Behavioural Sciences
Overview
We use behavioural science to inform consumer understanding, drawing on neuroscience, cognitive psychology, emotional priming and behavioural economics. Using the latest thinking and methods, we can enhance other data and analysis to create nuanced insights and a deep understanding of buying behaviour and behaviour change.
Key features
Deep human insight
Using behavioural science techniques, we capture explicit and implicit responses for a full picture of behaviour.
Understand the gap between intention and action
Our approach uncovers emotions and thoughts that are rarely articulated, revealing hidden processing.
More predictive outcomes
Our decision-making model recognises the complexity of people, capturing both Type 1 and Type 2 processing.
Behavioural science is embedded in everything we do at Kantar. We apply our theory across the qualitative, quantitative and consulting work we do, with projective techniques in NeedScope, cognitive interviewing in qualitative research, facial coding in ad testing, and intuitive associations to measure brand performance and improve marketing impact. It is built into our methods, solutions and toolkits to enhance the insights they bring.
Central to our approach is a proprietary model of decision-making that acknowledges that humans don’t make decisions in a vacuum. Providing a real-world perspective, it considers not only memory and habits, but also context, accounting for motivational, situational and cognitive factors. Our model features a unique ‘feeling of rightness’ element – a mental calibration of the fitness of a product or service to the moment. Backed by the latest neuroscience, our decision-making model captures a more complete picture of human processing.
Our behaviour change toolkit complements our decision-making model. It provides a structured understanding of how to nudge choices and influence behaviour, and can be applied to everything from communications to product development. Drawing on a range of factors from psychological to physiological needs, from social influences to cultural contexts, our toolkit helps you minimise vulnerabilities, break down barriers, optimise strengths and create opportunities, to maximise success.
We examine patterns of consumer behaviour to reveal the underlying mechanisms and dynamics, so you can more effectively activate the opportunities we uncover. Through the lens of the customer journey, we identify ‘twitch’ moments of jeopardy and opportunity and ‘stick’ moments of loyalty and risk, where you can focus efforts. Combining the latest in cognitive psychology with real world consumer understanding, we breakdown the difficult task of understanding where and how to sway opinion and shift behaviour.
Heuristics and cognitive biases guide consumer decisions every day. Our behaviour change toolkit incorporates an understanding of behavioural economics at each stage of the customer journey.
We understand how advertising primes and frames perceptions and influences subsequent choices. We understand how habitual purchases are predisposed by familiarity, loss aversion and brand fluency. We understand how anchoring, social proof and scarcity can encourage people to change their minds. And we understand how the experience of a product or service itself reinforces or undermines subsequent choice. Employing the latest thinking, we benefit from the power of implicit nudges and levers to enact change.