Just do it! (Or don’t)

As we watch the World Cup over the next few weeks, we may see a few penalty kicks. If we do, we'll also likely see the goalie diving to one side or the other right before the kick, trying to anticipate where the striker is going to aim. 

Behavioral scientist Richard Shotton notes that the goalie's best move is to just stand there.  Goalies who stand straight up and react when the striker kicks the ball stop more shots than those who preemptively dive to one side or the other.

This was established nearly 20 years ago. Yes, goalies still dive. (And, for deeply unconscious reasons, they tend to dive to their right when they are losing.)

The reason is the action bias. It's the mentality of "just do something even if it's wrong." Or just do something even if nothing is wrong. 

One sees examples of this in marketing—a lot. Brands that poured investments into the metaverse, or brands that have spoken out in weird ways about sensitive political or cultural topics. Or brands that scrap logos or campaigns or switch away from successful strategies because people internally are tired of them or because a new executive wants to make a mark.

Of course, status quo bias can be just as damaging. Brands fall prey to that, as well. But sometimes a consultant's job is to help a client see when it's best to leave well enough alone.