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

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.

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

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.

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]

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.”

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.”

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’

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.

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.

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