Category Archives: Consumer Behaviour

September 23

Dark Patterns Part 4: Confirmshaming & Manipulative Language

Ever clicked “No thanks, I don’t like saving money” when declining an offer? That’s confirmshaming – guilt-tripping language designed to make you feel foolish for opting out. I’ve had more than a few encounters with American investor spivs shouting, “So you don’t like making money?” as if I were a penny short of tuppence. My […]

September 23

Dark Patterns Part 3: Sneaky Defaults

Distraction is a marketer’s best trick – and a brand’s biggest risk. Ever been too distracted to notice the “subscribe me to marketing emails” box already ticked? Or that extra insurance slid silently into your cart? That’s the power of defaults – exploiting the fact that in the rush of shopping, most of us aren’t […]

September 23

Dark Patterns Part 2: Hidden Costs

You’ve chosen the product(s) – think Amazon’s upsell suggestions. You’ve entered your details. You’re seconds from hitting “buy.”Then – the sting: extra fees revealed only at checkout. This is drip pricing or hidden costs. Airlines perfected it. Hotels followed. Now, it’s everywhere from concert tickets to clothing. Why it works Behavioural economics calls this the […]

September 23

Dark Patterns Part 1: Urgency & Scarcity

We’ve all felt it: the ticking timer at checkout, the red text screaming “Only 1 left!”, the banner warning “Hurry – 37 people are looking at this right now.” These are urgency and scarcity tactics – designed to trigger a primal fear of missing out (FOMO). Why it works Behavioural science explains it. Scarcity is […]

September 23

When “Choice” Isn’t Really Choice

The Dark Pattern Problem in E-Commerce In 2022, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that over 60% of major e-commerce sites were using “dark patterns” – manipulative design tactics that steer consumers into decisions they might not otherwise make. These aren’t glitches. They’re deliberate choices by designers and marketers. Think: Each one leverages […]