So, what’s a nudge? A nudge is some small feature of the environment that attracts our attention and alters our behavior.

— Richard Thaler, American Economist, Winner of 2017 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences

Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, located at a 20 minutes’ drive from the city, ranks as the third busiest airport in Europe and fifth most busiest globally in terms of international passenger traffic. Apart from being the biggest airport of Netherlands boosting the country’s economy, it has been in the news for a fascinating reason.

The picture of the fly at the bottom of the urinals, from the Schiphol Airport, has become one of the most raging examples of implementing ‘nudging’ technique, influencing social behavior in a public environment. To encourage men to aim better while using the urinal, a picture of fly was placed at the bottom which reduced spillage by 80% and hence, reduced the cleaning costs improving hygiene.

Chances are if you are a female living with a male partner, or family member (or a male living with another ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) you would be well aware how annoying this bathroom situation can be. 😉

So, how and why was this experiment successful? Well, the human tendency is that when you are given a specific target you would have the urge to aim at it and complete the task.

The Nudge Theory talks about influencing decisions of the masses by a subtle change in the surroundings, or alteration of the environment in which the decision must be made. A really small change such as, placing a tiny object or image, or changing color of a component, can significantly influence the decision making of people in large numbers.

Richard Thaler, the American economist, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on the nudging theory in 2017. His 2008 bestseller book ‘Nudge’ explains how choices are affected by the way options that are presented to us and the surroundings. Hence, no decision making is neutral!

Nudge technique is used all around us by online and offline marketers, politicians and businesses to influence our decision making. Take for instance the colored ‘Click to Action’ (CTA) boxes as seen on the promotional emails or online ads, asking you to click on that offer, or read the full article, or watch the video. You don’t realize it but you are clicking on that ad because of a nudge by the color, image or some other element.

Take for instance, this click to action box that you see on a page promoting an eBook nudging you to download. Mentioning that book is free acts as a nudge since we love freebies, don’t we? Similarly, mentioning 10% Off! Download Now! or A Limited Period Offer acts as a nudge by creating a sense of urgency.