The Non-Obvious Insights Blog. Non-Obvious Insights
The Non-Obvious Insights Blog.

Dedicated To Helping Readers
Be More Interesting
Since 2004.

As Featured In:

10 Smart Ways TurboTax Helps Users Suffer Less

TurboTax is like the financial equivalent of anesthesia before a surgery … you know you are about to do something painful, but at least you can suffer a bit less.  Yesterday was tax day in America, and for millions of users of the most popular tax software – it was a little easier to get this … Read more

Why Simplicity Saved Apple, But Couldn’t Save JCPenney

Simplicity always wins. If there is one lesson the modern business world teaches us, it is that complexity kills and simplicity wins. Apple, Flip Camera, Twitter, Uber, Walmart — all are examples of companies that owe their success at least in part to their ability to simplify a service or product to an extreme level. … Read more

7 Ways Millionaire Self Help Gurus Make More Money Than Social Media Experts

Last week no one cared what my Twitter name was – and I was thrilled about that.  At dozens of social media centric events, the Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn or Pinterest question has become the de facto proof of purchase. People write their Twitter names on their nametags. They try desperately to distill their … Read more

The Script Of Improv – What Is (And Isn’t) Real Time Marketing

A theater show happens in real time. It’s live on stage and the actors are actually saying the lines as you watch them. And if it’s well done, it can seem spontaneous and real and unscripted. But of course, it is scripted. They are memorizing lines and performing them. Improv, on the other hand is … Read more

Inside the Greatest Online Product Launch Since Gmail

Looking back, it’s fair to say the launch strategy Google used back in 2004 has become legendary. When the new platform first came out offering an unheard of 1 GB of free storage space, it was only available to an extremely limited group of people. As a result, having a Gmail account became an early … Read more

7 Magical Marketing Lessons From Disney World

Disney World isn’t just a magical place for families or kids.  It’s also pretty magical for marketers too.  The Disney Institute has been around for more than two decades teaching business people from any industry how to apply techniques that have been honed at Disney Parks over years and years.  Last week as I took … Read more

How Great Brands Rethink Their Expiration Dates

There is a very good reason that milk has an expiration date. No one wants to have crusty lumpy milk in their fridge. A lot of food in general is required by law to have these expiration dates. It is the most familiar of all deadlines that all of us experience in some way almost … Read more

The Best Birthday Promotional Email Ever …

Today is my birthday, and in between taking some time off – I can’t help noticing which brands happen to send me emails today (of the many who have my birthdate on file).  The one from California Tortilla was easily the best of the group, so I thought I’d share it here (see below) – … Read more

5 Smart Ways For Using Video To Sell Products

About a year ago, I hacked my wallet. Actually, I bought a new wallet, and as an added feature it included a pocket with a removable smaller wallet. The smaller wallet was described as a “weekend wallet” where you could just grab the cards you most often used and carry those instead of the full … Read more

The Ultimate Holiday Promotion Idea

How much time do you spend trying to convince your target audience that you have the best product or service for them? Probably a lot. After all, that’s what most of marketing is supposed to do, right? So now imagine everything you’ve done is working. Your customer believes that you offer the best experience. They … Read more

The Non-Obvious Insights Newsletter. Non-Obvious Insights
Layer 97
The Non-Obvious Insights Newsletter
Layer 118

Skip the obvious and anticipate the future with our weekly newsletter. Join over 25,000 subscribers and start receiving the stories (and insights) you’ve been missing.

All Books

#1 WSJ & USA Today Bestselling Author

In addition to Non-Obvious Thinking, Rohit is the author of 10 books on trends, the future of business, building a more human brand with storytelling and how to create a more diverse and inclusive world.

Contact ROHIT

Have a Question or Inquiry?

Just fill out this form, and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours!

Contact

About You

What Are You Contacting Us About*:

Your Message