Rory Sutherland Thinks San Antonio Has It All Backwards (In the Best Way)

Legendary ad man Rory Sutherland visits San Antonio and flips the script on everything we think we know about urban success. From behavioral science to why clean toilets and warm cookies matter more than GDP, Rory dives deep into what makes a city work—and why San Antonio may have it right, in all the wrong ways. Hosted by Bob Rivard, this episode explores: 🚛 Why garbage collection can be a branding opportunity 🧠 How perception - performance in public systems 🍪 The genius of warm cookies and clean bathrooms 🚄 Rethinking transportation: is speed overrated? 🧪 The science behind Red Bull, DoubleTree, and McDonald’s kiosks 📊 Why cities with inferiority complexes often win the long game ⏱️Chapters 00:00 Welcome to San Antonio 00:36 Rory's Connection to Texas 01:57 Documentary and Creativity 05:44 Power of Words and Persuasion 11:48 Behavioral Insights and Transportation 20:11 City Identity and Tourism 24:49 Economic Insights and Land Value 27:03 Marketing and Human Nature 28:35 Identifying Disappointments in Customer Experience 29:07 Introducing Beer and Coffee Sommeliers 29:36 Reverse Benchmarking Explained 33:38 The Success of Red Bull and Reverse Benchmarking 35:48 The DoubleTree Cookie and Differentiation 42:39 Challenges in Changing Consumer Behavior 47:27 The Role of AI in Decision-Making 50:48 Discussing Trump's Trade Policies 53:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts -- -- ✉️ Subscribe to Bob's Newsletter - https://bigcitysmalltown.kit.com/3116... 📝 Resources & Show Notes - https://www.bigcitysmalltown.com/121 -- -- RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE ▶ #120: Bob Rivard is joined by Spurs owner Peter J. Holt, Pre-K 4 SA CEO Dr. Sarah Baray, and Early Matters Executive Director Mark Larson to discuss San Antonio’s 14-year journey to reshape early childhood education.    • Is Pre-K San Antonio’s Smartest Investment?   CONNECT 📸 Instagram:   / bigcity.smalltown   🔗 LinkedIn:   / robertjrivard   🎥 Subscribe on YouTube:    / @bcstsatx   SPONSORS 🙌 Support the show & see our sponsors THANK YOU ⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts ⭐ Rate us on Spotify #RorySutherland #BehavioralScience #CityBranding #UrbanInnovation #BigCitySmallTown #MarketingPsychology #TexasTalks