Richard Shotton & MichaelAaron Flicker | Call To Action |… | ...Gasp!
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28th August 2025

Richard Shotton & MichaelAaron Flicker

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This week we broke a golden rule and crossed podcast streams with a pair of excellent guests, Richard Shotton and MichaelAaron Flicker, hosts of the Behavioural Science for Brands podcast and co-authors of the soon-to-be released (and definitely-to-be brilliant) Hacking The Human Mind.

Richard is, of course, returning for a record third appearance on Call To Action® although we have respectfully honoured his request to not be left alone with Giles. Responsible for opening industry eyes to the potential of behavioural science, Richard is the author of two books that serious marketing types like you and I could not do without – The Choice Factory and The Illusion of Choice.

Alongside him today, as is so often the case, is MichaelAaron Flicker, founder and president of (Zeeenno-Sigh) XenoPsi Ventures, a brand incubator firm that helps out all kinds of companies with financial, marketing and intellectual capital. As well as co-hosting their pod, and co-authoring their book, they’ve completed a hattrick of Co’s by co-founding the Consumer Behaviour Lab, where they apply their considerable collective knowledge to help make marketing smarter, better and less stinky.

In an episode where we open the sunroof on the human mind and reveal there’s much more to it than day dreams, crippling doubt and song lyrics from 1996, we hear from two of the field’s most compelling experts on what it really takes for a brand to be chosen.

This episode is proudly dedicated to Rory Sutherland.

Follow Richard and MichaelAaron on LinkedIn.

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Timestamps


08:27 - Reflections on Career Path and Pivots
 

10:09 - Richard's Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne
 

12:39 - How Richard and Michael Met
 

14:22 - The Concept Behind Their New Book
 

16:01 - Writing Process and Collaboration Insights
 

20:21 - Discussion on Haagen-Dazs and Country of Origin Effect
 

25:04 - The Power of Naming: Patagonian Toothfish vs. Chilean Sea Bass
 

30:07 - Marketing Confusion Between Marketing and Sales

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Guest's Reading List

Alchemy

Rory Sutherland

Tiny Habits

BJ Fogg

Hacking the Human Mind

Richard Shotton & MichaelAaron Flicker

Other Guest Links

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