Journey from Art Director to Behavior Strategist

In episode 405 of The Brainy Business podcast, Melina Palmer interviews Roger Hurni, an author and behavior strategist known for his work with iconic brands such as DoubleTree Hotels, Nike, PF Chang's, and PetSmart. Throughout the conversation, Roger shares pivotal moments that shaped his understanding of human behavior, emphasizing the importance of tapping into emotions and motivations when marketing products or services. 

He highlights the shift from focusing on functional features to addressing the emotional and psychological aspects of consumer behavior, stressing the significance of understanding and leveraging human emotions and motivations to drive effective marketing strategies. Roger's expertise in behavior marketing, demonstrated through his experiences with renowned brands, offers valuable insights for marketers and business professionals seeking to enhance customer loyalty and brand perception. By delving into Roger's journey from art director to behavior strategist, the episode provides a compelling narrative of continuous learning, open-mindedness, and the power of asking the right questions to drive successful business strategies.

In this episode:

• Unveiling the Power of Behavioral Economics in Marketing Strategies.
• Leveraging Technology for Enhanced Customer Experience.
• Creating Memorable Brand Experiences with Sensory Marketing.
• Embracing the Importance of Micro-Moments in Customer Decision Making.
• Applying BJ Fogg's Behavior Model in Business.

00:00:00 - Introduction Roger Hurni, author of Outthink. Outperform., shares his expertise in behavior marketing and branding. 00:02:20 - Path to Behavior Strategy Roger shares his journey from art director to behavior strategist, emphasizing the value of hard work over talent and the importance of seamless creative partnerships. 00:11:58 - The DoubleTree Cookie Story Roger discusses the iconic DoubleTree chocolate chip cookie campaign, highlighting the power of tapping into people's feelings and motivations to persuade them effectively. 00:14:48 - Marketing on Emotions Roger emphasizes the value of marketing products based on the job they can do and the values they represent, rather than just their functionality and features. 00:15:16 - The Art of Answering Questions and Media Training Roger shares the importance of answering questions strategically, regardless of the exact words asked. He discusses the value of media training and shares an anecdote about Henry Kissinger's press conference tactics. 00:17:00 - Leveraging Technology for Personalized Experiences Roger discusses the Four Seasons hotel example, highlighting how technology can be leveraged to create personalized and memorable experiences. He emphasizes the importance of using technology to enhance human connections rather than dehumanize interactions. 00:19:06 - Behavioral Data and Technology Roger shares how Four Seasons leveraged geofencing and technology to orchestrate a personalized and memorable customer experience. He emphasizes the potential of technology to inform operational and marketing decisions through behavioral data analysis. 00:23:05 - Surprise and Delight with Technology Roger discusses the concept of surprise and delight in marketing, emphasizing the use of technology to provide unexpected and special experiences for customers. He highlights the importance of analyzing behavioral data to inform personalized interactions and marketing decisions. 00:28:11 - Understanding the Problem and Solution Roger shares a case study about a movie theater chain's popcorn consumption. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying reasons for customer behavior, highlighting the link between movie genres and popcorn consumption. 00:29:35 - Understanding Consumer Behavior in Movie Theaters Roger discusses the correlation between movie genres and popcorn sales and how understanding consumer behavior helps in movie theater marketing. 00:30:30 - Defining Objectives and Aspirations Roger emphasizes the importance of defining measurable objectives and aspirations for clients, and how understanding their true needs is crucial for business success. 00:32:45 - Solving Behavioral Problems for Clients Roger shares examples of how understanding consumer behavior can help solve business problems, whether in marketing or operations. 00:38:21 - Behavior Sequencing in Marketing Roger explains the concept of behavior sequencing in marketing and provides an example of how to simplify the first step for customers to make decisions. 00:42:52 - The Power of Experience and Sensory Marketing Melina shares her insight on the impact of the DoubleTree chocolate chip cookies' scent in creating a memorable experience and the importance of understanding habits and desires for normalcy in marketing decisions. 00:44:13 - The DoubleTree Cookie Recipe Release DoubleTree released their famous cookie recipe, creating a buzz and inspiring home baking during the early days of the pandemic. 00:44:52 - Staying Top of Mind The cookie recipe release is an example of staying connected with customers, even during uncontrollable changes. It's a great case study from Roger's book. 00:45:39 - Conclusion What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn.

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Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

• Outthink. Outperform., by Roger Hurni
• Alchemy, by Rory Sutherland
• Tiny Habits, by BJ Fogg
• Influence, by Robert Cialdini
• Presuasion, by Robert Cialdini

Top Recommended Next Episode: Surprise & Delight (ep 276)

Already Heard That One? Try These: 

• The Most Important Step In Applying Behavioral Economics: Understanding the Problem (ep 126)
• Habits (ep 256)
• Framing (ep 296)
• Robert Cialdini Interview (ep 312)
• Sense of Smell (ep 298)

Other Important Links: 

Brainy Bites - Melina’s LinkedIn Newsletter