Behavioral Science For Brands: Leveraging behavioral science in brand marketing.

Consumer Behavior Lab

Behavioral Science

Consumer Behavior

Marketing

Marketing Strategies

Consumer Psychology

Social Proof

Behavioral Economics

Advertising

Sustainability

Incentives

New Year's Resolutions

Scarcity

Elizabeth Holmes

Motivation

Peak-End Rule

Liquid Death

Emotional Connection

Costco

Illusion Of Effort

Advertising Effectiveness

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.

113 ratings

Publishes	Weekly	Episodes	141	Founded	4 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	MarketingBusiness

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Latest Episodes

Advanced Social Proof - Why implying popularity can be more effective than explicit claims

All "social proof" isn't created equally. Richard and MichaelAaron unpack studies showing it grows stronger with uncertainty, fear, youth, and collectivist cultures, backfires with wealthy tax debtors, and works best when implied, from Aperol's unmis... more

Yesterday • 42 min

How Novartis used humor and NFL tight ends to tackle the embarrassment keeping men from prostate screening

Richard and MichaelAaron unpack Novartis' campaign 'Relax Your Tight End', winner of the Pharma Grand Prix at Cannes Lions. They explore why present bias lets a moment of embarrassment outweigh long-term health, how humor sidesteps the ostrich effect... more

14 Oct 2026 • 34 min • Most popular

YouTube

Award-Winning Campaigns - How KitKat turned a stolen truckload of chocolate into a Cannes Grand Prix by making scarcity the story

After 12 tons of KitKat bars vanished the week before Easter, the brand turned a supply chain crisis into a Cannes Grand Prix winning campaign. MichaelAaron and Richard unpack the scarcity, Zeigarnik and IKEA effects behind it, and how brands can tur... more

7 Oct 2026 • 30 min • Popular

YouTube

Award-Winning Campaigns - How Wisła Kraków turned a legal requirement into a 42% attendance increase

Polish law requires every club to identify each fan entering the stadium. Wisła Kraków's Football Club turned that compliance database into the Lucky Fan Index, a metric for how much luck each supporter brings, and game attendance rose 42%. MichaelAa... more

30 Sep 2026 • 36 min

YouTube

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Recent Guests

William Poundstone

Author and pricing expert, discussed Priceless and related experiments

Author of Priceless

Episode: How William Poundstone's book Priceless turns anchoring, relativity and fairness into pricing power

Dr. Charles Spence

Author of Gastrophysics

University of Oxford (Professor of Experimental Psychology)

Episode: How Charles Spence's book Gastrophysics translates sound, shape and weight into pricing power

Andy Nairn

Brand strategist, founder of Lucky Generals, author of Go Luck Yourself

Lucky Generals

Episode: Interview: Andy Nairn, author of Go Luck Yourself, on why brand archeology beats originality.

Rami Dudin

Brand strategist, head of strategy at Courage

Courage

Episode: Interview: Rami Dudin, head of strategy at Courage, on why the most obvious message beats the most novel one

Michael Norton

Professor at Harvard Business School and author of The Ritual Effect

Harvard Business School

Episode: Interview: Michael Norton, Harvard Business School professor and author of The Ritual Effect, on how brands turn ordinary consumption into rituals that build emotional connection

Robert Cialdini

Author of Influence; renowned expert on persuasion

Arizona State University / Influence

Episode: Inside Influence: Live with Dr. Robert Cialdini

Michael Hallsworth

Chief Behavioral Scientist at the Behavioral Insights Team

Behavioral Insights Team

Episode: Interview: Michael Hallsworth, creator of the EAST framework, on what really changes behavior

Robert West

Professor Emeritus, University College London; expert on behavior change

University College London

Episode: Interview: Robert West, creator of the COM-B model, on the three forces behind every human behavior

Karen Nelson-Field

Global media science researcher and author

The Conversation? (as discussed in episode)

Episode: Interview: Karen Nelson-Field, author of The Attention Economy, on why not all reach is equal

Hosts

Michael Aaron Flicker

Host of Behavioral Science For Brands; guides discussions with a focus on applying behavioral science to branding and marketing.

Richard Shotton

Co-host and behavioral science expert; contributes expert insights and steers discussions on behavioral science applications in branding.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 113 ratings

Amazing insights
Hi guys just absolutely love your work and this show, but any chance of bringing back transcripts of episodes?
Apple Podcasts
5
TonoG
Australia22 days ago
Content great but sound is poor
I would love to listen to this more but the sound quality is awful and hard to listen to. Please invest in a proper mic.
Apple Podcasts
3
ELWG85
United Kingdom6 months ago
Issue with the sound
Thank you for the guests and topics, I really enjoy it, but please make something with your mic. It sounds like you’re having a podcast from 90s. It’s hard to listen sometimes
Apple Podcasts
4
zhopa26
United Kingdom7 months ago
Love this podcast!
Every episode I’ve listen to so far I’ve learned about so many behavioral science tools that I can apply and teach others about. Love the mix of examples and theory.
Apple Podcasts
5
Dr.Pickleball
United States3 years ago
Wow! So much content!
Absolutely love this podcast and hope they continue. Five episodes in and I’ve taken so many notes. I love how short and sweet the episodes are but still chock-full of content! Fantastic company examples, interesting highlights, and I love the way it’s wrapped up at the end with 2 specific takeaway points. Keep it up!
Apple Podcasts
5
bsquared719
United States3 years ago

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Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Content great but sound is poor: mic quality needs improvement.

Last episode was a repeat; hope it gets replaced for fresh content.

Love the content and practical takeaways; mic quality should improve.

Love this podcast! Short but dense with actionable behavioral science tools.

Wow—too much value for five short episodes; notes are excellent and actionable.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts	#98	United Kingdom/Business/Marketing
Apple Podcasts	#240	Canada/Business/Marketing
Apple Podcasts	#58	Australia/Business/Marketing
Apple Podcasts	#110	Italy/Business/Marketing
Apple Podcasts	#27	Belgium/Business/Marketing
Apple Podcasts	#37	United Arab Emirates/Business/Marketing

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Interview: Michael Norton, Harvard Business School professor and author of The Ritual Effect, on how brands turn ordinary consumption into rituals that build emotional connection

Q: What should marketers focus on when applying ritual concepts to campaigns?

marketers should look for how people are already using products in idiosyncratic and emotionally resonant ways, observe how rituals unfold in real-world use, and build on those rituals rather than imposing a top-down ritual. This approach can enhance emotional resonance without overstepping ethical boundaries.

Interview: Michael Norton, Harvard Business School professor and author of The Ritual Effect, on how brands turn ordinary consumption into rituals that build emotional connection

Q: What about DIY rituals like the IKEA Effect? How do those relate to consumer value?

DIY rituals emerge when people invest effort and customization into a product, which increases attachment and perceived value beyond the product's inherent utility. The IKEA Effect shows that even non-customized effort can create meaningful value when people feel ownership and personal involvement in creation or preparation.

Interview: Michael Norton, Harvard Business School professor and author of The Ritual Effect, on how brands turn ordinary consumption into rituals that build emotional connection

Q: Can you give an example where a brand successfully created or reinforced a ritual around a product?

Oreo is cited as a classic where people have ritualized how to eat the cookie—twist, dunk, and lick—creating a social and competitive dimension around consumption that brands can observe and potentially reinforce, though it's unclear whether the brand introduced the ritual or inherited it from consumer behavior.

Interview: Michael Norton, Harvard Business School professor and author of The Ritual Effect, on how brands turn ordinary consumption into rituals that build emotional connection

Q: Mike, welcome to Behavioral Science For Brands. What do you mean by ritual, and how is it different from a habit or a routine?

Rituals are meanings that people attribute to actions, which can elevate ordinary behaviors beyond their functional purpose, often arising in moments of uncertainty or social convergence, whereas habits are more about automatic efficiency and consistency. Rituals can be random and personal in which behaviors gain emotional significance, while rituals don't always align with daily repetition like habits do.

Inside Influence: Live with Dr. Robert Cialdini

Q: Why add a seventh principle to Influence?

The seventh principle, unity, emerged from observing how oneness and shared identity can decide whom to favor and follow, and it aligns with identity theory to boost willingness to say yes.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Two hosts explore how behavioral science shapes brand marketing, offering practical, evidence-based insights for improving messaging, pricing, placement, and customer decision-making. Episodes blend classic studies with real-world examples, showing how small behavioral tweaks can drive meaningful business results across D2C e-commerce, B2B campaigns, and media planning. A recurring strength is translating research into clear, actionable takeaways for marketers, with frequent references to framing, attention, and human judgment in the age of AI. The show often features guests and expert analyses, plus sponsor-driven agency perspectives, making it valuable for brand marketers and agency teams seeking scientifically grounded strategies.

Notew... more

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Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. Nudge
2. Uncensored CMO
3. Marketing Against The Grain
4. Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth
5. AI Explored

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 4 years ago and published 141 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. William Poundstone
2. Dr. Charles Spence
3. Andy Nairn
4. Rami Dudin
5. Michael Norton
6. Robert Cialdini
7. Michael Hallsworth
8. Robert West

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