Behavioral Science For Brands: Leveraging behavioral science in brand marketing.

In this episode, we look at the story of Five Guys and how they used behavioral science to become one of the most successful brands in the ‘better burger' category. We identify some of the secrets to their success such as ending the experience on a high, harnessing the illusion of effort by letting dinners see into the kitchen and - perhaps most importantly of all – harnessing the power of simplicity!

In this episode we speak with Steve Martin, co-author of Yes! 60 secrets from the science of persuasion which has sold over 1.5 m million copies. We talk to Steve about his latest work on the messenger effect and the eight traits that make a messenger influential. 

In this episode, we explore how Oatly became a billion-dollar brand by using behavioral science in clever, unexpected ways. We unpack how the launch of their Barista Edition—crafted specifically for coffee shops—tapped into the Messenger Effect, where who delivers a message matters as much as what is said. Along the way, we break down what makes a messenger truly persuasive—and how your brand can apply the same principles to win trust and grow.

In this episode we speak with Adam Ferrier, founder of Australian ad agency, Thinkerbell. Adam is the author of The Advertising Effect, one of the best books on applying behavioral science to advertising. On the podcast he talks about some of the most effective Australian campaigns of the last few years and why listening to your customer creates bland advertising.

Everlane's success has partly been driven by differentiating themselves from the rest of the fashion industry. Crucially they have reframed the competition as behaving unfairly. In this episode we look at a series of behavioral science experiments that show brands can disrupt consumer apathy if they position the competition as having behaved unfairly. We cover a range of studies by Werner Guth, Sally Blount and Richard Thaler. Most importantly we focus on the practical marketing applications. 

Katy Milkman has described Ayelet Fishbach as the foremost expert on motivation in the world. In this episode we speak to Ayelet about her work and how marketers can harness it to change the behavior of their users. In a wide ranging conversation we discuss Ayelet's research on variable rewards, the goal dilution effect and the problem with setting avoidance goals. 

GEICO have created some of the most effective US advertising in recent years. The GEICO gecko is one of the most popular characters in advertising. But what makes him so memorable? In this episode we discuss Ian Begg's research into concreteness which showed that people are much better at remembering visualisable things compared to abstract concepts. We argue that GEICO's success has been driven by creating a brand mascot that physically embodies their strengths rather than trying to convey those abstract ideals directly.

In this episode we talk with Gareth Harvey. Gareth was previously a professor of consumer psychology but now advises companies about how they can apply findings from behavioral science. In this episode he discusses some of his work with retailers showing how they can better frame special offers, use music more effectively and adjust the shopper journey.

In this episode we look at one of the world's most successful gins: Hendrick's. We explore three behavioral science principles that explain their growth: distinctiveness, consistency and nostalgia. In particular, we look at the experimental evidence from psychologists such as Von Restorff, Zajonc and Sedikides.

In this interview, we catch up with Melina Palmer who has released a new book: The Truth About Pricing. She discusses how brands like Hermes and Costco have applied principles from behavioral science. We cover ideas like scarcity, reciprocity and the importance of in groups.

In this episode, we discuss how behavioural biases can be applied by brands in a B2B setting. In particular, we look at how Zoom credibly used social proof in their earliest days and the evidence that suggests this works well in a professional setting. We also cover the principle of make it easy and the evidence of this occurring in B2B. Finally, we discuss why, if behavioural science is so effective, it so rarely used by B2B marketers.

In this episode we speak to Charles Spence Oxford professor and author of Gastrophysics. Charles's research is the recognized world leader in showing how taste is affected by our other senses. We discuss how brands can change their product's weight, sound and colour to make themselves more appealing.

In this episode we talk with Nir Eyal, author of Hooked, and one of the world's leading experts on the topic of habits. His work is of particular interest as his focus is on how brands (rather than individuals) can create habits. Nir walks us through the four elements of his model and gives lots of practical advice on what marketers can do differently.

In this episode we explore the behavioral science principles behind Aviation Gin's success. In particular we look at why humor is such an effective (but underused) tool for brands. We cover work by Nisbett on the halo effect that shows if a brand improves its standing in one particular metric (like being funny) it will improve even unrelated characteristics, such as being perceived as trustworthy or modern.

In this episode we talk with Roger Dooley author of Brainfluence. In a wide-ranging conversation, we start by covering the importance of focusing on making whatever behaviour you want to encourage as easy as possible. Then we move on to the importance of experimentation and how brands can work out which, of the many behavioural biases that have been discovered, they should prioritize. 

In this episode we look at the rise of Eleven Madison Park to become the most critically acclaimed restaurant in the world. In particular we focus on their legendary customer service and how they used techniques like the peak-end rule to enhance diner's memory of the visit. The lessons are relevant for all brands - not just those involved with fine dining.

In this episode we sit down with Sarah Carter and discuss how marketers can best use behavioural science. We focus on using behavioural science for good, whether that's encouraging people to eat veg, take the train or practice safe sex. During a wide-ranging conversation with one of ad land's brightest luminaries we cover biases from the ostrich effect to social proof, reframing to the illusion of control. 

In this episode, we look at the behavioral science secrets behind the success of Kraft Mac and Cheese. We focus on two broad areas. First, how they managed to launch a new version of the product (with all the artificial colourings removed) without damaging sales. That's an impressive achievement, as often if you stress that a product has become healthier it damages taste expectations.Second, how they have designed their packaging to grab attention in-store. In particular, how they harness the finding that shopper's attention is drawn to face-like shapes.

In this episode Richard interviewed Harvard professor Todd Rogers. Todd's experiments apply behavioral science principles to copywriting to make it more effective. In this discussion we cover Todd's key findings, such as the proven value of brevity, simple language, and designing for easy navigation. The episode is full of simple tactics that you'll be able to apply immediately to your writing.

In this episode, we look at the success of Pret a Manger – especially how they managed to recover so strongly after the pandemic, despite increasing numbers of office workers staying at home. We look at two main biases that they have successfully harnessed: the sunk cost effect and the power of variable rewards

We talk with Seth about how to best understand people's motivations and why direct questioning sometimes fails. We cover ideas like the illusion of effort, the curse of knowledge and how to respond when different datasets give conflicting answers.

In this episode, we discuss the replication crisis. By that we mean, when academics have re-run some behavioural science studies, they have found different results to the original experiment thereby invalidating it. We cover some of the most famous studies that need to be avoided and how you can have confidence in the findings that you're applying. 

In this episode we return to the question of how to break old consumer habits and build new ones. We cover four new studies, each of which has practical implications for brands. We begin by looking at when people are open to changing their behavior and discuss the fresh start effect and the destabilizing effect of life events. We then turn to the behavioral science of building new habits and look at the foot in the door technique and the perennial question - how long does it take to form a new habit?

In this episode MichaelAaron and Richard sit down with Phil Barden, author of Decoded and Managing Director at DECODE Marketing. His excellent book was one of the earliest to look at how ideas from neuroscience and behavioral economics could be used to improve marketing. Phil covers how best in class brands like Apple apply these principles but also how he has personally used behavioral science in his work at T-Mobile. 

In this episode we look at a range of behavioral science experiments that shed light on effective gift giving. These are useful because our intuition about what receivers want is often off the mark. In particular, we cover experiments showing how spending on others is a better way for givers to boost their own happiness than spending on themselves and why receivers tend to prefer experiences rather than material gifts. While there are plenty of personal applications for these findings we also focus on the implications for brands.

In this episode we talk with Les Binet, co-author of The Long and the Short of it about his research into effective advertising. We discuss some of his best-known findings, such as the value of emotional campaigns. But we also cover some lesser-known areas such as whether wear out is a myth, why music in ads should get more attention and finally what he calls the “dark matter of effectiveness”: price effects.

In this special episode, we discuss how behavioral science can be used to encourage voter registration and turnaround. We cover well known ideas like social proof including some of the most relevant nuances and how it's often misused by campaigns for good. We also turn to lesser known research by Bryan on how we label behavior can have a significant effect on whether it occurs.

In this episode, we explore how indulgence brands like soft drinks and ice creams can use behavioral science principles. We discuss moral licensing, where people overcompensate in one area after behaving virtuously in another, and how brands like Miller and L'Oreal have applied this insight. Lastly, we examine a study by Read, showing how shoppers make different choices when picking for their current versus future selves.

We talk with Matt about his favorite practical examples of behavioural science being applied by brands. We cover how Pret a Manger use uncertain rewards to excite customers, how Perrier harnessed the principle of essentialism to launch in the US and why more brands should think about marketing to groups rather than individuals.

In this episode, we talk with ad agency founder Kate Waters on how the AA, Zoe and Spotify apply behavioral science. We cover a wide range of principles: from language reframing to social proof, concreteness to choice paralysis

In this episode, we uncover how Starbucks turns the Pumpkin Spice Latte into a cult favorite through the power of scarcity.

In this episode, we examine how Disney uses behavioral principles to mange queues, process payments and create moments of joy inside thier parks.

In this episode, we talk about how marketers leverage principles like nostalgia and active commitment to sell targeted experience to customers. 

In this episode, we examine pre-disposed decisions that prioritzes acting versus maintaining the status quo, due to optics.

In this episode, we have Owain Service, cofounder and former managing director of the UK's Behavioral Insights Team and former deputy director of the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, joining us to explore the possibilities of behavioral sciences in other sectors.

In this episode, we take a look at the behavioral principles that empower Liquid Death and it's entry into the American market with a distinctive style.

In this episode, we explore how more data doesn't necessarily mean better results and what alternatives marketers have to successful metric-based outcomes.

In this episode, we take a look at the biases that promote sustainability and how the sustainability movement can be applied to brands.

In this episode, we examine the promotional prowess of RedBull from marketing the drink and facing challenges that came with it's unique and 'unwelcome' taste.

In this episode, we check out Chipotle's data driven marketing campaign and the success that came with it.

In this episode, we dive deep into motivations that drive the consumer when it comes to locking in their purchases. Be it the effect of loyalty programs or the theory of sunken costs, Costco has done this to great effect.

In this episode, we sit down with Tali Sharot, a neuroscience professor at University College London and M.I.T., to talk about the practical application of cognitive neuroscience.

In this episode, we explore the intricate world of Valentine's Day, online dating, and the hidden truths behind survey data, revealing the discrepancies between claimed motivations and actual behaviors through insightful studies and field experiments.

In this episode, we discuss the influence behind Super Bowl ads and how concepts like costly signaling and cultural imprinting help consumers align with brands.

In this episode we chat with award-winning author Mark  Earls about concepts such as loss aversion, the false consensus  effect, and behavioral science's impact on economics.

In this episode we sit down with Phill Agnew, the Senior Product Marketing Manager at Buffer and Host of the Nudge Podcast, to discuss the halo effect, the illusion of labor, and the behavioral science behind special days.

In this episode we discuss the behavioral science behind New Year's Resolutions, commitments, the motivation to change behavior, and succeeding beyond January 1st.

In this episode, we discuss the power of menu design in influencing consumer choices, highlighting the importance of avoiding choice paralysis, using tactics like emphasizing popularity, and leveraging price relativity to boost sales.

In this episode, we discuss how Apple successfully utilizes behavioral science principles such as optimal newness, the power of concrete language, and simplicity to drive innovation and create a consistent and memorable brand experience.

In this episode,we explore the success of the "Got Milk" campaign, which tapped into the power of loss aversion, humor, and the messenger effect by using celebrities to emphasize what people would miss out on if they didn't have milk, ultimately generating over $1 billion in sales for the dairy industry.

In this episode, we explore the success of De Beers' marketing campaign for diamond engagement rings, highlighting the power of linguistic quirkiness, the influence of anchoring on consumer behavior, and the relevance of behavioral science in shaping even significant purchasing decisions.