Virtue signalling, moral rules and the evolved trainer: behavioural lessons from Nudgestock

Brian Carruthers

This event report considers a number of aspects of behavioural science thinking that have possible applications in marketing.

The future of marketing lies in behavioural science, not technology, declared Rory Sutherland as he introduced Nudgestock 2017. Billed as the UK's largest festival of behavioural science, the annual event organised by Ogilvy Change, the audience took away several decidedly non-tech ideas for consideration in a marketing context.

Virtue signalling

"Virtue signalling" - the public demonstration of opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate a person's good character or the moral correctness of their beliefs - has become a term of derogation in some circles: "you're just virtue signalling," is a common insult on Twitter for example. But the perception that...

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