Episode 81 Interview: Nancy Harhut, author of Using Behavioral Science in Marketing, on the behavioral triggers that boost engagement
This week, behavioral marketer Nancy Harhut joins the podcast to explore how science-backed tactics like social proof, cognitive fluency, and personalization can lift engagement and boost conversions. Hear how she helped brands like Nationwide drive millions in revenue by applying behavioral design.
Episode Highlights
Shown a $0-$3M chart with a “you are here” marker left of center, dentists shifted toward the middle and upgraded coverage. The magnetic-middle effect drove triple-digit response rates.
Nationwide mailed advisors a signed New Yorker cartoon. The unexpected gift triggered reciprocity—more calls taken, dormant accounts re-engaged—and produced $68M in incremental revenue.
Ally reframed saving by asking “future you” if you wanted more money - and answering yes. CDs and labeled “buckets” beat present bias by making tomorrow's gains feel concrete and worth acting on.
Resources & Useful Links
See below for additional resources from this week's episode.
Keep Listening
Ep80 - How Klarna uses present bias and temporal reframing to make shopping feel irresistible
In this episode, we look at the behavioural science behind Klarna. We explore how its “Buy Now, Pay Later” offering harnessed present bias to lessen the pain of payment and boost purchase intent. We also discuss other ways of making prices feel more manageable, such as temporal and unit reframing.
Ep79 - Hacking the Human Mind - Book Preview: Häagen-Dazs
In this episode, MichaelAaron and Richard preview their upcoming book Hacking the Human Mind. Then, they revisit episode 4: Häagen-Dazs, showing how foreign branding and price relativity turned ice cream into a luxury brand that shaped consumer expectations.
