Episode 54 Kraft Mac and Cheese: How to overcome the
pitfalls of launching a healthier variant
of your product
In this episode, we look at the behavioral science secrets behind the success of Kraft Mac and Cheese. We focus on two broad areas: First, how they managed to launch a new version of the product (with all the artificial colourings removed) without damaging sales. That’s an impressive achievement, as often if you stress that a product has become healthier it damages taste expectations. Second, we discuss how Kraft re-designed their packaging to grab people's attention in-store, based on the insight that shoppers' attention is drawn to face-like shapes.
Episode Highlights
Raghunathan’s study into how we assume healthy options will taste worse and that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy
Ariely’s study into how the order in which consumers hear product information can alter its impact on taste
Guido’s study on the attention grabbing properties of face-like images
Resources & Useful Links
See below for additional resources from this week's episode.
Keep Listening
Ep51 - Interview with Seth Stephens-Davidowitz: author of Everybody Lies
MichaelAaron and Richard sit down with economist and data scientist Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, who reveals why direct questions often don't reveal one's true motivations. They also unpack concepts like the illusion of effort, the curse of knowledge, and how to handle conflicting datasets effectively.
Ep50 - The Replication Crisis: How to Avoid Basing Your Marketing On Bogus Findings
This episode dives into a concept known as "replication crisis" in behavioral science. We explore how repeated attempts to replicate certain studies have yielded results that challenge or contradict the original findings, calling their validity into question. We highlight some well-known studies to be cautious of and share practical advice on how to ensure the findings you apply are reliable.
