Pitfalls in the Intention-Action Gap — Why Good Intentions Fail | Behavioral Economics in Marketing Podcast | Season 10 - In Review

Why do so many well-meaning goals fall apart before they ever take off?

In this episode of the Behavioral Economics in Marketing podcast, we explore the intention-action gap — the frustrating disconnect between what people plan to do and what they actually do. Whether it’s starting a new habit, executing a marketing campaign, or leading change within your organization, good intentions are often derailed by hidden behavioral pitfalls.

We’ll dive into the psychology behind this gap and unpack why things like procrastination, unclear planning, environmental distractions, and fading motivation keep even our best goals from becoming action. You’ll also learn evidence-based strategies to bridge the gap — including implementation intentions, habit reinforcement, and small-step goal design.

Perfect for marketers, leaders, and changemakers, this episode gives you actionable tools to turn vision into follow-through and create change that lasts.

Keywords: intention-action gap, behavioral economics, goal setting, habit change, follow-through strategies, leadership psychology, behavior design, motivation barriers, implementation intentions

Behavioral Economics in Marketing Podcast | Understanding how we as humans make decisions is an important part of marketing. Behavioral economics is the study of decision-making and can give keen insight into buyer behavior and help to shape your marketing mix. Marketers can tap into Behavioral Economics to create environments that nudge people towards their products and services, to conduct better market research and analyze their marketing mix.

Sandra Thomas-Comenole | Host | Marketing professional with over 15 years of experience leading marketing and sales teams and a rigorously quantitative Master’s degree in economics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.