Marketing

Alchemy: 6 key ideas

by Rory Sutherland

The core ideas of Alchemy, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.

1. IDEA 1 OF 6

   Logic isn't everything

   Many ideas that work look illogical.

   People respond to how things feel, not only to function.

2. IDEA 2 OF 6

   Costly signals build trust

   Expensive packaging or heavy advertising signal confidence and commitment, which customers read as quality.

3. IDEA 3 OF 6

   Reframe before you rebuild

   Changing a name or framing can shift behaviour more than costly engineering.

4. IDEA 4 OF 6

   Perception can beat reality

   Making a wait feel shorter, with information or entertainment, may matter more than actually shortening it.

5. IDEA 5 OF 6

   Test the silly ideas

   Some of the best solutions seem absurd at first.

   Run cheap experiments on them.

6. IDEA 6 OF 6

   Context shapes value

   The same product feels different in a different setting.

   Design the context.