Do People Act in Isolation? People do not act in isolation because they are connected with many people though highly complex social networks which influence our behaviour. In ‘I’ll have what she’s having’; Mark Earls and his co-authors explain how social learning (i.e. imitating other people) acts as the engine for the spread of culture, human behaviour
What Drives Consumer Behaviour? Consumer behaviour is a complex process which behavioural economics is now helping us to better understand. However, most marketing theory about consumer behaviour is based around simplified models which are increasingly being shown up as not fit for purpose. As a result a number of myths have grown up about consumer behaviour and decision making
Using Research To Protect Brand Reputation: Video mystery shopping is a contentious research methodology. However, rarely does a month go by without hearing about another mis-selling scandal in financial services or some other regulated sector. Given the ramifications of the 2008 financial crisis you would expect more monitoring of firms behaviour. This is especially important in retail financial services where
Updated 16/1/18: There is a perception that decision making in financial services (FS) is far more rational than with fast moving consumer goods because FS products have more long-term consequences. Decision making in other sectors is often seen as more emotional and impulsive. This view is strongly held among FS professionals but is there any evidence to support this
Action Planning & ROI: Client-side researchers sometimes feel that they are constantly being asked to justify the value of research insights. A frequent challenge from management is how can we measure the benefits of insights and what specific decisions have been driven by research. Ideally management would like to understand how research links to either sales or costs. Demonstrating how
