About the Guest

Michael Aaron Flicker is the founder and CEO of ZenoSci Ventures and co-founder of the Consumer Behavior Lab, an organization dedicated to applying the science of human behavior to media and marketing. Alongside renowned behavioral scientist Richard Shotton, Michael explores how behavioral science can be practically applied to build more effective brands, campaigns, and customer journeys.

Actionable Insights

• Great brands often leverage behavioral science—even if they’re not aware of the academic research behind their strategies.
• Marketers should focus on concrete, image-rich messaging (e.g., “a thousand songs in your pocket”) rather than abstract claims or feature lists; concrete language is proven to be more memorable and persuasive.
• Specificity and the illusion of effort (e.g., “17 brands,” “5,127 prototypes”) increase credibility and audience trust.
• Creating peak moments—unexpected, memorable experiences—can dramatically elevate brand loyalty (e.g., a popsicle hotline at an average hotel).
• Behavioral science helps decode why people really buy; understanding these principles arms you to design smarter campaigns and better experiences.
• Marketers must use these tactics ethically; understanding human shortcuts is about guiding, not manipulating, decisions.
• The best way to apply these principles is to test them: run A/B tests, observe outcomes, and iterate—even small businesses can experiment and learn.
• Success comes from a mindset open to science, measurement, and continuous observation—move beyond gut instinct to evidence-based marketing.

Great Moments (with Timestamps)

• 00:55 – What Does It Mean to “Hack the Human Mind”?
  Why the book starts with brands, not academic studies, and always ends with “so what?”
• 02:00 – Ground-Level Psychology
  Why both big brands and small business owners have direct insight into consumer behavior.
• 03:20 – Debunking the Feature Stack
  The Five Guys story: Why less is more, and focus beats feature overload.
• 06:53 – The Power of Concrete Messaging
  How Apple’s “a thousand songs in your pocket” leverages proven behavioral science.
• 09:21 – Why “17 Brands”?
  Specificity and the illusion of effort make numbers more credible and memorable.
• 11:00 – The Peak-End Rule and Creating Brand Moments
  Why a popsicle hotline at an average motel generates top-tier reviews.
• 13:32 – How Any Business Can Create Peak Moments
  Small, intentional actions can create powerful, memorable experiences for any brand.
• 15:10 – Ethics and the “Dark Side” of Behavioral Science
  Why marketers must use these insights responsibly and educate consumers.
• 17:20 – How to Get Started in Behavioral Science Marketing
  Adopt a science-based, test-and-learn mindset—not just gut instinct.
• 18:52 – Measurement and Testing
  Why even small businesses should observe, experiment, and iterate.

Insights

“Great brands use behavioral science principles—sometimes knowingly, sometimes by instinct—to create memorable, effective marketing.”

“Concrete, image-rich language is four times more memorable than abstract claims. Show, don’t just tell.”

“Specificity and visible effort—like a precise number of prototypes—build trust and credibility.”

“A single, unexpected peak moment can make an average experience legendary in the minds of customers.”

“Behavioral science is about understanding humanity’s natural shortcuts and designing better, not more manipulative, marketing.”