
Behavioral Science For Brands: Leveraging behavioral science in brand marketing.
The Consumer Behavior Lab is dedicated to teaching marketersacross the United States how behavioral science principles can beapplied to help their brands. By decoding the underlying motivationsof how consumers make decisions, the CBL seeks to make a betterindustry - where both brands and agencies put proven sciencebehind their decision making.
Latest episodes

13 snips
Apr 9, 2024 • 17min
How Red Bull used the principle of relativity to shrink their can and grow their sales
Discover how Red Bull turned a unique taste into a marketing triumph, using consumer perceptions to enhance brand appeal. Explore the paradox of flaws in marketing, showing that acknowledging an unpleasant taste can boost trust and effectiveness. Delve into Red Bull's innovative branding as it transitioned from a medicinal drink to a premium energy beverage, complete with distinctive packaging strategies. The insights reveal the power of understanding consumer demands and highlight the importance of creative and counterintuitive marketing approaches.

Mar 25, 2024 • 18min
How Chipotle employs the pique effect to generate excitement
In this episode, we check out Chipotle's data driven marketing campaign and the success that came with it.

Mar 12, 2024 • 22min
How Costco uses the sunk cost effect to drive repeat purchase
The podcast discusses Costco's effective use of loyalty cards and the sunk cost effect in driving consumer behavior. It explores how Costco enhances user engagement through the illusion of progress and delves into the psychology of reciprocity in brand strategies.

5 snips
Feb 29, 2024 • 41min
Interview: Tali Sharot, author of The Optimism Bias, on how to create positive consumer expectations
Neuroscientist Tali Sharot discusses memory, imagination, and optimism bias, applying academic principles in commercial advertising. She explores happiness on vacations, rewards for behavior change, and cognitive biases influencing decision-making. The podcast delves into optimism bias, biases across different life stages, and book recommendations.

Feb 27, 2024 • 22min
Valentine’s Day and why much market research is misleading
Delving into Valentine's Day and online dating, the podcast reveals the discrepancies between claimed motivations and actual behaviors. It discusses the importance of field experiments in understanding and leveraging behavioral biases in marketing strategies. Exploring the limitations of claim data, it advocates for alternative behavioral science techniques like monadic tests and emphasizes the importance of psychological principles in marketing.

Feb 27, 2024 • 48min
Interview: Mark Earls, author of Herd, on how to use behavioral economics in business and beyond
In this podcast, Mark Earls discusses concepts like loss aversion, false consensus effect, and behavioral science's impact on economics. Topics include authenticity in brand marketing, tax payment behavior, analyzing political slogans using behavioral science, and leveraging behavioral science in marketing strategies.

Feb 27, 2024 • 27min
The Super Bowl: why costly signalling makes messages more effective
Exploring the transformation of the Super Bowl into a cultural event with ads as signals of brand quality. Discussing the power of costly signaling in enhancing brand credibility and public trust. Analyzing how cultural imprinting influences consumer behavior and brand messaging. Highlighting the importance of consistent signaling in branding strategies.

4 snips
Feb 27, 2024 • 37min
Interview: Phill Agnew, host of the Nudge Podcast, on three ways to tap into consumer psychology
Topics discussed include the halo effect, illusion of labor, integrating behavioral science in marketing, utilizing social proof, ethical considerations, leveraging curiosity gap, testing in marketing campaigns, and the impact of special days in marketing.

Dec 22, 2023 • 31min
New Year's Resolution: The power of a public commitment
In this podcast, they discuss the behavioral science behind New Year's Resolutions, commitments, and the motivation to change behavior. They explore the power of commitment in facilitating behavior change and reducing friction. They talk about the significance of small behavioral science insights and the concept of delayed gratification. They also discuss habit stacking and different frameworks in behavioral science for behavior change.

Sep 28, 2023 • 19min
How ‘Don’t Mess With Texas’ achieved success by recognizing ads are a weak force
In this episode, we delve into the Don't Mess With Texas campaign and its remarkable success in reducing litter on Texas highways by 72%, highlighting the power of reframing behaviors to align with existing beliefs and making change easier.