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A Review of The Choice Factory – Richard Shotton

APG Thinking Around Corners

May 25, 2017
7 min

APG Thinking Around Corners

In a new approach to strategy events we held the first ‘APG Thinking Around Corners’ in the worst rainstorm of the year. So a tribute to our excellent speakers, our moderator Jem Fawcus, and the plucky audience who rated strategic stimulation above a cosy evening with Netflix and made it so lively and thought provoking. Where Noisy Thinking is designed to project provocation from the stage, this event series is more intimate and more about discussion and building on ideas. It

The Truth Behind Claim Data

Mar 23, 2017
3 min

The Truth Behind Claim Data

David Ogilvy famously said, “The trouble with market research is that people don't think how they feel, they don't say what they think and they don't do what they say.” This scepticism towards claimed data is shared by most social psychologists. The difference between claims and the truth is starkly revealed on dating sites. Look at the graph below from OK Cupid! which shows the distributions of heights of its users. The fact it mirrors the US population, but shifted two in

Three underused biases that affect creative messaging, channel sellection, media implementation

Mar 16, 2017
5 min

Three underused biases that affect creative messaging, channel sellection, media implementation

One of the appealing aspects of behavioural science is that rather than being a single, over-arching theory, it’s a broad collection of biases. That means it’s flexible enough to be applied to the variety of problems we’re trying to solve for brands. Despite this, the commentary in advertising has been about the same handful of biases: social proof, loss aversion, framing and the like. With that in mind I wanted to discuss briefly three underused biases. I’ve chosen a ran

12 Brilliant Behavioural Science Books

Mar 9, 2017
5 min

12 Brilliant Behavioural Science Books

This week I’ve shared what I think are some of the best books, blogs and events on the topic. In the following weeks I’ll discuss some broad themes such as why observed data trumps claimed data and why we should give as much weight to target moments as target audiences. I’ll also discuss some of the lesser known biases, as I think too much coverage is given to a small subset of biases, such as social proof and framing. Finally, I’ll look at the ethics and effectiveness of n

Think like a CSO (with Matt Willifer)

Jan 22, 2016
4 min

Think like a CSO (with Matt Willifer)

Matt’s career combines classic brand planning with cutting edge digital expertise. Matt joined BMP DBB from Oxford University in 1995 on their graduate scheme. He has been the Head of Strategy and part of the management team at M&C Saatchi, where he won the inaugural APG Global Strategy Agency Of The Year Award. Following that he spent a two-year stint as CEO of a games developer, helping brands better exploit gaming and virtual worlds. For the last four years he has been at

Formula for Change

Sep 30, 2015
1 min

Formula for Change

I’ve found this formula very useful for any behavioural change brief, whether trying to get smokers to quit or trying to get people with gum disease to do something about it. Its origins are in organisational change but I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t work more generally. And indeed it seems to map quite well onto successful behavioural change problems – at least where the behavioural change is deliberate and considered. There’s another school of thought that says we

Lunchtime Event with Matthew Willcox

Jul 3, 2015
1 min

Lunchtime Event with Matthew Willcox

Matthew Willcox has written a book called ‘The Business of Choice: Marketing to Consumers' Instincts'. It's meant to help understand how human instincts and intuitions can lead to work that gets your brand chosen. Join us for a discussion during which Matthew will talk about what behavioural science and neuroscience have revealed about how people’s choices and behaviour are driven by non-conscious instincts. The session is designed to be interactive so there will be chance to

Innovation by automation – how far do we go?

Mar 20, 2015
3 min

Innovation by automation – how far do we go?

In a world of increasing innovation, what role do you think automation will have in future creative strategies? My opening question to some of the industry’s best at an event I went to, kindly hosted by the APG. The response? Well, as you’d expect… polarised opinions. Not necessarily just in reference to my question, but also as to how much of a douche I was to ask a such a wanky question. I apologised. However, I do think it raises some interesting questions. A similar quest

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