Your Customers are Lazy... and Bored: How to Use That to Your Advantage

Show Notes:

This week on The Intuitive Customer, Colin takes a step back and welcomes guest host Morgan Ward to explore one of psychology's favourite contradictions: why customers cling to the familiar, yet crave novelty. From music playlists to yogurt purchases, from comfort food to product design, Colin and Morgan unpack why we're wired for both—and how brands can use that tension to create better customer experiences.

Best Quote from the Episode "Familiarity earns trust. Novelty earns attention. Get the balance right, and you earn loyalty."

Key Takeaways

• Customers don't always prefer the familiar or the new—it depends on context and need.
• Status quo bias (familiarity) is driven by loss aversion and cognitive laziness.
• Novelty seeking is driven by boredom and our need for optimal arousal.
• The best products deliver both—"updated classics" that balance safety and stimulation.
• Ask yourself: is your customer seeking comfort or excitement right now? Your answer determines whether to lean into familiarity or novelty.

🎧 Listen in to discover why customers sometimes want the same old thing… and sometimes something entirely different.

About the Hosts:

Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World's Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book called "The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things" Harvard Business Press 2025

Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

Morgan Ward is a former marketing professor and experienced brand consultant, now founder of InsightHive—a behavioral strategy consultancy that helps companies apply consumer psychology to real-world brand challenges. With over 20 years of experience advising clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500s and publishing in top academic journals, she's passionate about decoding the symbolic and cultural forces that shape consumer behavior. Her work focuses on status, identity, and decision-making across sectors like luxury, retail, and tech. Beyond consulting, Morgan serves as an expert witness in branding and advertising litigation, bringing academic rigor to questions of perception, distinctiveness, and influence.

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