Decoding Decisions - Understanding the 'messy middle'

The Challenge

Our client, Google, wanted to understand how consumers make decisions today, specifically how shoppers navigate the complexity of the web - the “messy middle” of decision making.

The Insight

A key insight was the non-linear nature of decision making and how consumers explore and evaluate options before making a purchase. We also identified a powerful role for behavioural science-inspired messages to influence decision making and shift brand preference.

Our Solution

Live screen recording and consumer narration of shopping journeys helped us understand the nature of decision making across categories. We then designed purchase simulations to test and validate the role of behavioural science in transferring brand preference within a category. The approach was replicated across 15+ global markets and 50+ product categories.

The Impact

The insights from Decoding Decisions were published and presented over 200 times. A follow up report also explored how brands could leverage the insights across different touchpoints in the messy middle. The work has won the MRG award for Best Research Initiative and two MRS awards for New Consumer Insights.

/Case Studies

Building BeSci capability for a leading grocery retailer

Our client, a leading grocery retailer, wanted to upskill the business in applied Behavioural Science. TBA was asked to design a training programme to disseminate and embed key BeSci know-how.

Building BeSci capability for a leading retail UK financial services brand

The FCA’s consumer duty requires financial services firms to put themselves in the customer’s shoes, accounting for behavioural biases and vulnerabilities. Our client asked TBA to develop a BeSci framework and training module to support the end-to-end product/service lifecycle.

Building behavioural science capability for a major insurer

A leading life and general insurance company wanted to build Behavioural Science capability within user experience design, development and execution.

Our clients include leading global brands, governments and NGOs.

Learn more

/

/Brand Strategy

/Innovation

/Our Offer

/Who We Are

/Our Clients

/Behaviour Change

/What We Do

/Our Awards

/Comms Development & Optimisation

/Customer Journeys & CX Optimisation

/Behavioural Science Training & Upskilling

/Our Work

/Behavioural Science

/Our News

/Contact Us

/Terms & Conditions

/Jobs

/Privacy

/UK Participant Privacy

/Login

/Our Publications

/Our Articles

Encouraging people to both give and take The Big Issue

Unlocking mid-week meals: The biggest barrier to innovation can simply be existing habits

Reframing a symbol of comfort as harmful pollution

Overcoming Prescribing Inertia to Outperform Competitors

Driving Patient & Pharmacist Behaviour Change in Pain Management

Exceeding US launch targets in Atopic Dermatitis

Unlocking UK Adoption of a Type 2 Diabetes Therapy

Improving public safety with e-bikes

Building behavioural science capability for a major insurer

Building BeSci capability for a leading retail UK financial services brand

Building BeSci capability for a leading grocery retailer

Getting more people swimming

Starting a global revolution in oral healthcare

Unlocking new ways to tackle apathy in oral care

Decoding decision drivers for healthier snacking brands

Leveraging latent love for a global spirits brand

Repositioning and restaging a healthier snacking brand

Optimising the path to purchase for buying vinyl and merchandise

Encouraging adoption of AI within healthcare diagnostics

Building the innovation pipeline for a global snacks brand

Unlocking growth for an iconic drinks brand

Re-shaping the digital self-service ecosystem for a telco company

Defining jobs to be done for a broadband proposition

Unboxing and set-up experience of a Wi-fi Booster

Network Outage Experience Design

Sweating the small stuff in direct mail marketing

Using behavioural economics to nudge paid app subscriptions

Optimising current account on-boarding communications