How to Use Behavioural Science For Brands
“Deny nothing, but doubt everything.”
The area of marketing is overwhelmed with articles claiming to have the secrets to growing your brand. But the truth is that most are empty opinion pieces and rarely support claims with hard research.
A study of management principles in leading texts back in 1992 found many (566) ‘you should do’ statements, but only twenty were considered clear and meaningful. Of these, half were dismissed by marketing professors as untrue. Conversely, just one statement was rated as true, supported by evidence, and useful (but unfortunately also “unsurprising, even to someone who had never taken a marketing course”😩).
We can however do our own tests. Richard Shotton, author of The Choice Factory talks about one of behavioural science’s greatest strengths: “You can create experiments to ensure they work for your brand”.
Byron Sharp also has a word to the wise on this topic, to “do tests to see if your ‘nudging’ can increase demand, don’t believe the hype and don’t forget that the main reason your sales aren’t what you’d like them to be is that your brand doesn’t have the mental and physical availability to produce the demand that you would like. And no ‘hidden persuaders’ are going to fix that problem.”
And tests don’t need to be big and expensive. Richard Shotton sets out three or four ways to apply the effects of each of the behavioural biases discussed in his book. A simple and easy example is to apply social proof by clearly stating the popularity of your product.
You can read more on this subject in the articles and books below:
1. Behavioural Economics Is Not The Biggest Story In Marketing
2. How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don't Know by Byron Sharp
3. The Choice Factory: 25 Behavioural Biases That Influence What We Buy by Richard Shotton
Learn more about behavioural science and brands in our course Behavioural Science For Brands: How to influence people to love your brand and buy your products.
