From 3-5 August our L&D team were absorbing all there was to learn at the AHRI National Conference in Brisbane, Australia. Enjoy this summary by Sarah Eqbal, our Senior L&D Consultant, as she gives a snapshot of the incredible presentation by advertising guru, Adam Ferris.

1. FOCAL POINT 1:
IMPERFECTIONS AND MISTAKES CAN GROW YOUR BUSINESS
FOCAL POINT 2:
THOUGHTS + FEELINGS + ACTIONS = BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE
FOCAL POINT 3:
AESOPS FABLES AND SOUR GRAPES: THERE’S A LOT TO LEARN
FOCAL POINT 4:
THE EFFECT OF ‘EFFECTS’
FOCAL POINT 5:
THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS
The Advertising Effect: How to Change Behaviour
ADAM FERRIER:
Consumer Psychologist and Global Chief Strategy
Officer / Partner, Cummins & Partners
Adam Ferrier is a Consumer
Psychologist and the Global Chief
Strategy Officer/Partner at
independent agency Cummins &
Partners. He graduated university
with degrees in commerce and
psychology and by a strange twist
of fate began his career in forensic
psychology. Adam worked in
maximum-security prisons and
private practice, before making the
natural move to marketing
consultancy switching his interest
from understanding criminal
behaviour to consumer behaviour.
We all want people to change;
whether we want consumers to buy
more, employees to work more or
colleagues to think more – if people
did exactly what we wanted them to
do we would all be happier... and
richer! Adam Ferrier is the
behavioural economist, driving
consumer engagement for brands
like Levi's and Pepsi. Adam arms
organisations and people with
provocative and often controversial
new ways to inspire lasting, tangible
change using a potent blend of
human psychology and advertising
know-how.
From August 3-5 our L&D team was absorbing all there
was to learn at the AHRI National Conference. For those
of you who were not able to attend, the team was your
eyes and ears and over the coming weeks will share
with you our summaries from the panel of speakers.
Buckle up for today’s showcase by Sarah Eqbal, our
Senior L&D Consultant.
AHRI SUMMARY: The Advertising Effect: How to Change Behaviour

2. Wabi Sabi 侘寂- a Japanese term meaning
there is beauty in imperfection which is why
at Japanese restaurants their bowls are
imperfect. Adam says we must embrace our
weaknesses and flaws and be truthful about
presenting them to the world because then
they will trust us (and our brands) more.
“If you have courage to display your weaknesses people
will like you more”
ADAM FERRIER
FOCAL POINT 1: IMPERFECTIONS AND MISTAKES CAN GROW YOUR BUSINESS
“flaws make us human, empathy is a great seducer”

3. FOCAL POINT 2: THOUGHTS +FEELINGS+ACTIONS= BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE
MOTIVATION & EASE (opportunity & capacity)
These are the two biggest pre-determinants of behavioural change
Motivation= individual incentives and social norms are rewards
Ease= does the environment allow it to happen + ability
If your clients are low on MOTIVATION then you can
use examples like Jeep to help them change i.e. “She
bought a Jeep”. Normalising a behaviour to make the
consumer feel that it was normal. Make it a no-
brainer.
If clients are low on EASE then skill them up with
knowledge and resources to get them to change.
It is the unique combination of:
THOUGHTS + FEELINGS + ACTIONS = BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE

4. The Fox and the Grapes is
one of the Aesop's fables.
The story concerns a fox that
tries to eat grapes from a
vine but cannot reach them.
Rather than admit defeat,
he states they are
undesirable. The expression
"sour grapes" originated
from this fable.
Source; Wikipedia
When wanting to change consumer behaviour
ALWAYS START WITH THE ACTION YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE.
ACTION changes attitude faster than ATTITUDE changes actions.
FOCAL POINT 3: AESOPS FABLES AND SOUR GRAPES: THERE’S A LOT TO LEARN

5. FOCAL POINT 4: THE EFFECT OF EFFECTS
Benjamin Franklin Effect: get
someone to do something for you
(don’t ask or give them an option)
and they are more like to be helpful
in the future. Get people involved in
whatever you want them to change.
People are more likely to defend
what they have been part of
creating.
IKEA effect: let people co-
create your brand. Get
them to build things for
you.
Endowment effect: is the hypothesis that people
ascribe more value to things merely because they
own them. For example in a study participants
given a chocolate bar were generally unwilling to
trade it for a coffee mug, whereas participants
first given the coffee mug were generally
unwilling to trade it for the chocolate bar.
Hawthorne effect (also referred to
as the Observer Effect): is a type of
reactivity in which individuals
modify or improve an aspect of their
behaviour in response to their
awareness of being observed.

6. FOCAL POINT 5: THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS
Brains has two operating systems:
(1) Quick and reactive: habits are in use here as they require
less effort and help us take shortcuts
LESSON: make your message easy to remember as we are more likely to believe a message that
helps our brain conserve energy and rewards us. We reward brands that help us think less.
WRAP-UP: There are lessons to be learnt from all corners of industry. AHRI drew together a
diverse range of influencers to help grow our insights and stretch our thinking. We look forward
to share our next installment with you over the coming weeks. The TMS Team.
(2) Slow and effortful: this is a deliberate and thoughtful system