Conference Feature: Changing Behaviour

Tuesday's afternoon sessions at the MRS Conference included a fascinating one - says our Features Editor, Teresa Lynch - on the subject of 'Behavioural Economics - enough talk. Where's the payback?'

This consisted of payback indeed in the form of three interesting case studies which gave the audience a real feel for the mechanics of this form of research.

First up was Oliver Payne, founder of The Hunting Dynasty, who told us there is no such thing as a context-independent decision, and went on to illustrate his point with the case of the seller of cardboard desks who couldn't get orders even though every potential client he spoke to agreed with him they were a good idea. The problem, it seemed, is that the customers' 'System 1' decision-making was telling them 'furniture is permanent and cardboard is temporary'. The answer in this case was to market to more ecologically minded clients or to those who may have to pack up and move at a moment's notice - a group apparently including NGOs.

Then we had Richard Wright, who bears the delicious job title of 'Discover Platform Director - Sensation, Perception and Behaviour' at Unilever. He talked about the use of behavioural economic techniques to promote changes in habits: as an example, to make people in cultures where it was acceptable to only brush their teeth in the morning, brush at night as well. This initiative was planned in conjunction with health professionals in the countries concerned since it not only increased Unilever's potential for toothpaste sales but lowered gum disease and other illnesses associated with bad teeth. The measurement of the success of the advertising campaign employed involved toothbrushes with data logging technology embedded.

However most entertaining of all was the non-market research professional: Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport. Paul had slides but they didn't illustrate his talk, they were just pictures, some glamorous, some not, of Birmingham Airport. He said when he took over they had regular market research reports which misled them into thinking they were doing well and a web site which looked like a 1960's public information film. After he took over and employed a team who used behavioural economics as one of their tools they discovered that moving through the airport was all about, to quote Lloyd's Bank, 'the journey'. He actually made this member of the audience want to visit Birmingham Airport.

And the final point, made in the Q and A section, resonated a great deal with the MR pros in the audience: wasn't behavioural economics just what good researchers have been doing all along?'

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.