Influencing Behavior
The Study of Behavioral Science, our understanding of it and how it can be applied has grown incredibly in recent years. However, advertisers have been using it for decades as they set about applying it in order to influence their potential customers’ behavior.
There are many factor which may influence how we may react to a particular message.
Let us briefly consider the introduction of our new IT Service Desk. How might our understanding of Behavioral Science help shape our strategy?
1. We are heavily influenced by who communicates the information
Ensure staff notices relating to change are owned by Senior IT Director
2. We respond to incentives. E.G. we are more likely to keep a dental appointment if there is a charge for canceling
Short video placed on intranet to show how a call not logged in the new way will not be assigned a reference or a priority. Calls then not picked up by Service Desk staff and consequently will go unnoticed. Those logged afterwards, and perhaps relating to less important issues, will be tackled and closed while our issue remains.
3. We are strongly influenced by wishing to fit in with the majority
Posters to be displayed in work areas showing weekly stats on number of calls logged with Service Desk during previous week to show the level of participation.
4. We tend to go with the flow rather than being seen to opt out.
Introduce a button on the intranet which links automatically to and email address for new Service Desk.
5. We are more likely to engage if the message is relevant to us