactance campaign (see Jetstar 'Don't Fly Jetstar' Reactance Campaign) and the TAC 'Australia's Deadliest Predator' availability-bias campaign (see TAC 'Australia's Deadliest Predator' Speeding Campaign). Career background: studied psychology and commerce, a master's in clinical psychology researching "the underlying constructs of cool people," early work in the prison system, then Saatchi & Saatchi, founding Naked Communications APAC, then Thinkerbell (~200 people), whose stated practice is "measured magic" — marketing science combined with creativity.
Discussed in
- Episode 54 — 54- Stop Listening to Customers
- Episode 55 — 55- Why Our Brains Crave Negativity
- Episode 58 — 58- Why brands should flaunt their flaws (referenced)
- Episode 72 — 72- 6 memorable marketing lessons from 2021 (referenced)
- Episode 271 — 271-don-t-listen-to-this-podcast (Jetstar reactance campaign)
- Episode 272 — 272-the-nudge-that-persuaded-aussies-to-stop-speeding (TAC availability-bias campaign)