Some ads help create ‘symbolic value’ for products

Why new Rolexes can cost less than used ones

It's reasonable to assume a new Rolex watch—which often sell for thousands of dollars each—would be more expensive than a used version. However, that's increasingly not always the case. This video explains why some used Rolexes cost more than their new counterparts. Watch it here.

The dollar’s value stems from public trust and demand

In simple terms, a dollar bill’s value relies on two elements: that people believe it will be accepted in exchange for goods and services, and how much demand for the currency there is.

The value of a trademark is just one element of brand valuation

Brand valuations give companies an idea of how valuable assets, like logos, are to the company and can help determine how much money branding departments should receive. Typically, brand valuations are a compilation of brand awareness metrics, like a consumer's willingness to pay, the value of a trademark, and the company's market position.

Dollar stores often place staple items at the back of the store

This forces customers to encounter other, less-necessary items on their way there, leading to impulse buys. This video explains other ways that dollar stores make money while selling extremely cheap products, keeping dollar store profit margins relatively high.

Dollar General vs Dollar Tree vs Family Dollar: What's the difference?

A recent article claims that at Dollar Tree, almost all of the items are $1.25, although inventory seems more limited. At Family Dollar and Dollar General, prices tend to be slightly higher, though they often carry name brands.

In defense of the advertisement economy

Advertising is frequently reviled for how it clutters up public spaces and our everyday experiences. Nonetheless, it allows for vast amounts of goods and services to be rendered free to millions of users—and gives users the option to pay with money or time and attention.

Each design detail on the US $1 bill has significance

The eye in the triangle floating above the pyramid, for instance, is “the Eye of Providence watching over and ensuring the endurance of the structure of the American government.” This article details every design choice’s significance on the dollar—and a few conspiracies around these choices as well.

The 'dupe' economy is fueled by the youthful thrill of thrift

Historically, you don't want people to know you have a knock-off luxury item. But today's younger generations are embracing the "dupe" economy, an open celebration of luxury knock-off items where consumers are proud to pay less for something roughly equivalent to premium brand offerings.

The most iconic vintage ads

Looking at vintage ads can provide a deep dive into the history of how businesses communicate with their customers. This archive of some of the most iconic print and out-of-home ads of all time breaks down why each ad resonated at the time (think brutally honest copywriting, and long copy that is a pleasure to read). See ads from Porsche, Listerine, and more.

A startup is trying to create the diamond equivalent of the gold standard

It's called the Diamond Standard Co, and it uses an algorithm to assign standard values to a variety off small diamonds, grouping them together into individual coins. Historically, diamonds haven't been able to be classified as commodities or standardized like gold because they aren't uniform—factors such as clarity, cut, color, and carat size significantly influence the value of a diamond.

The most expensive ad of all time was for Chanel No. 5 perfume and cost roughly $33M to produce in 2004—about $57M in today's dollars.

Cryptocurrency acts as a store of value

Traditional money, dating back to its first known uses in ancient Babylonia, has many uses—it reduces friction in transactions by providing a common denominator of value (unit of account), acts as a single item accepted by many vendors (medium of exchange), and holds wealth as a store of value.

Marketers often use psychological tactics to sway consumer action

From making someone feel as though a resource is scarce (“only one item left in stock!”) to invoking a sense of authority (“top dentists recommend this toothpaste”), marketers use a variety of psychological tactics to elicit a desired response from their target audience.

Regular coupon users pay less attention to the actual price of what they’re buying

The psychology of coupon users can feel counterintuitive: Research suggests regular coupon users actually prioritize coupon availability over actual price comparisons.

Chanel faced major backlash in 2021 over its $825 Advent calendar

Chanel’s $825 Advent calendar drew millions of views on TikTok after shoppers unboxed items like stickers, string bracelets, and a standard dust bag—products many felt didn’t match the luxury price. The viral controversy made the calendar one of the year's most criticized holiday releases.

Why atoms are used to keep track of time and define the meaning of a second

Small variations in the production of human-made devices, such as mechanical watches and pendulums, make them unreliable for the ultraprecise timekeeping required by modern technology, including financial transaction timestamping and GPS. Because atoms obey fundamental laws of nature and never wear out, their light emissions when energized provide a consistent timekeeping signal.

Does winning a Cannes Lion matter?

It’s easy to become cynical about awards, but a study shows winning at Cannes Lions financially benefits agencies. Of course, snagging an award also helps boost creatives' egos.

Steve Jobs introduced Apple’s 'Think Different' marketing campaign

Jobs introduced the now-iconic “Think Different” marketing campaign. It won numerous awards, symbolized Apple’s new era under Jobs, and showed off his understanding of branding.

Soap operas earned their name thanks to the sponsorships of soap brands

Many early 20th-century radio programs for women were sponsored by brands that introduced each new episode. Because these dramas were aimed at women, many of their sponsors were for household products, like soap. The association led some to refer to the shows as "soap operas," a title that stuck.

NFTs are unique assets that exist on the blockchain

This SNL skit accurately defines non-fungible tokens in a song and skit. They are cryptographic tokens that represent digital assets like art, and their value can be volatile.

Temu ran the same Super Bowl ad five times in 2024

During 2024’s campaign, Temu spent millions of dollars on its five identical “Shop Like a Billionaire” Super Bowl spots that showed animated characters feeling extremely joyful upon receiving cheap products.

Pop culture sometimes changes the way people invest

After the "Barbie" movie premiered, the number of investors in Barbie parent company Mattel's stock grew more than six times larger on the investment platform Public, according to the platform's recent report. Other cultural trends have affected which stocks investors choose as well.

From flowers to venues, seemingly everything gets a price markup when it's for a wedding

At the start of this video, a venue gives two people drastically different prices for what seems like essentially the same service: a family gathering and a wedding. These price differentials feel so ubiquitous across the wedding industry—and experts attribute this to quality of services for weddings versus other, more casual events. Learn more by watching this video.

The Dow’s price-weighted formula makes stock price matter more than size

Unlike most indices, which weigh companies by market value, the DJIA is price-weighted—meaning higher-priced stocks have more influence on its movements. As a result, a company’s share price matters more than its overall size.

Why crash test dummies cost a million dollars

Crash test dummies are crucial in the fight to protect car passengers from potentially catastrophic crashes. So how are they made? And why are they so expensive? This 8-minute video breaks down the high-tech products—which can cost over $1 million...

Rewards credit cards can offer points, travel miles, and more

For every dollar that a cardholder spends on a rewards credit card, they can also receive benefits such as cash back, airline miles, and more. For many, rewards are the reason they make so many purchases on credit cards in the first place.

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

Netflix profits when you're not watching, and its movies are designed that way—read a detail-rich critical essay exposing lesser-known Netflix takes

Memecoins are a type of cryptocurrency—a form of digital currency with a wide variety of uses—created around popular 'memes,' or viral internet jokes.

Art theft is the third-largest source of criminal revenues worldwide, thanks in part to the subjective nature of valuing a work of art.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

Watch this video that uses Lego bricks to explain how venture capital works.

The US dollar is the most widely circulated currency in the world, and is involved in nearly 90% of global transactions

Browse a detailed visual analysis of over 200,000 similes—comparisons that often use 'like' or 'as'—from popular fiction to see how frequently writers the same idiomatic expressions.

Warren Buffett's former professor Benjamin Graham is known as the 'father of value investing,' a strategy in which investors seek to buy stocks trading below their intrinsic worth.

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.

The price of gas is a composite made up of several different factors, with the federal gas tax making up less than 20% of what drivers pay at the pump.

Use this tool to calculate the dollar value of your parental mental load, from meal planning to coordinating after-school care, then see resources that help generate solutions.

Frank Lloyd Wright's houses are historically hard to sell because they're old, subject to local landmark commissions, and often unfashionable

How Amazon operates a 'flywheel' business model, a self-reinforcing cycle that drives continuous growth

Dozens of S&P 500 stocks, including Coca-Cola and Walmart—known as the dividend aristocrats—have increased dividends every year for 25 years

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

See how fireworks are made and learn how metals like magnesium and copper are responsible for different colors.

Dorothy's famous entrance into Oz in 'The Wizard of Oz' relied on analog tricks, including a body double and sepia-toned paint, as much as it did on technology

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

The first steps to rebuilding your credit score include getting to know exactly what's on your credit report and figuring out how far you are from the '700 club,' or 'good score' range.

Explore chaos in this simulation of two double pendulums, where small differences in the release angles produce wildly different outcomes.

Many legends about George Washington, including his supposed wooden teeth and the story of cutting down the cherry tree, lack evidence.

Prince's sexually explicit 1984 track 'Darling Nikki' attracted the ire of the Parents Music Resource Center, an advocacy group that inspired the Parental Advisory sticker, even though the song ends with a Christian message.