Behavioral Science For Brands: Leveraging behavioral science in brand marketing.
The Consumer Behavior Lab is dedicated to teaching marketersacross the United States how behavioral science principles can beapplied to help their brands. By decoding the underlying motivationsof how consumers make decisions, the CBL seeks to make a betterindustry - where both brands and agencies put proven sciencebehind their decision making.
Episodes
109 episodes
Interview: Bri Williams, behavioral scientist and founder of People Patterns, on designing customer journeys that change behavior
In this episode, we chat with Bri Williams, author of The Williams Behaviour Book and managing director at People Patterns. We explore how to change behaviour inside companies, and cover a range of principles, such as the Zorro technique, the “...
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Season 1
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Episode 109
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55:20
Awarded Campaigns: How Procell reframed the true cost of cheap batteries to win B2B buyers
MichaelAaron Flicker and Richard Shotton analyze Procell’s award-winning B2B campaign that reframed the “cheap battery” decision by highlighting the hidden labor cost of replacing them. Using humor and behavioral science, the campaign shifted p...
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Season 1
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Episode 108
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34:22
Interview: Thomas McKinlay, founder of Science Says, on cutting through marketing “snake oil” with evidence
In this episode, we interview Thomas McKinlay, founder of the Science Says newsletter, about what biases can be applied in ecommerce decisions. Thomas walks us through lots of evidence-based insights, like where to place prices, how charging a ...
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Season 1
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Episode 107
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53:01
Awarded Campaigns: Lucky Yatra, on how a ticket-lottery turned fare dodgers into paying passengers
In this episode, MichaelAaron and Richard launch a new series by unpacking Lucky Yatra, an award-winning Indian Railways campaign that turned tickets into lottery entries. They explore how uncertain rewards, positive framing, and smart incentiv...
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Season 1
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Episode 106
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35:43
How small behavioral shifts can help make you happier
In this episode, MichaelAaron and Richard explore how small behavioral shifts can boost happiness. Drawing on research into the hedonic treadmill, pro-social spending, experiences over possessions, and the power of anticipation, they unpack pra...
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Season 1
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Episode 105
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46:41
Interview: Mark Ritson on consistency, pricing power, and the myths holding marketers back
In this episode, we’re joined by the brilliant Mark Ritson - marketing professor, columnist and founder of the MiniMBA in Marketing. We talk about the underestimated power of consistency in marketing, his “Bothism” approach to strategy and why ...
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Season 1
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Episode 104
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1:05:28
How to use behavioral science to create positive social impact
In this episode, we start our mini-series on behavioral science for social good. This time, we’re discussing how to encourage people to stop smoking. We explore three principles – social proof, the importance of starting small, as well as why f...
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Season 1
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Episode 103
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49:13
Interview: Kevin Chesters, co-author of The Creative Nudge, on why great creativity requires discomfort, not consensus
In this episode, we speak with Kevin Chesters, author of The Creative Nudge and ex-CSO at Ogilvy UK, about the behavioral science of creativity. Kevin explains how small tactics can boost creativity, why time pressure kills it, and how organiza...
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Season 1
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Episode 102
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1:01:59
Inside Hacking the Human Mind: lessons from the world’s most effective brands
In this episode, we celebrate our new book Hacking the Human Mind. We share our favorite chapters, unpack the behavioral science behind the brands featured, and reflect on what we’d add if we were w...
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Season 1
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Episode 101
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48:08
MichaelAaron Flicker and Richard Shotton on 100 episodes of behavioral science, brands, and ideas that actually work
In this 100th episode, MichaelAaron and Richard look back on their favorite moments from the podcast so far, including standout brand case studies like Guinness and Aperol, and key behavioral science principles like the generation effect and re...
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Season 1
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Episode 100
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42:13
Interview: Tim den Heijer, author of The Housefly Effect, on how friction, incentives, and context shape behavior
In this episode, we chat with Tim den Heijer, co-author of the best-selling book, The Housefly Effect, about how small and often overlooked details can have a large impact on behaviour. Tim unpacks some key ideas from his book, including how to...
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Season 1
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Episode 99
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51:43
Interview: Tara Austin, behavioral strategist at Ogilvy, on how small behavioral cues drive large-scale change
In this episode, we sit down with Tara Austin, Partner at Ogilvy. Tara shares the behavioral science principles for creating effective communications. We discuss a broad range of campaigns, from using scarcity to drive demand for KFC's $1 chips...
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Season 1
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Episode 98
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1:02:14
CBL Rewind: How behavioral science explains why most New Year’s resolutions fail - and how to fix them
In this episode, we revisit episode 25 to explore why most New Year’s resolutions fail—and how behavioral science can help. From public commitment to habit stacking and friction reduction, we unpack practical strategies for making resolutions m...
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Season 1
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Episode 97
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33:12
CBL Rewind: Phil Agnew, host of Nudge, on social proof, curiosity gaps, and ethical influence
We’re revisiting our chat with Phil Agnew, creator of the Nudge podcast, to explore how behavioral science shows up in everyday marketing. From pricing to persuasion, Phil shares examples and tactics that continue to resonate.
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Season 1
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Episode 96
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38:56
Interview: Jo Arden, strategist and Campaign contributor, on why hope and humor make messages stick
In this episode, Jo Arden - Chief Strategy Officer at AMV BBDO and Campaign contributor - shares how hope, humor, and smart messaging can drive behavior change. From Stoptober to herpes awareness, we explore the behavioral science behind emotio...
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Season 1
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Episode 95
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33:43
How small behavioral nudges can transform culture and performance at work
In this episode, we explore how to apply behavioral science to drive culture change and performance inside organizations. From using social proof and friction reduction to regret lotteries and purposeful work, we unpack four practical nudges th...
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Season 1
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Episode 94
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48:12
Interview: Susan Weinschenk, author of 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People, on the psychology behind effective user experience
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Susan Weinschenk - behavioral scientist and best-selling author of 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People. Susan uncovers the science behind attracting attention, boosting memory and explains when...
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Season 1
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Episode 93
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47:53
Behavioral Science For Agencies: Copywriting
In this episode, we explore how behavioral science can improve copywriting. From the power of concrete language to the surprising upside of shorter, simpler messages - and why framing things as losses can be more persuasive than gains - this ep...
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Season 1
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Episode 92
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38:58
Interview: Will Storr, author of The Science of Storytelling, on how great stories persuade and inspire action
In this episode, we talk with Will Storr, author of The Science of Storytelling, about why humans are wired for narrative. From identity and status to simplicity and surprise, Will shares how marketers can craft stories that persuade, stick, an...
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Season 1
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Episode 91
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51:44
How BMW leveraged the fresh start effect to win over new drivers
In this episode, we explore how BMW used behavioral science to grow consideration by targeting fresh starts like home buying, leveraging price relativity with luxury context, and exploiting proximity to boost brand perception. It's a clever use...
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Season 1
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Episode 90
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39:58
How Halloween candy can teach marketers about choice, memory, and reward
In this special Halloween-themed episode, we explore three behavioral science principles with surprising brand applications: how variety bias can help challenger brands, why ending on a high note matters, and how uncertain rewards can drive mor...
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Season 1
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Episode 89
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33:50
Behavioral science for agencies: Pitching
In this episode, MichaelAaron and Richard explore ways that behavioral science can improve the agency pitch process. From the illusion of effort to the stolen thunder effect and extremeness aversion, this episode unpack practical ways agencies ...
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Season 1
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Episode 88
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41:12
Interview: Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational, on unfakeable signals, friction, and trust in brands
In this episode, Dan Ariely joins us to explore how brands build trust, communicate authentically, and reduce friction. From peacocks to pricing to motivational t-shirts, he unpacks the behavioral signals that shape consumer perception and driv...
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Season 1
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Episode 87
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48:23
Interview: William Poundstone, author of Priceless, on anchoring, fairness, and the myth of “fair value”
In this episode, we talk with William Poundstone, author of Priceless, about how pricing psychology shapes behavior. From anchoring and fairness to flat-rate bias, we explore how marketers can use behavioral science to influence value perceptio...
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Season 1
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Episode 86
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49:29
Interview: Adam Alter, NYU marketing professor and author of Irresistible, on nine-enders, fluency, and naming that sells
This week we’re joined by Adam Alter to explore the behavioral forces that drive decision-making. From the psychology of getting unstuck to the power of fluency, labeling, and context, Adam shares practical insights for marketers looking to cha...
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Season 1
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Episode 85
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54:32
