Name: Sweat the small stuff
Uploaded: 2010-06-09T09:05:00Z
Duration: 12 min 20 s
Description: It may seem that big problems require big solutions, but ad man Rory Sutherland says many flashy, expensive fixes are just obscuring better, simpler answers. To illustrate, he uses behavioral economics and hilarious examples.

It may seem that big problems require big solutions, but ad man Rory Sutherland says many flashy, expensive fixes are just obscuring better, simpler answers. To illustrate, he uses behavioral economics and hilarious examples.

Sweat the small stuff

Organizations often pour resources into grand, expensive solutions, yet simple tweaks can make a much bigger impact. A salt and pepper shaker engraved with 'Stolen from Virgin Atlantic' proved more memorable than costly airline upgrades. In India, giving mothers a kilo of lentils encouraged childhood vaccination better than elaborate campaigns. Behavioral economics reveals that small changes, not massive projects, often shift human behavior most effectively, yet those in charge still chase size and strategy over subtlety.