The Science-based Playbook of Pricing & Promotions

Optimize your pricing

Pricing is one of the most profitable marketing levers out there.

You probably know about price anchoring, and that $2.99 feels cheaper than $3. But those discoveries are from 30+ years ago. It’s what your competitors already use.

Marketing scientists have since discovered countless new ways to make prices and promotions more appealing and profitable.

For example:

• Flat-rates sell more and for more (Kienzler et al., 2021)
• “For $0” converts better than “For Free” (Koo & Suk, 2019)
• Pick-your-price increases sales (Wang et al., 2021)

Science, not opinions

Boost your profits using the latest scientifically proven methods that actually work.

The vast majority of guides and courses out there are based on the biased opinions of self-proclaimed experts or sketchy data that companies release to promote themselves.

This playbook is hard data. It’s a practical summary of published, peer-reviewed, scientific research - enriched with examples to make it fast and easy to apply.

What's in the Playbook

1) When to use rounded ($20), just-below ($19.99), or precise ($22.37) prices most profitably

2) 14 easy-to-apply techniques to boost sales of full-price or promoted products

3) Step-by-step guide to survey your audience to find your most profitable price point

Features

📈 Effective. Based on 39 research papers

🎓 Latest science focused. The latest methods, not overused basics.

💡 Actionable. Includes a guide to find your most profitable price point.

What people say about Science Says

“Thanks to Science Says insights, we tweaked our proposal and won a bid for our biggest client ever.”

Jenna Alburger, Co-Founder, Outlier Creative

“Too many marketers rely on biased opinions and distorted data. Finally a scientific approach!”

Stefano Puntoni, Professor of Marketing, Wharton Business School

“Science Says does an excellent job at translating our academic research into clear and actionable advice.”

Norbert Schwarz, Provost Professor, Marshall School of Business

FAQs

Q: Can I find this research elsewhere?

Yes, you can analyze the research papers yourself (and should, if there’s one you’re deep diving into) in scientific journals such as the Journal of Marketing or Marketing Science.

But unless you are someone who reviews the 10,000+ marketing studies published each year, buys each research paper for $30+, and knows how to interpret academic research - you will have never heard of most of these techniques. 

The research papers in this Playbook alone would cost you $600+

Q: Is this research applicable to my business?

Most techniques are applicable to any business. Online or offline. B2C or B2B.

However, most of the research was done in B2C contexts, so be extra careful when testing it in B2B.

Q: I’m new to marketing, will this still be useful?

Yes, it will still be useful - but less effective. 

If you want to make the most of it, it’s better to have a solid understanding of basic principles. Most courses (e.g. on Coursera) from reputable business schools will bring you up to speed.

Q: Is this just a collection of insights covered in Science Says newsletter?

No. Many of the insights in the playbook (not all) are covered in the newsletter. But in the playbook they are enriched with more examples and clearer ways to implement them.

Still, you can get a taste of what to expect by going through some of Science Says’ insights here.

Q: What kind of research is included in the playbook?

All the studies covered in the playbook are research that has been peer-reviewed by other scientists (i.e. picked apart and challenged to verify the findings) and published in a reputable journal (e.g. Journal of Marketing Research).

Research that has not been published in a journal may not have been peer-reviewed, so it is not included.

Q: What if it doesn’t work, do I get my money back?

Yes. If you applied these techniques and didn’t see a statistically significant lift in profits you will get a refund (within 90 days of purchase).

I’d appreciate it if you can share how you applied what didn’t work, so academic researchers can use the learning to advance our scientific understanding, but this is optional.

Q: Considering all the above, the price seems a bit low

I’ve been strongly tempted to price the playbook 10x higher. Considering the clear ROI you will get from it, it would be a no-brainer investment even if it was priced at $180 (or $1,000, for that matter).

However, evidence shows that this price is the most profitable balance of conversions and revenue (how I determined this is in the playbook), and is in line with Science Says’ mission of getting scientific research in the hands of as many people as possible.

Note: If you become an Platform member member, you get 10% off!

About Science Says

• Science Says is a newsletter that gives you 3min practical insights based on the latest science. 
• For $0, you can join thousands of marketers subscribed to the newsletter here. You can read past studies here (some are covered more in-depth in the playbook).
• And I am Thomas McKinlay, the founder of Science Says. Before starting Science Says in 2020, I was a marketer at Google in London. I’ve always been a science nerd. Proud to be a grad of Rotterdam School of Management, one of the leading faculties in the world for scientific research in marketing.

Playbook bundle offers: Looking to buy one of the bundles of Playbooks? You can find info about each Playbook on their individual pages: Ecommerce Optimization ⏺ SaaS Optimization ⏺ Ad Creatives