020 8914 8966
020 8914 8966
Rory Sutherland is an advertising executive and the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy. An attractively vague job title which has allowed him to co-found a behavioural science practice within the agency. He writes a fortnightly column in The Spectator and has written several books, including Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don’t Make Sense.
He works with a consulting practice of psychology graduates who look for ‘unseen opportunities’ in consumer behaviour – these are the very small contextual changes which can have enormous effects on the decisions people make. For instance, tripling the sales rate of a call centre by adding just a few sentences to the script. Put another way, lots of agencies will talk about “bought, owned and earned” media: we also look for “invented media” and “discovered media”: seeking out those unexpected (and inexpensive) contextual tweaks that transform the way that people think and act.
It is a hugely valuable activity – but, alas, not particularly lucrative. This is because clients generally do not have budgets for solving problems they have not noticed.
Before founding Ogilvy Change, Rory Sutherland was a copywriter and creative director at Ogilvy for over 20 years. He joined as a graduate trainee in 1988. Rory has variously been President of the IPA, Chair of the Judges for the Direct Jury at Cannes, and has spoken at TED Global. He writes regular columns for the Spectator, Market Leader and Impact. Rory also writes occasional pieces for Wired.
Rory Sutherland is the author of two books: The Wiki Man, available on Amazon at prices between £1.96 and £2,345.54. This is depending on whether the algorithm is having a bad day. There is also Alchemy: The surprising Power of Ideas which don’t make Sense, published in the UK and US in 2019.
Rory is married to a vicar and has twin daughters of 17. He lives in the former home of Napoleon III – unfortunately in the attic. He is a trustee of the Benjamin Franklin House in London and of Rochester Cathedral.
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