Why It Works: A trip to Flat Iron reveals how it sells so much steak
Richard ShottonFrom cute cleavers to free popcorn, there are plenty of behavioural science techniques on display if you enjoy a meal out at Flat Iron.
Richard Shotton
Why It Works: The illusion of effort is a powerful behavioural driver for B2B marketing
Richard ShottonB2B marketers have been slower to adopt behavioural science compared to their B2C counterparts – but the biases that factor into purchase decisions are too powerful to ignore.
Why It (Didn’t) Work: What marketers can learn from America’s ‘Scared Straight’ initiative
Richard ShottonMarketers can have a tendency to see research as definitive answer – but as was the case with the Scared Straight programme – sometimes it only confirms a bias.
Why It Works: How Costa Coffee uses behavioural science to entice consumers
Richard ShottonA trip to Costa Coffee reveals multiple behavioural science biases that can make a significant difference to your bottom line.
Why It Works: Why the Famous Five did a jolly clever job for GWR
Richard ShottonBehavioural science does a good job of explaining why utilising The Famous Five paid off so handsomely for Great Western Railway.
Why It Works: Dishoom and its secret sauce of surprise
Richard ShottonDishoom is known for two things: fabulous food and its matka game of chance. More than a mere PR trick, this offer is underpinned by behavioural science.
Choose your metaphors with care – they are more powerful than you think
Richard ShottonThink carefully about the words you use in advertising copy as they could have an impact on the customer that you didn’t expect.
Why It Works: Tesla and the side effects of Elon Musk
Richard ShottonElon Musk has become an increasingly divisive figure in recent years – but can his rightward shift sell more electric cars? Behavioural science says it might.
Why It Works: How Gymshark employs behavioural science to form a habit
Richard ShottonIts online 66 Day Challenge has been a huge success for sportswear brand Gymshark – and it’s underpinned by solid behavioural science techniques.
Why it Works: Coca-Cola’s Christmas trucks should keep rolling
Richard ShottonCoca-Cola and its Christmas trucks prove the value of consistency – and why it doesn’t always have to be in competition with novelty.
Generative AI might not be the efficiency booster you hope it will be
Richard ShottonWhile it may seem that working in partnership with AI would lead people to be even more efficient – behavioural science tells us that may not be the case.
Why It Works: How Marmite took a weakness and turned it into a strength
Richard ShottonThe Marmite campaign: love it or hate it, you cannot fail to have noticed it. It’s one of the longest running slogans in advertising – but what makes it such a gem?
Why It Works: How Oasis definitely (maybe) applied behavioural science to ticket sales
Richard ShottonIf you managed to buy a ticket for the Oasis reunion shows, the chances are a powerful behavioural science bias was influencing your decision.
Why It Works: How two meerkats made insurance memorable
Richard ShottonWhy It Works is a look at the behavioural science techniques that have inspired iconic marketing executions. First up, how Compare The Market created two fluent devices that created memorability in a low-interest category.
The Bear is more than a good TV show – it hides some behavioural science truths too
Richard ShottonResearch into customer service shows that ending on a positive note matters more than the experience overall – and is something marketers should consider when tailoring their customer journey.
Social proof and scarcity helped Monzo soar to success
Richard ShottonFrom the choice of hot coral for its visual identity to the decision to limit access at launch, tapping into behavioural science has helped Monzo attain profitability.