Marketing & Behavioral
Science
Using Behavioral Science to Research your
Audience & CreateYour Brand
1

Behavioral Science Research
Researching Users Who Want the Product
2

How Research Used toWork
We use our creativity to
brainstorm a few big
ideas
Experts decide which one
they like
Investors bet on the
winner, often with billions
of dollars at stake
Compiled by author from source: ssir.org Image Source: Google Images
3

Behavior Design
Behavioral
scientists design
and conduct quality
research and can
translate the latest
discoveries in
meaningful ways
The combination of
behavioral science +
design thinking is most
commonly called behavior
design
Compiled by author from source: medium.com Image Source: Google Images
4

Using Psychology
To MakeYour
Brand Attractive
This insight is fairly intuitive, but it can help
companies tailor their product offerings in
consumer settings
Consumers instinctively compare the features,
prices, and value of a handful of products, then
choose the one they think suits them best
This comparison reduces the perception of risk
and inspires the confidence to make a purchase
Behavioral science
research can be extremely
powerful, It creates
evidence-based models
for explaining and
predicting the decisions
that people make
Compiled by author from source: fastcompany.com
5

Behavioral
Scientists
Behavioral Scientists
Understand
Human attention Perception
Cognition and
decision making
Scientific studies offer
us a better window
into the human mind
Compiled by author from source: medium.com
6
All critical to figuring out how to
differentiate your offering from the
rest

Leveraging
Behavioral Science
Companies apply
integrated behavioral
science in the form of
consulting strategists or
agencies
When your
growth flattens
out or starts
decreasing,
behavioral
scientists can
figure out why
You might consider
hiring psychology
majors as product
managers
Compiled by author from source: medium.com Image Source: Google Images
7

Infusing
Behavioral Science
in Design
Humans have many biases and make decisions that
lead to bad outcomes
If researchers and designers are aware of these mental
shortcuts, we can develop smarter products and
services
With a better understanding of how and when people
deviate from rational decision makers, we can begin to
design solutions
Humans are not rational
beings
Our decisions are
systematically affected by
cognitive biases
Compiled by author from source: essentialdesign.com
8

Product Offerings
Many studies have analyzed
whether the number of product
options consumers face impact
how they make purchases
Some findings show that too
many options can overwhelm
the brain and hinder a buying
decision
But if consumers only have one
option, they tend not to feel
comfortable with it
Compiled by author from source: fastcompany.com
9

How People Define
Themselves
Theorists
are interested in the
choices, aspirations,
concerns, and needs
of individuals
Used in the
construction of
consumer
profiles and
market
segmentation
People aren’t good at
analyzing their behaviors
or revealing the reasons
behind their motivation
Compiled by author from source: thebalance.com
10
Identity
theory focuses on
how people define
themselves

Left Brain Interruption
Question based research is
mostly ineffective because of
human cognition: We're
terrible at self-reflection
Most of our behavior is
caused by factors out of
our conscious control
If you've ever asked yourself
"why did I do that?", you've
fallen victim to the left brain
interpreter
Compiled by author from source: inc.com Image Source: Google Images
11

Subconscious Biases
Humans make 95%
of their decisions in
the subconscious
They are ingrained in
them and, in many
cases, automatic
Behavioral science leverages
these subconscious biases
and moves people to action
Compiled by author from source: universalwilde.com Image Source: Google Images
12

We Are Not
Rational
When our emotional
desires start to shift
toward a likely
brand, we align our
reasons to be
consistent with that
intention
The stronger the
emotion, the
stronger the belief,
the greater the
tendency is to seek
out supporting
evidence
We are rationalizers
Our mind searches for
evidence to support our
beliefs
Compiled by author from source: fastcompany.com Image Source: Google Images
13

ReactingTo Logical Explanations AtThe
Expense Of Emotions
Often research shines the spotlight on logical
interpretation of emotions rather than the
motivators of behavior
This often happens when people in survey
research and focus groups look for reasons to
explain their feelings about products
Marketers and inventors often end up inventing
rationalizations instead of big ideas
Dyson discovered this when he sought to
revolutionize the way vacuum cleaners were
made
His innovation was the clear plastic collection
bin that let people observe the dirt being
vacuumed
Retailers warned him that it wouldn’t sell
because, “no one wants to see dirt”
14

Case in Point:
Dyson
• Dyson ignored the research and built the clear plastic
collection bin
• Dyson now owns a brand image that is head and
shoulders above the competition
If you want people to buy
what you’re selling, give
them logical permission to
buy
Compiled by author from source: fastcompany.com Image Source: Google Images
15

New Science
We are all
different, but in
many instances
our brains are
prone to react in
a similar manner
Inertia Bias
Loss Aversion
Availability
Heuristic
Why people
say no
Compiled by author from source: helpscout.net
16

Inertia Bias
Explains why people are
reluctant to change their
behavior or slow to adopt new
products over existing products
A study observed a
phenomenon that people were
prone to repeat their choices,
no matter whether they led to
success or failure
Represents the regularity of
behaving in a certain way – the
way that has been forever
etched in the brain
A preference for the
current state and a
tendency to stick with
default options
Compiled by author from source: essentaildesign.com Image Source: Google Images
17

Loss Aversion
Controlled through marketing techniques such as free trial
periods
The belief being that product ownership will result in a
less likelihood of return when this trial is complete
Refers to the tendency to avoid losses to acquiring
equivalent gains: It's better to not lose $5 than to find $5
Some studies have suggested that losses are twice as
powerful, psychologically, as gains
A tendency to place
greater value on avoiding
losses over receiving
equivalent gains
Compiled by author from source: essentialdesign.com
18

Availability
Heuristic
A mental shortcut that relies on
immediate examples that come to a given
person's mind when evaluating a specific topic,
concept, method or decision
People often make assumptions about others
based on experiences with people from
seemingly similar demographics, even though
they could have very little in common
The assessment of a
particular subject based
on how readily an idea
comes to mind
Compiled by author from source: essentialdesign.com
19

Persuasive Design vs. Behavioral Design
Persuasive Design
• Persuasive design is the design of messages by
analyzing and evaluating their content, using
established psychological research theories
and methods
Behavioral Design
• Behavioral designs process is a bit more
oriented to the user itself rather than all
elements of the communication process, as it
analyzes the interactions a user has with such
media
Compiled by author from source: stackexchange.com
20

Applying
Behavioral Science
to Research
Target: Liberal-
leaning, college
graduates whose
net worth is in
the top 20 % of
all citizens
It’s very likely
these individuals
will be higher on
the openness
spectrum
Marketing and researching
for a high-end luxury
coffee company?
Compiled by author from source: behavioralscientist.org
21

Applying A Persona
toThe Coffee
Company
Set aside an ample budget for hiring great
designers for your packaging
Your coffee bags should convey artistic
values
Use emotional language and come up with
creative new concepts
Frame your company as a disruptor, casting
aside the tradition that old, stodgy
companies have kept in place for too long
Signal that your company is
quirky and creative,
appreciates aesthetic
excellence, values emotion,
and bucks tradition
Compiled by author from source: behavioralscientist.org
22

Contact Us for the Full Presentation:
Mediacontact USA Inc.
13575 58TH Street North #160
Clearwater, Fl. 33760
T: 727 538 4112
E: contact@mcusa.co
www.mediacontactusa.com

Sources Cited
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<http://essentialdesign.com/design-thinking-meets-behavioral-science/>.
• Ciotti, Gregory. "Consumer Behavior: 10 Psychology Studies on Marketing and Persuasion." Help Scout | Simple Customer
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• Devault, Gigi. "Effective Market Research With CognitiveTheory." The Balance. N.p., 15 June 2017.Web. 2 Aug. 2017.
<https://www.thebalance.com/designing-market-research-applying-cognitive-theory-2296989>.
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Stack Exchange. N.p., 22 Nov. 2016.Web. 14 Aug. 2017. <https://ux.stackexchange.com/questions/101741/what-is-the-
difference-between-persuasive-design-behavioral-design-and-ux>.
• Habif, Stephanie. "Top 10 Reasons to Integrate Behavioral Science intoYour Organization." Medium. N.p., 10 Oct. 2016.
Web. 31 July 2017. <https://medium.com/behavior-design/top-ten-reasons-to-integrate-behavioral-science-into-your-
organization-cd83761a7924>.

Sources Cited
• Hoffeld, David. "3 Behavioral Science PrinciplesThat LeadTo Business Success." Fast Company. N.p., 10 Nov. 2015.Web.
13 July 2017. <https://www.fastcompany.com/3053239/3-behavioral-science-principles-that-lead-to-business-success>.
• Hreha, Jason. "Products As People: Using Psychology to MakeYour Brand Attractive." Behavioral Scientist. N.p.,
22 June 2017.Web. 11 July 2017. <http://behavioralscientist.org/products-people-using-psychology-make-brand-
attractive/>.
• Hreha, Jason. "Why Behavior Design IsThe Future of UX Design." Inc.com. N.p., 15 Sept. 2016.Web. 31 July 2017.
<https://www.inc.com/jason-hreha/heres-what-youre-getting-wrong-about-user-research.html>.
• Tantia, Piyush. "The New Science of Designing for Humans | Stanford Social Innovation Review." Stanford Social
Innovation Review: Informing and Inspiring Leaders of Social Change | Stanford Social Innovation Review. N.p., Mar. 2017.
Web. 11 July 2017. <https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_new_science_of_designing_for_humans
• Sisson, John. "Why Data Science & Behavioral Insights AreThe KeyTo ConnectingWith Insurance Customers." Universal
Wilde | Marketing Services fromThought to Distribution. N.p., 19 May 2017.Web. 22Aug. 2017.
<http://www.universalwilde.com/blog/data-and-behavioral-science-for-insurance>.