The Weird Psychology Tactic That's Boosting Conversions by 149%

Summary

Brain Driven Brands — “The Weird Psychology Tactic That's Boosting Conversions by 149%”

Host: Sarah Levinger
Guest/Co-host: Nate Lagos
Date: December 9, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Sarah Levinger dives into a surprising neuromarketing tactic that’s been boosting conversions for major brands by 149%. Through engaging back-and-forth banter and real-world examples, Sarah and Nate explore how “unintentional offers” — framing deals as if they weren’t meant for the customer — create a powerful sense of exclusivity and excitement. Listeners learn actionable insights for e-commerce and DTC brands, backed by research and enriched by lived marketing experience.

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Key Insights and Discussion Points

Introducing the Tactic: “Unintentional Offers”

• [03:04] Sarah: Reveals the core finding:

  “People are more attracted to offers and are 149% more likely to take it if it wasn't meant for them.”
  This is based on a 2013 study in the Journal of Marketing Research.

• The concept: Framing an offer as typically meant for someone else, but extending it anyway, generates outsized conversion rates.

Supporting Study

• Example given [03:40]:
  Economist subscription test:
  • Offered as “especially for the classic reader” → 12.9% took the offer
  • Offered as “for the average person” → 32.1% took the offer

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The Psychology in Practice

Why This Works

• [05:27] Nate:

  “I see it in like B2B services too… ‘this is usually for nine figure brands, but there’s been a couple of seven figure brands that have done it and have crushed.’ …You need to frame it in a way that feels like, hey, we are letting you in on something that's usually gatekept, that is usually beyond your reach.”

Real-World Examples

• Nate’s “Pro Golfer” Analogy [04:53]:
  Wanting to use equipment not meant for you creates aspiration and desire (“I want the pro clubs!”).

• Email Offer After Drinking [10:33]:
  OG Watches email campaign sent with a photo of a $400 bar tab:

  • Email to customers: “Hey, I'll give you all $50 off this collection of watches today. If you help me, like, my boss is mad at me, so let me give you this extra deal. If we sell just a handful of watches, like, it'll make up for it.”
  • Framed as an unintentional, ‘oops’ discount — sales spiked.

• Super Bowl Halftime Sale [11:48]:

  “We cannot afford a Super Bowl commercial. This is it. You’ve got by the time halftime ends to get, I think it was an extra 50 off again.”

  • Result: Outperformed even Black Friday on an hourly basis.

• Happy Hour Upsell [09:20]:
  Bartender offers extra drinks:

  “Hey, it's happy hour for 10 more minutes. Do you want to put in your second one right away?”
  Customers jump at the accidental, fleeting opportunity.

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Implementation Ideas and Brand Applications

• For E-commerce/Product Offers:

  • Frame ads or emails as: “This is typically for X type of customer, but today only, we're extending it to you.”
  • Try with categories: athlete vs. average joe, big business vs. up-and-comer, high-spender vs. casual shopper.

• For B2B & SaaS:

  • “Usually Tether OS is for creative teams. However, this week I want to show you how to use it if you're just a solo founder.” [06:24]
  • Test versions of this approach to see increased conversions from untapped personas.

• Sitewide Upsells:

  • Consider phrasing for post-purchase popups: “We don’t offer this to everyone, but since you just bought that, you’ve unlocked this now…”
    • Note: Sarah points out this ‘unlock’ feels different and more effort-based than a purely unintentional offer. [10:06]

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Limitations & Ethical Considerations

• Don’t Overuse for Non-Core Audiences [08:52]:

  “Obviously, you shouldn't just be promoting, trying to get in people that don't typically fit your persona... That was the only limitation they had on here.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The Core Tactic, Sarah [03:04]:

  “People are more… 149% more likely to take it if it wasn’t meant for them.”

• Example Clarity, Nate [05:33]:

  “…‘this is for bigger, better, advanced people. Yeah, but like, we're letting you in on it.’ And I think that's kind of the secret here…”

• Real Proof, Nate [07:20]:

  “…the first split test… with copy I wrote produced a $77,000 increase in monthly revenue. Now they're a nine figure brand. That was like an 11% uplift for them.”

• Final Summary, Sarah [12:42]:

  “Unintentional offers are going to be more attractive because people feel like they just randomly locked into something…”

• Takeaway Reframe, Nate [13:07]:

  “This to me… falls under the, like, surprise and delight kind of umbrella …but this is like, hey, no, frame your offers as like a surprise and delight kind of thing.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:04] — The 149% conversion lift explained
• [04:13] — The Economist subscription experiment
• [05:27] — Application in B2B and services
• [06:24] — “Should I do this for Tether?” roleplay
• [07:20] — $77K revenue-proof split test
• [10:33] — OG Watches: Drunk Bar Tab/Offer email
• [11:48] — Super Bowl halftime sale example
• [12:42] — Core takeaway: accidental offers spark conversion
• [13:07] — Framing offers as ‘surprise and delight’

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Actionable Takeaways

• Test “unintentional offer” framing in your next campaign — make customers feel like they’ve lucked into something special.
• Reserve this tactic for selectively expanding targeted segments, not as your main offer.
• Measure conversion change, especially among groups who might typically feel excluded from your flagship deals.

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Episode Tone

Conversational, witty, anecdote-rich, and grounded in both research and marketing-in-the-trenches experience. Sarah and Nate keep it light, real, and actionable throughout.

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End Note:
Try the “unintentional offer” tactic in your next marketing push—and maybe surprise yourself with the results!

Transcript

[A]

Welcome back to Brain Driven Brands. What's going on, Sarah?

[B]

How are you? We're here today. This is good that we're record. What is today on a Wednesday? Because yesterday I just posted a new style of podcast because you and I didn't record last week. So it was a podcast where I literally just went to our old podcast and clipped it together, and it came out pretty good. Like, I don't listen to our podcast.

[A]

I might check out that one.

[B]

You should. I was like, you know what, audience?

[A]

If you guys are listening to this, if you guys go and listen to that episode, I'll go and listen to it too. How's that?

[B]

You go listen first and Nate will.

[A]

Is it.

[B]

Yeah, it turned out pretty well. Honestly, I was pretty impressed with myself.

[A]

Like a best of or like a worst of?

[B]

It was a best of, but it was kind of like, here's the best of all of the hot takes in order. Like, here's how you should think about messaging based upon the stuff that has done that. So, you know, we should do that episode.

[A]

We should do a 2026 predictions pod and then, like, this time next year, revisit it.

[B]

I've got some really good predictions that probably will never happen, but we should maybe next. See, now it's the problem I got. Okay, I need to write all these ideas down. I'll send you a spreadsheet of all the ideas that we have. I stuff today, though.

[A]

Yeah, we're prepped.

[B]

Yeah, we're prepped.

[A]

Well, you're prepped. I'm gonna react live.

[B]

Okay. I have two different science quizzes we're gonna do today, so I'll let you pick.

Oh, gosh. All right. I'm gonna have a hard time with these because they're both so good. All right, do you want to.

Increase the likelihood that someone would choose your deal by 92.6%, or do you want to increase the likelihood of someone taking an offer? Not a deal, just an offer by 149%.

[A]

149%. Let's go.

[B]

Figure this one's going to be so interesting because I think you already do this.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I'm interested.

[A]

Love that.

[B]

If you already remember, I did. Okay. People are more attracted to offers and can, I guess, be persuaded to choose them? Like, they're 149% more likely to take an offer if it is framed in a particular way. Can you guess which way it would be framed?

[A]

Framed in a particular way. Something to do about, like, the labor or the time or the process that went into making the thing.

[B]

No, but that's what. We've already done a podcast on that exact.

Not that one.

[A]

Does it have to do with the sequence in which you, like, show the value and then the price?

[B]

Oh, no. It is not a sequencing thing. Think. Think more about the customer themselves. It has something to do with the customer, which could be literally anything. I'm sorry, not a very good hint.

[A]

But is it something about.

Kind of like, showing a version of the customer somewhere in the content, the copy, and.

[B]

You'Re on the right track and getting.

[A]

It, like, as part of their already normal daily routine? That kind of.

[B]

It's close, but no.

[A]

All right, what is it?

[B]

Okay, this is freaking fascinating. People are more attracted to offers and are 149% more likely to take it if it wasn't meant for them.

[A]

Whoa. What?

[B]

I know. I was like, how have I missed this insight? This is insanity. Okay, so I need to go down to where this was posted, because I always like to give you guys the research. This was posted in the Journal of Marketing research, December of 2013. So it's a fairly old research study, but this one in particular says that people are more likely to take an offer if. If it's positioned in a way that makes it seem like other people usually choose this. But today we're. We're trying to promote it to you specifically. So, for example, for this particular study, they were basically asking participants to decide if they wanted to opt in to subscribing to The Economist magazine. 12.9% took the offer when they were told that it was especially for the classic reader of the Economist, but 32.1% took the offer when they were told it was for the average person. Because we want to get you excited about the Economist.

[A]

Whoa. Okay, so you say I do this already. Where have I done this?

[B]

Okay, so I remember a few podcasts ago, this was probably, like, six months ago. It's not a few pockets ago, you had talked about the fact that you had ran a Black Friday offer that said, like, I drank too much whiskey. I don't want to get up on a Saturday. And like, I remember. Yeah, yeah. And post this tomorrow. So I'm just going to post it tonight. It's an offer that wasn't meant to happen.

[A]

Oh, I see.

[B]

Similar to this. It's not exactly like this, but it's similar to this.

[A]

I see.

[B]

So I'm like, this is super fascinating.

[A]

All right, let me give you one more example that I think, like, I've fallen for at times.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I want to swing the golf clubs that the pros use. Yeah, the pro clubs are not meant for me. I don't swing as hard as them. I'm not as accurate as them. I don't spin the ball as much as they do. There are golf clubs designed for bad golfers like me, but I'm like, no, no, no, no. I want the press stuff. Is it that?

[B]

Yeah, it's the same thing. So if that pro shop wanted to promote something towards you, they would say, typically, this is for the pro level golfer, but today only, we're gonna hand these out to the guys who are just golfing. Golfing.

[A]

You know, I actually see this in like B2B SAS all the time.

And I see it in like B2B services too, where, like, people will promote their sasser or services. Like, this is usually for like nine figure brands, but like, there's been a couple of seven figure brands that have done it and have crushed like they were trying to make it seem like, yeah, hey, this is for bigger, better, advanced people. Yeah, but like, we're letting you in on it. And I think that's kind of the secret here is you need to frame it in a way that feels like, hey, we are letting you in on something that is usually gatekept, that is usually like beyond your reach.

[B]

Should I do this?

[A]

Yes, 100% you should.

[B]

Should I do this for Tether? Typically, the. My framing of like in my sales calls of how I, like, talk to the people who are best suited for what we do at Tether. Shout out to Tether Insights, come check us out. Usually I tell people we're best for creative teams because I get this question a lot, which is like, well, who is this tool best suited for? And I think they want me to respond with, it's for media buyers or it's for creative strategists. And I always say it's for creative teams. But now I'm thinking maybe I should test an offer in the next couple weeks that says, usually Tether OS is for creative teams. However, this week I want to show you how to use it if you're just a solo founder.

[A]

Yeah, that's super interesting. Do you know what's funny? I did this accidentally. Left.

[B]

Okay, see, that's what I'm saying. I'm like, I think you probably already did this.

[A]

I had a brand hit me up for some copy writing help. Okay? Just PSA to all of you out there. I don't want to do freelance work. Okay. I'm like, super out on it. I have a great Job. That's all I want to do.

But the last copywriting project I did not to flex that hard build at 20k for like a completely brand copy overhaul. I'll tell you the brand after.

But the first split test they did was with copy I wrote produced a $77,000 increase in monthly revenue. So it's like paid for 12. Now they're a nine figure brand. That was like an 11 uplift for them. Like they're killing it.

[B]

Insane.

[A]

But like that's why my copy is worth that to them because like they have the traffic and levels of ad spend that like make it worth it immediately. This brand that just hit me up like seven, maybe low eight figure brand. And I was explicitly like, hey, this like you shouldn't pay me to do this.

[B]

Oh, interesting. I think they're gonna.

[A]

But.

[B]

But that might be a really good selling point for any brand out here. Supplement, shoes, pets, I don't care what you're into. This is an interesting way to frame like who this is typically for. And then we are actually just trying to get other parties interested in what we do. Even though really, you know, you're not quite at this level yet. But that's okay because we just want to see if it'll work for you.

[A]

So yeah, at adapt we have, we have an omega plus supplement thing. Don't quiz me on the science behind that yet. I'm still working up to it. But it's really great for like muscle recovery. And like all of our copy about like train harder, recover faster is winning. And I could definitely see us taking the stance of like, this is for high, for high performance athletes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But also if you're just a 44 year old dude who has a job and works out like this will help you shake off those aches and pains.

[B]

People feel lucky when they come across an unintentional offer. Something that they didn't really think was going to happen for them today and it just did. It's like finding $5 on the ground. But it's not. This is not supposed to be the main offer. Obviously. Like you shouldn't just be promoting, trying to get in people that don't typically fit your Persona. That makes sense. So I like that you're thinking about it that way because that was the only limitation they had on here is.

[A]

Like, can I tell you the one other way that I know for a fact I've fell for this?

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Have you ever gone to a bar and you order a drink and they're like, hey, it's Happy hour for 10 more minutes. Do you want to put in your second one right away? Or like, do you want to.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

I'm like, yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry. I'll have six. Sorry.

[B]

That really good example of this.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Where our typical. Our norm is xyz. But because you're sitting here, I'll offer it to you. Yeah. I've got. I. Yeah, yeah. Where people are just like, this isn't technically for you, but that's okay. Like, we'll give it to you anyways.

[A]

Yeah. I feel like we could do a better job, like, messaging upsells on our website with this kind of. Of like, hey, like, we don't offer this to everyone. But since you just bought that, you've unlocked this now.

[B]

Oh, interesting. I do wonder if that would. That's different than unintentional, though.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because that's an unlock.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Instead of just like, hey, we're trying to be nice and like, here you go, you can have it for free. Unlocking something is more effort earned.

[A]

Yeah, true.

[B]

Which is like a different psychological process. But let's pick a brand. Who should we pick to try to, like, build an unintentional offer for?

[A]

Well, there's one I did at OG that, like, RIP ripped. Actually, there's two.

So we did one at OG where it was my picture of my bar tab from the night before.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Where it was. It was a partnership with Buffalo Trace Bourbon. And the receipt on it. Me and one employee went out for drinks. We drank 17 Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned. And the receipt. Allegedly. And the receipt. The receipt listed all of them out individually. So it just said Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned, Buffalo trace, Buffalo trace 17 times. And I got that receipt. I put it on the company card. I felt bad about how much we spent on it. Like, I. I didn't tip on the card. I tipped in cash out of my pocket. Because I was like, okay, 400 bucks, kind of with one employee.

[B]

Like, oh, my God, that's amazing.

[A]

Anyways, we sent that out as an email to everyone the next morning, hungover at 10am and. And I was like, hey, I'll give you all 50 off this collection of watches today. Yes. If you help me. Like, my boss is mad at me, so. So let me give you this extra deal. If we sell just a handful of watches, like, it'll make up for it.

[B]

That absolutely unintentional offer. Yes. Okay, so see, you've already done this. Dang it.

[A]

And then the last one you haven't tested yet, the last one, I don't know if it exactly fits, but we did a halftime sale for the super bowl last year.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And the messaging was basically like, hey, we cannot afford a Super bowl commercial. So this is it.

[B]

This is our super bowl.

[A]

You've got by the time halftime ends to get, I think it was an extra 50 off again.

[B]

How did that one perform?

[A]

Ripped.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

I bet we did more money that hour than any day on black Friday. Like, ripped, Ripped.

[B]

Okay, that's fascinating. Do you think that your audience for adapt naturals is into the super bowl.

[A]

Necessarily? I don't know.

[B]

You don't think so? Maybe. I don't know.

[A]

I know how we can find out.

I know this girl who does research. It's pretty good.

[B]

Oh, okay. So overall, just key takeaway from this. Unintentional offers are going to be more attractive because people feel like they just like randomly locked into something that they weren't really just anywhere in the vicinity to get before you can increase the likelihood that they'll take the offer by 149%. And Nate has receipts, Literal ones do say that this works. So somebody please go test this.

[A]

Do you think like.

This to me, like, all kind of falls under the, like, surprise and delight kind of umbrella. But usually when we think about that, we're thinking about like, oh, we're putting something extra in the box after they've bought. But this is like, hey, no frame your offers is like a surprise and delight kind of thing. I like that.

[B]

Yep, that's a good reframe.

[A]

That's the title. Surprise and delight offers. Thanks for listening to brain driven brand. You can follow us if you want to. I don't really care. Go to tetherinsights IO if you want some customer resources to figure out how to sell better to your people. How's that for non scripted?

[B]

I love it. That was pretty good.

[A]

Thanks, everyone. See you next time.

[B]

Thank you so much for joining us on the show today. Appreciate you guys listening. If you want to follow me, I'm Sarah Levinger. Anywhere you consume content, he is Nate Lagos. If you like this show and if you like this episode, go ahead and like, subscribe. Share with a friend. Drop us a review when you have a minute. We would appreciate it Otherwise, have a great week. See you next time.