Applying insight from behavioural science

What people say they will do in research is not necessarily what they will actually do in real life. This does not mean that respondents are consciously lying. They may claim best intentions which are unfulfilled(e.g. about recycling) or reject a brand which may not align with their views or beliefs, but which may be convenient or the only thing available in a particular occasion (e.g. usage of a café brand in an airport - may dislike Starbucks but really need a caffeine hit before an early flight).

Using behaviourally driven questions and understanding the biases in play we can better account for these factors in projected outcomes. Some examples would include:

a/ Swapping out ‘buy scales’ for ‘future behaviour’ questions

Faced with a price increase to a favourite brand it is easy for respondents to use a buy scale (e.g. 5-point scale – definitely buy to definitely not buy) as a ‘protest vote’, i.e. registering their displeasure at the price increase.  An alternative question which asks, “What do you think you would actually do in the future if the price increases?” with a range of choices from ‘stop buying completely’ to ‘carry on buying as now” has been shown to more accurately predict behaviour.

b/ Understanding switching within the context of alternative choices and emotional loyalty.

Faced with a change to a favourite brand (e.g. redesign, reformat, size reduction, price increase) respondents will often claim they will switch to another brand or stop buying completely.  However, the degree to which they will actually switch or stop buying depends on a number of factors which can be built in to surveys and used in analysis.  Examples include:

N.B. high switching categories are where Price Comparison Websites can play effectively.

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