The Psychology of Brand Loyalty & The Strange History of Everyday Words

Something You Should Know

Mike Carruthers | OmniCastMedia

Science, Social Sciences, Self-improvement, Education, Health & Fitness

4.6 • 4K Ratings

🗓️ 17 November 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ever stepped into an elevator and wondered, what if the cable snapped? It’s a surprisingly common fear — but is it justified? I’ll reveal the truth about elevator safety, how often accidents really happen, and exactly what to do if the unthinkable occurred. https://www.businessinsider.com/survive-elevator-crash-fall-2015-9 Why do so many people swear by Apple, Starbucks, or Amazon? What makes certain brands almost irresistible? Behavioral science has the answer. My guest Michael Aaron Flicker — entrepreneur, founder of the Consumer Behavior Lab, and author of Hacking the Human Mind: The Behavioral Science Secrets Behind 17 of the World’s Best Brands (https://amzn.to/4oepxEB) and he explains how brilliant companies use psychology and design to tap into your subconscious desires and shape your buying habits. The English language is full of stories hiding in plain sight. Did you know there are about 20 ways to pronounce the word water? Or that the word silhouette comes from the name of a despised French bureaucrat? Journalist Martha Barnette, co-host of the popular radio show A Way with Words (https://waywordradio.org/) and author of Friends with Words: Adventures in Languageland (https://amzn.to/3WBqeM5), joins me to uncover the delightful, bizarre, and surprising history behind the words we use every day. Next time you notice your grocery store has rearranged everything, that’s no accident. Supermarkets often shift products on purpose to keep you wandering longer — and spending more. I’ll explain the subtle psychological tricks retailers use and how you can outsmart them. https://www.businessthink.unsw.edu.au/articles/supermarket-tricks-cost-of-living PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Give and get timeless holiday staples that last this season with Quince. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! DELL: It’s time for Black Friday at Dell Technologies. Save big on PCs like the Dell 16 Plus featuring Intel® Core™ Ultra processors. Shop now at: ⁠⁠ https://Dell.com/deals ⁠⁠ NOTION: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Notion brings all your notes, docs, and projects into one connected space that just works . It's seamless, flexible, powerful, and actually fun to use! Try Notion, now with Notion Agent, at: ⁠⁠https://notion.com/something⁠⁠ PLANET VISIONARIES: In partnership with Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative, this… is Planet Visionaries. Listen or watch on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Today on something you should know, just how safe are elevators?
0:07.4	Do accidents happen?
0:09.2	Then the strategies major brands used to earn our loyalty, like Starbucks.
0:14.9	Pumpkin Spice Latte was a winner for Starbucks from the first year they launched it. It took a lot of courage for them as a
0:23.3	brand to turn it off. And you could imagine that if pumpkin spice latte could be bought in May,
0:28.8	would it be as exciting? Also, why your grocery store moves things around just when you learn
0:35.4	where everything is? And where do words come from, and why do some stick around and others fade away?
0:43.3	The way that words stick around is when they bubble up naturally, without you're really noticing,
0:48.3	like the word selfie, for example. It's such a useful word, and we didn't have that word, you know, 30 or 40 years ago.
0:56.6	All this today on Something You Should Know.
1:00.9	I want to tell you about a great new podcast I think you'll like. I'm loving it. So what happens
1:07.1	when our passions become obsessions? Well, on David Green is obsessed, one of America's
1:13.3	most familiar voices and longtime co-host of NPR's Morning Edition seeks out obsessives of all
1:20.9	kinds while unpacking his own fixations. You'll hear David talk to comedian Tignito about her complex passion for plant-based food.
1:31.3	Actor David Arquette on his love of Bozo the Clown.
1:35.3	Paula Poundstone on her house full of cats.
1:38.7	Celebrity chef and author Michael Simon discusses why he just can't quit the Cleveland Browns
1:45.0	even though they often make him miserable
1:46.8	and so much more.
1:49.3	It's pop psychology
1:50.6	disguised as conversations
1:52.5	with the world's most fascinating people.
	...

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