What is Behavioural Science in Marketing?
Most marketing fails. Not because the strategy is bad, but because it ignores one simple truth: humans don’t behave rationally. We make decisions based on emotions, cognitive biases, and unconscious triggers rather than careful, logical analysis.
That’s where behavioural science comes in. It’s the secret weapon that separates marketing that actually works from the nonsense that fills most PowerPoint decks. By understanding how people think, what influences their decisions, and where friction stops them from acting, we create marketing campaigns that drive real results.
Why Behavioural Science Matters for Your Business
Your customers aren’t scrolling through your website, carefully weighing up every benefit before making a purchase. They’re busy, distracted, and overwhelmed by choice. If your marketing doesn’t make the decision easy, compelling, and instinctive, they’ll move on.
Behavioural science helps us:
- Make your messaging more persuasive by understanding what really drives action.
- Remove friction in your customer journey to reduce drop-offs.
- Use proven psychological triggers to increase engagement and conversions.
This isn’t guesswork. It’s backed by decades of research, and it works.
The Behavioural Science Frameworks We Use
We don’t believe in fluff or theory for theory’s sake. These are the frameworks we actually use to make marketing more effective.
MINDSPACE: The 9 Key Influences on Behaviour
Developed by the UK government’s Behavioural Insights Team, MINDSPACE outlines nine powerful drivers of human behaviour:
- Messenger – Who delivers the message is often more important than the message itself.
- Incentives – We respond more to avoiding losses than gaining equivalent rewards.
- Norms – People follow the herd. Show them what others are doing.
- Defaults – We stick with the pre-selected option. Set it up correctly.
- Salience – We focus on what stands out. Make key messages impossible to ignore.
- Priming – Subtle cues influence decisions without people realising it.
- Affect – Emotions drive action more than logic.
- Commitments – When people make a public commitment, they’re more likely to follow through.
- Ego – People act in ways that reinforce a positive self-image.
EAST: Making Behavioural Change Simple
If you want people to act, make it Easy, Attractive, Social, and Timely:
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Easy – Reduce friction. Remove unnecessary steps in your conversion funnel.
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Attractive – Use bold visuals, compelling offers, and incentives that make taking action appealing.
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Social – Show that others are doing it. Social proof is a powerful force.
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Timely – Hit people with the right message at the moment they’re most likely to act.
BJ Fogg’s B=MAP Model: The Science of Action
Stanford researcher BJ Fogg’s Behaviour = Motivation × Ability × Prompt model explains why people take action:
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Motivation – Do they want to do it?
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Ability – Can they do it easily?
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Prompt – Are they being nudged at the right moment?
If a behaviour isn’t happening, one of these three is missing. Fix that, and you unlock action.
Our Process: How We Apply Behavioural Science to Your Campaign
This isn’t about applying buzzwords and hoping for the best. We follow a structured process to apply behavioural science in a way that delivers measurable results.
Discovery & Analysis
We start by understanding your business, audience, and objectives. This involves:
- Analysing current data to identify where people drop off.
- Conducting user research to uncover hidden decision barriers.
- Mapping out behavioural friction points in your customer journey.
Behavioural Audit
We audit your existing marketing assets through a behavioural science lens. This means:
- Reviewing website UX, ad creatives, and messaging for cognitive overload and friction.
- Identifying missing behavioural triggers that could drive conversions.
- Pinpointing areas where psychology-backed improvements could make an immediate impact.
Strategy Development
Based on our findings, we craft a Behavioural Science Strategy, which includes:
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MINDSPACE elements to optimise messaging and design.
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EAST principles to streamline decision-making.
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B=MAP triggers to ensure the right prompts at the right moments.
Implementation & Experimentation
We don’t just recommend changes—we execute them. This involves:
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A/B testing different psychological triggers to see what works best.
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Implementing conversion rate optimisation (CRO) strategies.
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Refining messaging, UX, and incentives based on real-world data.
Measurement & Optimisation
We track and measure the impact of every change, ensuring ongoing optimisation. Key metrics include:
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Conversion rate improvements
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Engagement metrics
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Reduction in drop-offs
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Revenue impact
