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.
Richard Shotton
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.
Can behavioural science help us save the planet?
Richard ShottonFlagging negative behaviours may be intended to shock people into action – but it could be having the opposite effect.
Don’t just target an audience, target their mood
Richard ShottonWhen people feel positive, they are positive about advertising, so brands should be targeting – or, better yet, creating – moments of happiness and relaxation.
Why boundary-breaking ads win through
Richard ShottonMore distinctive ads are more memorable, and the holy grail is creative that stands out while also conveying the brand’s core message.
To create strong memories, use concrete language
Richard ShottonIt’s easier for consumers to form associations with a brand if they can visualise the message it communicates. In this excerpt from his latest book The Illusion of Choice, Richard Shotton explains there are many ways to put that into action.
Your customers aren’t constant, it’s moments that matter more
Richard ShottonPeople don’t act the same way every day, their behaviour varies according to their mood and situation, so brands are better off targeting those.
Two steps to lift-off: Behavioural biases to boost your product launch
Richard ShottonFor the best chance of a successful launch, brands should aim to offer something new but not too new, while using scarcity to boost desire.
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