Rory Sutherland

Rory Sutherland is the Vice Chairman at brand and ad company Ogilvy UK. Combining creative thinking with a passion for behavioural science he examines why people think, buy, vote or act the way they do, and why they're so frequently irrational in their choices. Widely considered one of the leading communicators and real-world practitioners of behavioural science, he looks at what can be learned from how humans react and are influenced. As well as his Ogilvy role, Rory is The Spectator’s ‘Wiki Man’, and his insights into advertising, consumer behaviour and incorrect assumptions have made him an unlikely social media star, with his pithy ideas and observations a regular in TikTok and YouTube Shorts feeds.

After a spell teaching, Rory joined the Creative Department at Ogilvy as a junior copywriter, working on global accounts including the relatively niche software company Microsoft. Despite approaching Microsoft with the idea of a system whereby people could share Office documents over the nascent internet, and being roundly rejected, Rory went on to help found OgilvyOne, the group’s dedicated digital and direct agency. He remains an advocate of so-called ‘360 Degree Branding’ ensuring brands have a coherent, joined-up presence in all areas. As Creative Director of Ogilvy, Rory also served as the president of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) - the first ‘creative’ to do so. Ogilvy is now part of the massive WPP ad and media group and count Ford, Unilever, IBM, American Express, BP and British Airways amongst their accounts.

Rory shares his passion for psychology, behaviour and thinking differently with colleagues, clients and the wider world. He is the founder of Nudgestock, the global festival of behavioural science. In his book Alchemy: The Magic of Original Thinking in a World of Mind-Numbing Conformity, he looks at examples of, and the thinking behind some counter-intuitive successes, from popular drinks no one really enjoys to stripes in toothpaste, he considers how a lack of rationality is sometimes the best way to tackle a problem. He is also the co-author, with Pete Dyson, of Transport for Humans: Are We Nearly There Yet?, an exploration of how transport systems of all kinds are designed by planners and engineers that often overlook at people will actually use them. The authors consider how behavioural science can address concerns of capacity, speed, sustainability and accessibility by looking at how people travel, why, and what influences their choices.

From social media to podcasts to conference stages and magazine columns, and with wit, erudition and a willingness to provoke, Rory reveals the secrets of marketing and what they says about the world. He looks at the successes, the failures and the outright bizarre from the world of advertising and communications, and asks 'why?'. He analyses what branding means, what creativity is, and the value of persuasion over compulsion. In particular, he looks at why individuals and groups often make the unexpected or 'wrong' decision, when that choice can be changed, or when it actually shows us the way to go, whether your a local cafe or a global conglomerate.