My guest Phill Agnew studies behavioural science and tests what actually changes the way people buy.

In this episode:

• Why too much choice can reduce sales

• Why handwritten messages can outperform polished ones

• Why small marketing changes usually produce small results

• How specific social proof builds trust

• Why fewer benefits can be more persuasive

• Why Phill makes 50 small bets instead of trying to predict the winner

Links:

• Phill’s reading list: 25 books to read and 5 to avoid https://nudge.kit.com/reading-list

Beyond the Algorithm with Alex Chich. Deconstructing how winners decide on marketing.

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#marketing #behavioralscience #ecommerce

Give them a reason - that's differentiation. Remove their fear of switching - that's trust.

My guest Rishad Tobaccowala calls this trusted differentiation. He spent almost 40 years at Publicis and retired as its Global Strategist and Chief Growth Officer. About 300 people entered the Advertising Hall of Fame in 75 years. He's one of them.

In this episode:
• Why should anyone switch to you: a reason plus trust
• Where a difference can come from: product, story, emotion, founder
• Trust is built through small things (the Comcast call)
• AI makes trust more valuable, not less
• How AI recommends brands: Kirkland vs Oscar Mayer
• Ask yourself why you buy - then do that for your customers

Links mentioned in this episode:
• "Small Things" by Rishad Tobaccowala: https://rishad.substack.com/p/small-things
• Rishad's Substack: https://rishad.substack.com
• Rishad's website: https://rishadtobaccowala.com
• Rethinking Work, Rishad's latest book: https://rishadtobaccowala.com/rethinking-work
• Rethinking Work website: https://rethinking-work.io

Beyond the Algorithm with Alex Chich. Deconstructing how winners decide on marketing.

Subscribe for new episodes.

#marketing #ecommerce #branding

My guest Masha Efimova has 20 years in marketing, from agencies to e-commerce, FMCG, pharma, and banking, now leading growth at Mindvalley. Her rule: before you scale ads or hire an agency, get the team aligned first, or the budget burns.

In this episode:

• Why growth stalls, and why it is rarely just the market

• Clarity first: align the team before you spend

• The earliest signals a new project will succeed

• Why customer support is marketing (the airline test)

• Message before content before channels: why every brand looks the same

• Put innovation in your KPIs and let the team fail

Links:

• Mindvalley: https://www.mindvalley.com/

• Masha Efimova on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/efimova/

Beyond the Algorithm with Alex Chich. Deconstructing how winners decide on marketing.

Subscribe for new episodes.

#marketing #growth #ecommerce

Our podcast guest, behavioral scientist Nancy Harhut, wrote the book on it.

In this episode:

• Why customers decide on gut, not logic

• Sell against the why-not: find the real objection and answer it

• Why a testimonial with a flaw beats a perfect one

• Why three benefits beat five

• Pricing that feels like a better deal (a smaller sale-price font, and framing the upgrade as +$X)

• Social proof, loss aversion, and giving people a sense of control

• What changes when you sell expensive or luxury products

Links:

• HBT Marketing: https://www.hbtmktg.com/

• Using Behavioral Science in Marketing: https://www.koganpage.com/marketing-communications/using-behavioral-science-in-marketing-9781398606487

• Nancy Harhut on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyharhut/

Beyond the Algorithm with Alex Chich. Deconstructing how winners decide on marketing.

Subscribe for new episodes.

#marketing #ecommerce #behavioralscience

My guest, marketing scientist Byron Sharp, wrote How Brands Grow, the book that rewired how marketers think about growth.

In this episode:

• Why most lost sales were never a real competition (mental availability)

• Mental vs physical availability, and why both drive growth

• Why loyalty programs and retention barely move the needle

• The over-segmentation trap: why growth means reaching everyone

• Why boring, consistent brands like Toyota quietly win

Links:

• Ehrenberg-Bass Institute: https://marketingscience.info/

• How Brands Grow: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/how-brands-grow-9780195573565

• Byron Sharp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professorbyronsharp

Beyond the Algorithm with Alex Chich. Deconstructing how winners decide on marketing.

Subscribe for new episodes.

#marketing #ecommerce #branding

In this episode, Alex Chi sits down with Talia Wolf - founder of GetUplift, author of "Emotional Targeting," and one of the most respected voices in conversion optimization - to unpack why the brands that win aren't the ones with the most data. They're the ones obsessed with the emotions behind every purchase.

Talia explains why attribution matters less than ever, how to actually understand your customers (not just box them into a spreadsheet), and why your messaging — not your design or your button colors — is what makes you stand out. We also get into how small e-commerce brands with little traffic can outmaneuver the giants, why you should never let ChatGPT write your copy, and the 3-step framework Talia uses to 10x conversions.

If you sell anything online, this one will change how you look at your website.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:35 Talia's mission & the "Emotional Targeting" book
02:13 Why you should worry less about tracking
05:57 How to actually research your customers (interviews, surveys, social listening)
09:00 Self-image vs. social image: the two biggest drivers of conversions
10:08 GA4 & Clarity tell you the "where" — not the "why"
12:10 Why "10 quick tests" listicles aren't enough anymore
13:17 Talia's favorite research method: social listening on Reddit
16:10 Can you run CRO with low traffic and no big data?
18:31 Messaging first, design second — and why
19:46 Should you use ChatGPT to write your copy? (Talia's hard no)
24:02 Brand consistency on AND off your website
28:07 The 223 emotional triggers — and the 2 that matter most
34:57 Talia's 3-step framework: research, emotional audit, meaningful tests
38:52 The truth about A/B tests: most of them fail
41:08 Can small brands really beat the giants? The economy of trust
43:51 Why a simple iPhone video builds more trust than a polished ad

About Talia Wolf:
Talia is the founder of GetUplift and author of "Emotional Targeting." She helps brands grow by optimizing their entire customer journey around emotion and psychology — backed by thousands of A/B tests.
📘 Get the book & learn more: https://www.taliawolf.com | https://getuplift.co
🔗 Connect with Talia on LinkedIn & Instagram

ABOUT BEYOND the Algorithm team:

Check more about us and our podcast on UAWC agency website

In this interview, Sergey, a team lead specializing in email marketing and AI projects, shares expert insights on optimizing Klaviyo accounts for e-commerce success. Discover key strategies for account audits, tracking, flows, and avoiding common pitfalls to maximize revenue and customer engagement.

Key Topics

• Klaviyo account audit checklist
• Tracking and attribution in Klaviyo
• Optimizing email flows and personalization

Takeaways

• Regularly audit your Klaviyo account focusing on attribution and tracking.
• Ensure flows are set up with correct triggers and filters to avoid missed opportunities.
• Use dynamic variables and personalization to increase email relevance.
• Monitor deliverability and integration health to prevent revenue loss.

Guest NameSergey

titles

• Mastering Klaviyo: 10 Essential Audit Tips for E-commerce Success
• The Ultimate Guide to Klaviyo Flows and Tracking

Sound Bites

• "Klaviyo is a set it and forget it channel."
• "50-50 chance of successful A/B tests."
• "Use profile filters to prevent overlap."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Email Marketing and Klaviyo

03:43 Understanding Klaviyo's Attributed Revenue

06:55 Importance of Tracking in Klaviyo

09:38 Auditing Klaviyo Accounts: Key Steps

13:57 Optimizing Pop-Ups for Email Sign-Ups

17:08 Effective Sign-Up Offers and Strategies

19:51 A/B Testing for Sign-Up Forms

22:26 Understanding Welcome Flows and Their Importance

35:16 Optimizing Abandonment Flows for Better Engagement

36:37 Distinguishing Between Abandoned Cart and Checkout

41:26 Monitoring Deliverability and Integration Issues

Takeaways

• Customer support is a core capacity for any company, regardless of its size.
• The right talent and environment for support roles can lead to exceptional customer experiences and low attrition rates. Hiring Process
• Values as a Tool
• AI in Customer Support

Chapters

• 00:00 Hiring for Support Roles and the Value of Empathy
• 40:30 The Hiring Process: Skills and Motivation
• 52:30 The Importance of Values in Hiring and Culture-Building
• 01:21:02 AI in Customer Support: Challenges and Opportunities