I used to think of behavioural change as a ‘fledgling pseudo-science’. Great to talk about in boardrooms, but not so easy to implement in the real world. Since then, I have come full circle, having been versed in the actual science by some of the finest practitioners in the region and internationally. I now see behavioural change as essential to sustained success for marketing and advertising practitioners.

Most of today’s gurus find safety in the old ways rather than committing the time and resources required to adopt behaviour change approaches. According to multiple global research studies, most advertising today fails to achieve substantial awareness or engagement. Consumers may behave like Maslow’s dog in the short term, but formulaic approaches fail when they run up against human behaviour in the long term. It is time to move away from the simple awareness, consideration, purchase model and its derivatives towards behaviourally competent approaches that work with today’s consumer.

The practical and useable version of behaviour change science was originally developed for the public health sector to encourage positive health-seeking behaviour among people who were burdening the system because of poor practices. A body of science was put together on how human behaviour works, based on extensive trials and evidence and then condensed into what is now a pragmatic approach. This science is equally applicable to commercial brands that have much to gain from researching human behaviour. There are about over 80 viable behavioural models available to practitioners; however, to understand them, one has to first wrap one’s head around behavioural concepts that define us as human beings.

The most pivotal concept is to focus the process on the ‘target behaviour to drive’ rather than on vague end goals (such as driving consumer delight). Identifying the right behaviour is half the job done. Once this is digested, there are other strong behavioural forces to drive effective behaviour change programming:

Nudges: These are subtle prompts or cues that alter behaviours in predictable ways (choice architecture) without forcing consumers to make a particular choice. Nudges are the bread and butter of behavioural change, different from incentives (like consumer promotions, which are not sustainable) and coercive and punitive measures (such as fines and jail time). Examples of the use of nudges for consumer brands are Google’s predictive text suggestions or suggestions from Amazon on shopping baskets to guide shoppers towards choices that are optimal for them and the brands.

Attitudes and Beliefs Towards Behaviours: Before a target behaviour can be driven, one has to consider the audience’s perception of favourableness or unfavourableness towards that behaviour, based on the relevant affective and cognitive dimensions. This includes the consumers’ emotional response to the idea of performing the behaviour and their beliefs about the outcome of the given behaviour. For brands, attitudes and beliefs are linked to the feelings the brand evokes among consumers, which in turn impacts their behaviour. If the target behaviour goes up against ‘accepted consumer beliefs’, such as women should not drive or men should not use skincare products, then these need to be altered before the target behaviours can be driven.

Social Norms: This is one of the most powerful forces in behavioural change. Social norms are perceived as informal, mostly unwritten rules that define appropriate action within a given group in relation to given behaviours. They include normative beliefs about what others think they should do to comply with what others feel about them (social judgement) and about what others are doing within accepted norms to avoid social sanctions, or alternatively, gain social recognition. Although advertisers have the capacity to shift social norms, they do not always do so in a planned and predictable manner. Notable examples include the unacceptability of dandruff in social settings. Or the need to stay up-to-date with the latest mobile phone models or fashion trends to gain social recognition.

Driving Intention Towards a Behaviour: This is the most powerful predictor of whether a given behavioural change process will work or fail. It is easily measurable (with the right research methodology) and is the last step before actual behaviour change happens. Intentions indicate a consumer’s readiness or decision to perform a given behaviour, for example, buying a particular product. For brands, they become intentions that lead to desired behaviours that are beneficial to the brand, including but not limited to a purchasing intention. For example, the intention to take advantage of a brand’s loyalty programme or refer friends towards advocacy for brands.

Behavioural Control: This is one of the most powerful factors to determine the success or failure of a behavioural change programme because it entails the consumer’s ability to perform the target behaviour. As a rule of thumb, the easier a consumer perceives a behaviour to perform, the more likely it will happen. For example, conversion from purchase intent to actual purchase behaviour will be reduced if the consumer perceives the process or product to be highly complex or does not have the required access, such as purchasing power or easy access to a brand.

As a converted practitioner, I recommend that brands and ad agencies make the jump sooner rather than later. Global brands have benefited from the copious application of behavioural science, although I believe that the adoption of behavioural change is in its nascent stages for brands in Pakistan. Nike’s establishment of new social norms through their Run Club and Training Club apps has contributed to their increased global market share. Spotify’s use of personalised nudges has contributed to its over 31% share of the global music streaming market. Airbnb’s rating system on guest pages has increased its market share by leveraging social proof and trust signals from previous guests (the social norms effect). H&M’s use of nudges towards its sustainability initiatives contributed to a sizeable increase in its market share among environmentally conscious consumers. Whatever the behavioural journey, the end game should be clear. In the case of public health, the end game is the delivery of social welfare without compromising choice. For commercial brands, the end game should be a combination of promoting brand usage while considering social welfare and informed choices by consumers.

Shifting to a behaviourally competent approach requires considerable investment of time and resources. Meaningful shifts require a recalibration of marketing plans and the methodology to track success and KPIs. Old consumer journeys need to be replaced by new ones. Effective behavioural change also requires time to settle in and work its magic.

Afzal Hussain is MD, M&C Saatchi World Services Pakistan.
afzal.hussain@mcsaatchi.com