There are many cases where we’re called upon to help our clients encourage people to change their behavior to do something they know they should be doing, but aren’t.  This can range from healthy behaviors like eating more vegetables to other areas like putting money in a retirement account on a regular basis.

Studies have uncovered the question-behavior effect, which actually gets people to change their behavior.  Here’s how it works: you ask people a yes-no question about their intended behavior.  For example: “are you going to exercise at least three times a week over the next month?”  In most cases, people answer “yes,” because they realize it’s something they should do.  It fits with their ideal conception of themselves.  And then cognitive dissonance kicks in.  Once they’ve said “yes,” people want to be consistent: studies show they are actually more likely to change their behavior!

How can we utilize this to create more effective marketing?  We need to figure out the right questions to ask to create behavior change.  What is it, related to your product or service, that people think they should be doing?  In focus groups, we utilize projective techniques to uncover the gap between participants’ current selves and their ideal selves.  This can provide the raw material for the creative team to develop great advertising.

Let’s design research to understand your prospects’ current and ideal selves.  Call me at 760-469-9266 or email info at bureauwest.com. 

 

Sources: Bureau West research; “Using the question-behavior effect to change multiple health behaviors: An exploratory randomized controlled trial,” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, March 2019; “Science Says This Is the Best Way to Motivate Other People to Change Their Behavior,” Inc., May, 2018