The problem with charging for Twitter’s blue tick is not the $8 amount, but mental accounting

I found myself in the rather unexpected position of agreeing with Elon Musk and even, possibly, defending one of his initiatives. Namely, I think that one good way of generating revenues for a social media platform could be by charging for value added features that people can sign up to, if they want to, but … Continue reading The problem with charging for Twitter’s blue tick is not the $8 amount, but mental accounting

Consumer education: how can we make salt’s harm visible?

Earlier this month, the British Association of Dermatologists published a press release with the highlights from a survey of Britain’s sun protection habits. The highlights included: 80% don’t apply sunscreen before going out in the sun and then shortly afterwards; 70% fail to reapply sunscreen every two hours as recommended; 35% would only seek shade … Continue reading Consumer education: how can we make salt’s harm visible?

Here we go, again. The sales!

Ah, the sales season. I have a love-hate relationship with the sales season. Very occasionally I will be very pleased with something that I got on sales. But, overall, it is a depressing time, when otherwise bright people make the silliest of purchase decisions (me included). Here are some of the most common tricks used … Continue reading Here we go, again. The sales!

Close business relationships do not protect you from cheating

Research recently published in the Journal of Marketing Research presents an interesting puzzle. It suggests that close rapport between business partners does not eliminate opportunism, which the authors define as 'the practice of engaging in actions that sacrifice ethical principles to benefit oneself at the expense of others'. However, the paper posits that the level … Continue reading Close business relationships do not protect you from cheating

The flawed decision maker

Noticing that I haven’t been to the gym in a (very) long time, my other half has tentatively suggested that I cancel my membership (and save some money too). This should be an easy decision. You see, even though I like some of the classes on offer at my health club, I much prefer going … Continue reading The flawed decision maker