Episode 82 How Heinz used precision and the pratfall effect to make its ketchup unforgettable
This episode dives into the behavioral science behind Heinz’s iconic brand. Discover how specificity, self-deprecating honesty, and inviting consumer participation help make Heinz ketchup more memorable, trusted, and irresistible at the table.
Episode Highlights
Schindler shows precise stats (47% vs 50%) feel truer and more credible. Heinz and Dyson lean in: 0.028-mph pour speeds and 5,127 prototypes signal mastery, making claims stick and build trust.
Ads show fries and say “Pass the Heinz,” tapping the generation effect: when people complete the message, recall rises and the brand lodges deeper in memory.
Owning a related flaw boosts appeal. Heinz’s “slow” pour and Guinness's wait signal quality; Bonner's study shows admitting a weakness tied to a strength lifts interest far more than vague negatives.
Resources & Useful Links
See below for additional resources from this week's episode.
Keep Listening
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In this episode, we look at the behavioural science behind Klarna. We explore how its “Buy Now, Pay Later” offering harnessed present bias to lessen the pain of payment and boost purchase intent. We also discuss other ways of making prices feel more manageable, such as temporal and unit reframing.
Ep79 - Hacking the Human Mind - Book Preview: Häagen-Dazs
In this episode, MichaelAaron and Richard preview their upcoming book Hacking the Human Mind. Then, they revisit episode 4: Häagen-Dazs, showing how foreign branding and price relativity turned ice cream into a luxury brand that shaped consumer expectations.
