Why Rory Sutherland Has Become an Unlikely TikTok Influencer

One of advertising’s most recognisable personalities is that of Rory Sutherland, Ogilvy UK’s vice chairman as well as the founder of its behavioural science division. And while he is a man of many words, he is now gaining a perhaps surprising following around the world as a TikTok influencer.

Set up in November last year, @rorysutherlandclips was originally an unofficial account externally from the agency by a young fan who has discovered Sutherland through his podcast appearances and wanted to share his fairly extraordinary tales and wisdom imparted across the internet.

Never short of something to say, the account hosts multiple surprising stories being told by Sutherland during interviews. Indeed, the first video posted hears him talk during an interview about his views on the “gap” between using a Japanese toilet and a conventional toilet.

It is in telling everyday life examples while applying marketing and behavioural science principles that resonate with the ever-growing fan base.

Behind the Fame

“For those familiar with Rory’s work in the industry, his TikTok content is a reminder of exactly what has made him such a titan. By translating complex advertising concepts into bite-sized insights, he fosters an interactive learning experience for even the most seasoned advertising professional,” explains Rachel Porter, influence creative strategy director, Ogilvy UK.

It was initially run alongside a hybrid course Sutherland taught called MAD/Masters but Ogilvy has since wrestled control of the account. It currently has over 208,000 followers and has amassed more than 2.2 million likes across the 160+ clips published by it so far. And demand continues with Sutherland having been stopped in the street by fans who have only encountered him through TikTok.

“Those in his growing community are deeply engaged, commenting “You’re my favourite social commentator” and “I’ve only just discovered you on TikTok and I find all of your takes to be incredibly insightful and well told”, reveals Porter.

Former Ogilvy colleague Dame Annette King, now Accenture Song Communication’s Global Lead, has known Sutherland for almost a quarter of a century and isn’t entirely surprised to learn of his new-found online fame.

She claims that because “his brain is wired to think differently about the world” he can offer original throughs that are relevant to all generations with a wide range of knowledge. He is also happy to provoke others to consider problems and opportunities from a different perspective.

“So, with those qualities, in many ways, Rory has been an influencer all his working life,” King adds.

TikTok's B2B Aspirations

And the platform itself hasn’t missed the growing fandom, with TikTok keen to grow its business-to-business (B2B) credentials and host more content that aids professional insight and development.

Rob Ryan, B2B marketing lead, UKI & Nordics for TikTok says that business thinkers and marketers use it as a route to connect with younger people and engage with them through a storytelling focus and visual techniques, both of which Sutherland uses.

Meanwhile, his short-form insights which have been cut down from much longer interviews meet the needs of the ‘For You’ feed that serves TikTok users, hooking them in and building his follower account as a consequence.

“Rory shows up on TikTok in an authentic and relatable way, providing insights and tips in a way that the TikTok community loves,” Ryan adds.

And if you are curious what the man himself thinks of the platform - then he described it as "a thing I don't fully understand" while speaking to The Modern Wisdom podcast, while comparing the use of TikTok to being "essentially video Twitter."