Applications of behavioural economics: Break the old habits

Charlie Snow

Public service and charity advertising is using new ways to change people's behaviour. A cycling safety campaign used engaging video tests to show drivers how easily they could fail to see a cyclist.

Break the old habits

Charlie Snow

Experimentation is key to good BE practice, as evidenced by public service campaigns for stroke awareness and cycling safety and brand work for thetrainline.com, Sainsbury's and Boots

Historically, there are many examples of communication strategies that seek to change behaviour directly and overtly. This is particularly true in the world of public service and charity advertising, which is all about changing behaviour – getting people to stop, or start, doing something.

More and more, the desired behaviour is often hard-wired into the actual brand names of government initiatives: 'Act on CO2', 'Change...

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