Sarah Levinger

After watching my agency clients struggle to connect deeply with their customers, I went on a 10 year long search to figure out what really makes buyers tick.

What I found was kind of shocking…

My gut feeling was right - it’s not always about how creative your ads are, how irresistible your offers seem, or even the strategy you've spent months perfecting.

Nope, the secret to truly connecting with those elusive customers and unlocking the potential to generate millions is...well, a bit deeper than that.

When you understand the real reasons behind customer behaviors, you're not just shooting arrows in the dark hoping to hit the target. You’re crafting messages that resonate, strategies that work, and connections that last. 

And that’s where the magic happens, where browsing turns into buying, and casual customers become loyal fans.

I’m here to guide you through this journey, translating complex consumer behavior into actionable, growth-driving strategies. 

It’s time you unlocked the full potential of your brand…using psychology.

Director of Growth Marketing

Dave is 45, lives in the suburbs, makes $150k, and loves golf. ⛳️

Dave also struggles with overheating while golfing and is looking for a new golf shirt.

On paper, this would mean:

1. Dave is within our target market.
2. Dave is actively looking for a solution.
3. Dave has the money to buy.

Typically, ecom would market to Dave like this: 
“𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹, 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻.”

🚨 But this is exactly why your CPA is climbing and your "winning" ads fatigue in 14 days.

You're selling to the 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯. I’m selling to the 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦-𝘰𝘧-𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥...

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 "𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗱":
- Focus on the fabric
- Agitate the physical heat
- Offer the technical solution (wicking).

𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 "𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀-𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗱":
✓ Dave isn't just "hot."
✓ He’s embarrassed.
✓ He’s on the 8th green with his boss or his new father-in-law, and he’s the only one in the foursome with massive sweat stains and a damp collar and really hates having to run to the bathroom every 10 minutes to splash water on his face...

He feels sloppy. 
He feels distracted. 
His "competence" is taking a hit because he looks like he can't handle the heat...
Which means he probably looks like he can't handle much else.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 "𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯" 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴.

If you only talk about "wicking cotton," you’re fighting a commodity war. 
You're just another shirt in a sea of shirts.

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

𝘔𝘌𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘋 𝟣: Status Protection: "Don't be the guy looking for shade while everyone else is lining up their putt."

𝘔𝘌𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘋 𝟤: Competence Focus: "Bro, it's not your fitness level; it's your gear."

𝘔𝘌𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘋 𝟥: Professional-Level "Cool": "Look as composed on the 18th hole as you did on the 1st."

Go check out how the premium brands in this space actually scale, they don't show "breathability diagrams." They show Dave looking effortless and dry while his peers are melting in the background. You gotta stop selling to the demographic and start selling to the 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 Dave is desperate to avoid.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗖𝗔𝗖 𝗹𝗼𝘄.

(Or keep dumping your budget into "Technical Features" and wondering why Dave keeps scrolling...totally fine, idc.😅)

I help DTC brands generate better ROI with psychology-based creative. 🧠 Talks about: consumer psychology, behavior science, paid ads. Founder @ Tether Insights

At 27 I thought I needed to “be more confident.” At 37, I realize I just needed better boundaries, deeper knowledge, & a schedule that fits my nervous system.

Here are 37 things I’d tell her:

1. You don’t need to “grind.” You need to stop living like you’re on call.
	
2. Rest isn’t a reward. It’s the foundation.
	
3. Your value isn’t earned through  exhaustion.
	
4. Being “low maintenance” is not a good thing. It’s often you erasing yourself.
	
5. Being “yourself” is possible only after you stop following everyone else.
	
6. You’re allowed to want ease and excellence at the same time.
	
7. Protect your POV like it’s your job, because it is.
	
8. Don’t build a life that only works when you’re numb.
	
9. If your schedule needs you to be superhuman, it’s a bad schedule.
	
10. Boundaries aren’t selfish. They’re how you stay a healthy person.
	
11. Stop over-explaining your ideas to everyone. The right people don’t require a thesis.
	
12. “I don’t have the capacity right now” is a complete sentence.
	
13. If you feel dread regularly, that’s a sign you need to slow down.
	
14. Your body isn’t an ornament, even if society has told you it is. Train for strength, steadiness, and because it makes you happy.
	
15. Eat to stabilize your mood, not to punish your appetite.
	
16. Sleep is a non-negotiable.
	
17. Walk more.
	
18. Do not romanticize stress. Stress is not a flex.
	
19. You don’t need to be “unbothered.” You need to be resilient when you are bothered.
	
20. You’re not too sensitive. You’re noticing what others bulldoze.
	
21. Stop shrinking to keep other people comfortable, it never pays you back.
	
22. Choose friendships where you don’t have to always be smart/pretty/fun to be accepted.
	
23. Your standards aren’t “too high.” You’re just more selective now.
	
24. Chemistry is easy. Character is rare. This also applies to business.
	
25. Don’t shy away from being seen. It’s the tax required to get what you want in life.
	
26. If he likes you less when you have needs, it’s because he’s human and can only operate at the level of emotional ability he’s been educated to. You get to decide how far people can push you though.
	
27. Don’t confuse being needed with being appreciated.
	
28. Sometimes you have to give up the good to get the great.
	
29. Money matters because options matter. Learn the basics: build, save, invest.
	
30. Financial independence isn’t owed to you because you try hard. Educate yourself.

31. Stop calling it “anxiety” when it’s actually your gut keeping tabs on your safety.
	
32. Your intuition is quiet. Your fear is loud. Learn the difference.
	
33. Learn to leave early. Conversations, jobs, situations. Earlier is cheaper.
	
34. Closure is something you can give yourself. Don’t beg for it from distracted people.
	
35. Build systems that work when you’re tired, not routines that require willpower to work.
	
36. You don’t need more confidence. You need more boundaries and more reps.
	
37. You can choose a quiet life and still win.

🧠 BIG BRAIN MOVE: You can steal the storyline from almost any piece of organic content…using just Gemini.

Great example: I found the this freaking AMAZING piece of organic content on TikTok and wanted to reuse the way this guy told this story for my own content.

I had Gemini:
1. Transcribe the piece
2. Do a structural analysis of the story
3. Match the story to a known framework
4. Extract the formula
5. Write a template I can reuse again and again

Here’s the template it created for this one:

Line 1: [absurd hypothetical premise + visual failure]

Line 2: [logical/technical explanation of the failure]

Line 3: [pivot to a real-world application of the same problem]

Line 4: [demonstration of 'Solution A' + its fatal flaw]

Line 5: [demonstration of 'Solution B' + emotional rejection of it]

Line 6: [interruption: viewer challenge/open loop]

Line 7: [visual reveal of the counter-intuitive 'Perfect Solution']

Line 8: [proof of concept in final product]

Line 9: [return to original premise for the final payoff]

🚨Note: if you want to learn how to become a marketer who can build promtps like these, come join us in the Tether Lab! Skool.com/tether-lab 

Here’s the prompt if you wanna try it: 

PROMPT

I’m going to give you a piece of UGC content.

Your job is to reverse-engineer the story mechanics, not summarize it.

Perform the following steps in order:
STEP 1 — Transcription
Transcribe the video or audio verbatim.
STEP 2 — Structural Analysis
Break the content into labeled story beats.

Use these labels where applicable:

Hook
Setup
Rising Tension
Conflict / Escalation
Turning Point
Climax
Resolution / Release
Button (final line or emotional endpoint)

If a beat doesn’t exist, mark it as “absent.”

STEP 3 — Framework Matching
Identify which established storytelling framework this UGC most closely aligns with.

Choose from (but do not limit yourself to):
Freytag’s Pyramid
Pixar Story Framework
Hero’s Journey
Dan Harmon’s Story Circle
3-Act Structure
Serial Escalation (comedy trope)
Problem → Agitation → Solution
Open Loop → Disruption → Resolution
Rant Arc (claim → frustration → break → resolution)

Provide a short justification for your selection:

“This content most closely matches X because…”

STEP 4 — Extract the Underlying Story Formula

Convert the structure into a generalizable story equation, removing all specifics.
Example format:

Start with a confident assertion
Immediately introduce a contradiction
Escalate tension through repeated failures
Insert self-interruption
Break into climax moment
End with punchline or release

This must be framework-agnostic, meaning it describes behavior and pacing, not plot.

STEP 5 — Generate a Pure Template (No Script)

Turn the extracted formula into a blank template, using placeholders only.

9 ads I never make from scratch because I can almost always make a banger winner out of a pre-existing loser:

1.	Product montage
2.	Founder talking head
3.	UGC testimonial
4.	“3 reasons why…” listicle
5.	Review screenshot ad
6.	Problem → solution
7.	Discount / urgency
8.	“How it works” exploration ad
9.	Comparison ad

1) Product Mashup Ads

Pretty product shots + music + 6 feature callouts are almost always fine…and almost always missing a reason to care. I’ll clip these with a more accurate emotional angle and a clearer CTA to build a winner.

2) Founder Talking Head Ads

If it flopped, it’s rarely “because founder ads don’t work”, it’s usually because the founder did a biography of their life instead of a diagnosis of a common human experience. Swap the story from “here’s what I built” to “here’s what you’re feeling and why” and MAKE SURE it’s aimed at beginners ONLY.

3) UGC Testimonial Ad

“I’ve been using this for 2 weeks and I love it.” Cool. But you said the same thing about your toaster 🙄 Most of these lose because they skip before-state specifics, friction, doubt, and proof moment. I’ll take this and remove that fairness and BAM. A winner.

4) “3 Reasons Why…” Listicles

These usually die from genericness, not structure so I’ll keep the list but expand to a random number (9 instead of 3) Replace the reasons with non-obvious truths: the thing customers say in their head but don’t post publicly.

5) Review Screenshot Ads

If a review screenshot didn’t hit, it’s usually because the review was boring (or too long), not the format. I’ll go back to these and pick reviews that contain: fear, relief, identity, comparison, or a mini-plot twist (“I thought it was ___, but it was actually ___”).

6) “Problem/Solution” Ads

I have my own beef with AIDA, 😅 but if I need a quick winner, I’ll grab one of these.
They typically fail when the “problem” is too polite (“dry skin”) instead of the real consequence (“I don’t recognize my face in photos anymore”) which is an easy fix.

7) Discount / Urgency Ads

If these tank, it’s because you asked for a purchase before you earned trust…you just moved to fast is all. I’ll take the same ad, same offer, but lead with risk reversal, social proof, or “why now” that isn’t just “sale ends in 72 hours.”

8) “How it works” Exploration Ads

People don’t hate information, they just hate BORING information. Most Exploration ads need: 1 big claim, 1 mechanism, 1 proof, 1 next step, so I’ll pull together 3 variants for each of these and BOOM I’ve got 12 new ads I can run.

9) “Comparison” Ads (Not Us vs Them)

These are easy to rescue by making the comparison comical or relatable instead of purely technical. I’ll take an Us vs Them ad and revamp it quickly so we’re presenting a before and after of the customer’s psyche.

I’ll drop my ‘Loser → Winner’ rewrite checklist + examples in Skool if you wanna join! 👉 Skool.com/tether-lab

I regret to inform you that making your own content can help you make better ads. Writing your own scripts improves storytelling, delivery, & timing. Shooting your own content improves your ability to filter out irrelevant information, and posting consistently will improve your line of thinking and concepts over time.

Want to make better ads? make your own content first.

📍 If you’re a creative strategist (or in the market for one this year) READ THIS:

This is the ultimate guide to how the game is played. You can use it to check on your team, grow your creative department, or just see how much more y

Open article: The Creative Strategy Role: A Definitive Guide to All Levels of the Game by Sarah Levinger • 13 min read

The Creative Strategy Role: A Definitive Guide to All Levels of the Game

👀 Read 1 book a month: that’s my goal for 2026. We’re starting off strong with the first 6 choices…

1. Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal (with Julie Li)

2. Using Behavioral Science in Marketing: Drive customer action and loyalty by prompting instinctive responses by Nancy Harhut

3. Behavioral Science in the Wild edited by Nina Mažar and Dilip Soman

4. How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Katy Milkman

5. Tiny Habits: Why starting small makes lasting change easy by BJ Fogg, PhD

6. What Works, What Doesn’t (and When): Case Studies in Applied Behavioral Science edited by Dilip Soman

Been in marketing for 17+ years and NO ONE TOLD ME THIS?! 🤯

According to science, you can increase CVR on your ads by up to 48% just by telling people who the product is NOT for.

✅ Like this: "Not for youthful skin...just for skin that knows better now."
❌ Not this: "The serum for mature skin."

Studies show that people have a hard time knowing a product is for them without this qualifying information. Explaining who the product is NOT for helps customers tap into their internal identity, and can increase CTR by 28.6%, and engagement by 31.7%.

Read the study:

Open article: Say who your product is NOT for by app.sciencesays.com

Most DTC brands get incentives completely wrong.

❌ It’s not *what* you offer.
❌ It’s not even *how much*.
✅ The TIMING of your incentive changes everything.🔑

Here’s the science of WHEN to give rewards to maximize behavior change (and why it works.)

According to science, our brains are wired to respond to incentives based on *timing*, not quality or quantity.

The right incentive at the right time sparks action, even if it’s small. Here’s how to get the timing right 👇

Timing Rule #1: Reward behavior right AFTER it happens.

Delivering an incentive immediately after a customer action links the two in the brain.

Action + reward = Happy brain.🧠

For example:

🎁 Say your customer just purchased your product...Immediately reward with confetti on the page.

🎁 Maybe they just downloaded your app...Immediately reward with pre-installed upgrades.

The quicker you reward, the faster the emotional connection is made.

Timing Rule #2: Reward only key behavior.

If you want consistency from humans, *timing* of feedback is key.

• First purchase = a surprise gift.
• First referral = early access to VIP perks.
• First review = bonus reward points.

Quick progress = better loyalty.

Timing Rule #3: Use anticipation *strategically*.

Not all incentives should be immediate. Some rewards work best when delayed just enough to build anticipation:

• Subscription brands: Tease rewards after 3 months.
• Apparel: Offer discounts that unlock next season.

This works because immediate rewards trigger dopamine spikes (instant satisfaction), whereas delayed rewards trigger goal-oriented behavior (long-term loyalty).

Get the balance right, and you'll keep customers engaged (both now and later).

Great example: 

☕️ Starbucks nails the timing of their incentives by providing rewards at peak behavioral checkpoints:

Buy once = instant points (dopamine).
Buy X times = bonus stars (momentum).
Free drink = teased weeks in advance (anticipation).

It’s not the free coffee that's working, it’s the *timing* of the free coffee. 😅

How to Do This For Your Brand:

✅ Map out your customer journey.
✅ Identify moments where timing could amplify incentives.
✅ Test immediate vs delayed rewards (and track engagement).

TLDR: The secret to behavior change isn’t what you offer…it’s WHEN you offer it.

Nail your timing, and you’ll:
•Increase conversions.
•Build loyal customers.
•Get more bang for your marketing bucks.

🚨2026 TREND ALERT: Micro movies might be the most fun trend we're ever going to get so get on this one...

Head of Partnerships and Business Development at Motion

The hottest new ad trend for 2026?

Micro movies like this 🎬


We partnered with Sarah Levinger to bring you a full masterclass on our Motion (Creative Analytics) YT page going deep on how you can make ads like this

Here's a quick tip for you from Sarah:

"Write the human story first"

"Completely ignore your product"


That advice from Sarah Levinger goes against every instinct most marketers.

That's why it works so well.


Here's Sarah's exact four step framework for writing one:

👇


Step 1: Define the emotional job

Before you write anything, ask yourself what emotional job this ad is trying to accomplish.

Are you trying to move someone from stuck to hopeful?
Help them feel seen when they currently feel invisible?
Take them from overwhelmed to calm?

The emotional job determines everything else. Which story structure you use. Where your product goes. How the narrative resolves. Get clear on this first before you write a single word.


Step 2: Pick your structure based on that emotional job

Different emotional jobs need different story structures.

If it's a transformation story, use the before and after bridge. Show where they were and where they're headed next.

If it's urgency driven, you can still use AIDA or problem agitate solution. But make sure transformation is still part of the story. Help them see the benefit of moving forward.

If you're going after an identity shift, use Hero's Journey or Pixar Story framework. These take people on a journey before they see the transformation. The journey itself is the important part.

Sarah uses ChatGPT to help select the right story structure once she knows what emotional avatar she's targeting.


Step 3: Write the human story first

Completely ignore your product at this point. Tell the story first.

Start at a beginning. Develop your characters. Walk through the middle where they're going through conflict. Help them understand why these things are necessary.

End with emotional resolution. Give them something to take away. They're finally at peace. They feel calm. They're no longer overwhelmed. Resolve the story so the audience can take something from it.

Tell these stories like you're explaining someone's struggle and breakthrough to a friend. Just tell the story. You'll add the product next.


Step 4: Drop your product at the shift moment

Now go back and place your product at that exact moment where possibility enters the frame. Around 40 to 50% of the way through.

Don't make the product the hero. Don't shift into sell mode. Don't let the product become the last half of the ad.

The product is the bridge. Story first, product second.

Test these micro movies against your traditional scripts and see what happens in your account.


P.S. You can watch Sarah's full session on the Motion YT page: "How To Script Micro Movie Ads That Scale in 2026 (Step-by-Step)"

🔥 Here's how to train your editor to understand DR (direct response) style editing:

Also, go follow Joanna Wallace (Sloame), the woman is a powerhouse when it comes to building performance creative teams that can work magic.

VP of Paid Media Creative @birddogs | Ex HexClad | Ex TubeScience Building high-performing creative teams without the chaos

If you’re an editor looking to pivot into Paid Media editing, you 💯 need to watch this episode before applying for a job. 

I hate to keep self-promoting but this is super important for up and coming video editors/designers.

I get hit up constantly by editors who are amazing and experienced and can “learn fast”…. but have never worked in DTC (direct to consumer). 

I want to give you a shot but I don’t have time to train you up to our specific needs. 

So if you’re serious about pivoting from TV or documentaries or whatever your background, please give this a watch to give yourself a professional advantage. 

Then hit me up once you’ve got this stuff down — I’m always looking for kickass editors! 

https://lnkd.in/gp8SseHi

Open video: 10 Rules of DTC Video Editing Every Creative Team Needs to Understand on youtu.be

10 Rules of DTC Video Editing Every Creative Team Needs to Understand

🧠 Complex emotions usually come in sentiment pairs:

𝗔𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 = “Something bad could happen” + “I can’t control it”

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 = “You’re not safe” + “I don’t believe you”

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 = “You crossed a line” + “That wasn’t fair”

𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲 = “Something’s wrong with me” + “Don’t look at me”

These sentiment pairs affect how we experience our problems, what we believe about them, and eventually decide the solutions we seek to solve them.

Great example: brands often think their customers wont buy because their product is too expensive, too complex, or it’s “not the right time”.

But that’s almost never the real reason.

The real reason is that the brain ran a math equation in 0.3 seconds and decided that doing 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 was safer than moving forward. If you want to change any behavior (doesn’t matter if it’s cleaning a room or closing a sale) you have to solve for the Behavior Equation:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗕 = 𝗔 / 𝗧

To get a Behavior (B) to happen, your Agency (A) must be higher than the Threat (T).

➡️ Agency (A): Your belief that "I can handle this" and "I know what to do."

➡️ Threat (T): The cost of the action. It’s not just about the money; it’s about the fear of looking stupid, the energy required, or the "risk" of trying something and failing.

If someone is sitting in a messy room and you tell them: “just pick up one sock” there’s a high chance they won’t be able to complete that task because their math says:

High Threat: “The room is a disaster, it's never going to be clean.”

Low Agency: “I'm too tired to deal with this.”

Even if the task is "just one sock," the brain is still looking at the whole pile and deciding that one sock 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵. The "Threat" of the mess is still screaming louder than the "Agency" of one sock

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝟮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀

Doesn’t matter if you’re selling a shirt or trying to go to the gym. To solve this equation, you only have 2 ways to make the math work:

1. Lower the Threat (T)
Make the "cost" of starting so rediculously low it feels impossible to fail.

2. Raise the Agency (A)
Give the brain proof that it is capable of achieving that tiny goal.

If you want the whole room clean, first you just need to walk into it. REFUSE to do anything else for 3 days. Then add bending over the sock on day 4, touch the sock on day 5, picking it up on day 6.

The same goes for getting people to buy. Ask for small things first (“read these 3 emails first”). Then ask for a micro commitment (“choose the color you like”) and work your way up from there.

It sounds ridiculous, overkill even. But the bottom line is: behavior doesn't happen because you want it to. It happens because the mental math allows it.

Next time you’re stuck, or your customer is ghosting you, stop asking for movement. Look at the equation instead:

Is the Threat too high? 
Or is the Agency too low?
Fix the math, and the behavior will follow.

If I could ask my dream mentor (Rory Sutherland) any 3 questions, here’s what they’d be: 

1. Which human biases do you think are underused in marketing right now? (not because they’re unethical, but because they’re hard to quantify?)

𝘔𝘺 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵: 𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘺…𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵.

2. If you were forced to cut 80% of marketing ‘best practices,’ what would you keep and what would you throw out immediately?

𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰. 𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 “𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢 𝘺𝘦𝘴.” 𝘐’𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

3. If you had to design a repeatable method for finding irrational value in any brand, what would the steps be?

𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘐’𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 👀 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦: 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨?

🚨DYK: one single “pain point” can contain 50+ unique buying moments?? 🤯

Take this pain point: “I don’t feel like I’m progressing toward my goals.”

On paper, that’s the "why." But in the real world, the "when" is what actually triggers a purchase!

Here is how that "when" manifests across four completely different industries:

1. Skincare: “I don’t feel like I’m progressing toward my goals” is only a pain point when:

They’re checking the mirror at 3 PM only to realize their foundation is "pilling" and flaking off in dry patches.

They’re waking up with a fresh breakout despite spending 40 minutes on a 10-step routine the night before.

Their skin feels "tight" and 2 sizes too small just minutes after stepping out of a hydrating shower.

They realize they are layering on more concealer to hide the very skin they’ve spent hundreds of dollars trying to fix.

2. Pet Care: “I don’t feel like I’m progressing toward my goals” is only a pain point when:

They hear the sound of their dog licking their paws incessantly at 2 AM while the rest of the house is silent.

They’re watching their dog take five or six painful tries just to find a comfortable position to lie down on the rug.

They’re at the park and realize their dog is the only one not chasing the ball, preferring to sit instead.

They’re exhausted by the daily ritual of hiding expensive medication inside 3 different types of cheese just to trick their dog into eating.

3. Snack Brands: “I don’t feel like I’m progressing toward my goals” is only a pain point when:

They look down at their desk and realize they’ve mindlessly finished an entire bag of chips without tasting a single one.

They hit the 3 PM slump and find themselves debating a 3rd cup of coffee just to survive the evening commute.

They read the back of a "healthy" protein bar and realize it actually contains more sugar than a glazed donut.

Their stomach growls loudly in a pin-drop quiet Zoom presentation because they haven't had time to eat since 11 AM.

4. SaaS: “I don’t feel like I’m progressing toward my goals” is only a pain point when:

They’ve spent twenty minutes of wasted billable time searching for a file that everyone swears was "sent last Tuesday."

They have to Slack three different departments just to give a client a simple, ten-second status update.

They discover that two different team members spent their entire afternoon working on the exact same task because of a communication gap.

The Sunday night anxiety hits because they can’t remember if a crucial deadline was met or if it fell through the cracks of a messy Google Doc.

Could you run ads to all of these when’s? Absolutely!

Should you? Not necessarily…🤔

After working with 150+ DTC brands I’ve found there’s really only a handful of when’s that matter most.

I’m looking for 2 more brands this month to help audit their messaging and find their "Undeniable When." If that’s you, hit me up: https://lnkd.in/gfSFnuTP

Open article:  by booking.tetherinsights.io

I’m Barry Hott, and I help brands scale profitably with high-performing paid media strategies, creative testing systems, and conversion-focused insights.

I’ve personally managed over $600 million in paid media spend since 2008, overseeing Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn campaigns for brands like True Classic, Harry’s, Happy V, Lone River, The Perfect Jean, and many more. I specialize in scaling direct-to-consumer and startup brands spending $200K+ per month on ads with strategies grounded in first principles, logic, and contextualized data insights (tracking what the system sees that you can’t).

I’m known for making ugly ads that convert. Clients trust me to optimize every aspect of their acquisition, from raw creative that cuts through the noise to counterintuitive buying strategies that maximize ROI.

Recent brands I’ve helped grow include Happy V, Keeps, Nuts.com, UrbanStems, MoneyLion, Lumin, Cerebral, Wandering Bear Coffee, Mirror, Athletic Greens, and Spartan Race. In 2020, I helped launch Lone River Ranch Water, which was acquired by Diageo in 2021. All three companies I worked with in 2021 were acquired: Lone River, Thesis, and Jump450.

If you’re a decision maker who wants profitable, scalable ad growth, shoot me a DM.

Barry Hott

You don’t need the most beautifully designed pages in the world.

Too many sites and landing pages are overdesigned.

A lot of "ugly" pages win not because they're ugly, but simply because they're easier to read than their prettier counterparts.

A clean white page with black text in a familiar, unbranded, highly-readable font is easier to consume than a beautiful but busy design 99% of the time.

Does this vary by product, audience, and price point? Of course! As with everything else in marketing:

IT DEPENDS.

But if you prioritize the consumer above all, you usually end up in the same place.

What do they expect?
What do they want to see?
What do they NEED to get them to buy?

What wins regardless of the design:

1. Immediate relevance 🎯

2. CLARITY, readability, and scannability 👓

3. Strong relevant copy and storytelling ✍️

4. LOTS OF relevant real social proof in a variety of styles: text, images, videos ⭐

5. Authority + trust 🛡️

6. SPEED 🏎️

7. Reducing friction ⛸️

8. Handling objections 🙋

9. Minimal distractions and undesired exits 🔇

10. A clear offer and path to purchase 🛒

Growing businesses with ugly ads, streamlined execution, and deep consumer empathy.

I worked at an adtech startup 10 years ago and I remember we had a hackathon, and the coolest idea that got built was a chatbot that could answer questions about your ads.

It never really got built out or worked well, but I always dreamed of having something like that so I can just Slack a bot to get a question answered about my ads.

10 years later and Parker from my biz partner Alex Cooper made this dream a reality. Plus, it does so much more!

I'm excited for y'all to try it:

AI & advertising. Helping you make better direct response creatives. Co-Founder @ Adcrate.

Introducing Parker: the world’s first AI Creative Director. Parker allows any brand to produce 10x more viral ads without hiring more people. 

Here’s how it works:

1) Connect your ad account:
Parker analyzes your historical performance and creative data across your ad account.

2) Add Parker to Slack
Tag Parker like a real employee.
Ask questions. Generate briefs. Break down performance.
Parker works inside your team’s workflow.

3) Enable Autonomous Mode
While you sleep, Parker scans TikTok, identifies winning ad patterns, and delivers production-ready concepts directly to Slack—tagging your team with ads to review.

Parker is not another AI ad maker. AI ad tools are wrappers on top of models like Sora, Veo, or Kling. AI avatars are solved.

What no one solves is the research, analysis, and strategic thinking required to create ads that actually go viral.

Parker solves that.

Check it out here: heyparker.ai
----------
100+ brands including Grüns, Lume Deodorant, and Legends already use Parker to generate more viral ads.

I compiled a list of 100+ AI prompt engineers for hire trained in AI ad creation, including their rates, portfolios, and contact info.

Comment “Parker” and I’ll send it to you. 
----------
If you’ve read this far from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Everything in my life has lead to this moment:

In 2021, I quit a 100k/yr corporate job with no plan. 

I started an ad creative agency and scaled that business to 45 people and $3m/yr making the best ads in the world for David, Huel, Harry's and 50+ more.

Everything I learned, every ad we ever made trained Parker.

Let's normalize turning off our Meta ads one week per year, just to see what happens to the rest of the business (and to take a vacation).

Every brand should do this.

taplio

The Battle

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taplio

The Battle

Sarah Levinger

Barry Hott

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Sarah Levinger's LinkedIn Performance

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