The Four P's of Marketing: Promotion
In this episode of Behavioral Science for Brands, hosts Michael Aaron Flicker and Richard Shorten explore the "Promotion" pillar of the classic four P's of marketing, emphasizing how language shapes consumer perception. They discuss classic studies—from Loftus and Palmer’s verb‑choice experiment to a 2019 University of Texas study on stock‑status wording—to illustrate that a single word can dramatically alter perceived speed, disappointment, or desirability. Real‑world examples like renaming Patagonian toothfish to Chilean sea bass and Buckley’s "tastes awful" campaign show how strategic framing and the pratfall effect can boost sales. The hosts advise marketers to audit every word in their value proposition, especially in B2B contexts, to avoid jargon and leverage intentional, emotionally resonant language.
Interview: Karen Nelson-Field, Author of The Attention Economy, on Why Not All Reach Is Equal
In this episode, Dr. Karen Nelson‑Field explains why traditional media metrics like impressions and time‑in‑view are misleading, arguing that not all reach is equal because they don’t reflect actual human attention. She describes her biometric research that shows a large...
Awarded Campaigns: How Procell Reframed the True Cost of Cheap Batteries to Win B2B Buyers
In this episode of Behavioral Science for Brands, Michael Aaron Flicker and Richard Shelton dissect ProCell’s award‑winning B2B campaign that reframed cheap batteries as a hidden cost rather than a low‑price win. The creative team used humor—personifying wasted labor with...
Awarded Campaigns: Lucky Yatra, on How a Ticket-Lottery Turned Fare Dodgers Into Paying Passengers
In this episode of Behavioral Science for Brands, Michael Aaron Flicker and Richard Shilton dissect the "Lucky Yatra" campaign by Indian Railways and FCB India, which turned ticket serial numbers into a daily lottery to incentivize fare payment. They explain...
Interview: Mark Ritson on Consistency, Pricing Power, and the Myths Holding Marketers Back
In this episode Mark Ritson, a marketing professor and founder of the MiniMBA, discusses the often‑underestimated power of consistency in brand communication and how it drives long‑term growth. He introduces his "Bothism" framework, urging marketers to blend seemingly opposing strategies...