I wrote this presentation to introduce creative departments, client service teams and clients to some of the basics surrounding decision science – and how it can be meaningfully used in creative and strategic development. The theories and examples have been taken from the work of leading thinkers in this field, including Daniel Kahneman, Phil Barden and Byron Sharpe. This deck was written as a presentation (and not originally intended to be read) but hopefully some of the key ideas are still clear.

1. Using decision science to build
breakthrough creative ideas
February 2016
Thomas Bunnell

2. I wrote this presentation to introduce creative departments, client service
teams and clients to some of the basics surrounding decision science – and
how it can be meaningfully used in creative and strategic development.
The theories and examples have been taken from the work of leading
thinkers in this field, including Daniel Kahneman, Phil Barden and Byron
Sharpe.
This deck was written as a presentation (and not originally intended to be
read) but hopefully some of the key ideas are still clear.
About this presentation

3. 1. How we make decisions
a. Introducing System 1 and System 2
2. How we can get people to think less and buy more
a. Decreasing the pain
b. Increasing the reward
3. How we can apply theory to creative
a. Decoding TV Ads
What this presentation covers

4. 1. Provide new thinking on ways we can develop creative strategies and
ideas
2. Provide a shared language to help explain, defend, and sell-in highly
creative ideas
3. Build upon our knowledge of how advertising works
How this presentation can help our work

5. Informed by the leading industry texts

6. Part one: How we make decisions

7. Kahneman’s theory on decision making
System one
Autopilot
Automatic
Associative
System two
Pilot
Thinking
Slow
Activities
● Saying your phone number
● Driving a car
● The body’s reaction to a flame
Activities
● Solving a tough maths problem
● Learning a language
● Following a map
Intuitive and
low-energy
Reflective and
high-energy

8. Say the colour
BLUE
YELLOW
ORANGE
RED GREEN
ORANGE PURPLE
GREEN
GREEN
ORANGE
YELLOW
BLUE
RED
RED
GREEN
YELLOW
RED
PURPLE
PURPLE
PURPLE
BLUE YELLOW
BLUE ORANGEPURPLE

9. Say the colour not the word
BLACK
ORANGE
RED
GREEN PINK
WHITE YELLOW
YELLOW
BLUE
WHITE
BLUE
PURPLE
BLACK
YELLOW
ORANGE
GREEN
BLACK
BLUE
BLUE
PINK
GREEN RED
RED WHITEORANGE

10. “System one is really the one
that is the more influential; it is
guiding System two, it is
steering System two to a very
large extent” Daniel Kahneman

12. Marketing activities need to
activate System one and
circumvent System two, i.e. get
people to think less and buy

13. Part two: How we can get people to think less and buy more

14. Continually refresh memory structures
Fulfil implicit and
explicit goals throughout
all stages of the
experience: context,
product, brand and
comms
Be present at all stages
of the purchase journey
- mentally and
physically
Three approaches to getting people to buy
Address any areas of
resistance to buying
Learned behaviour
Maximise the rewardMinimise the painBe available

15. Buying is based on a simple calculation
=OFC Ventral Straitum Insular Cortex
- Net value
PainReward

16. Decrease
the pain
Thus, there are two levers we can pull to maximise net value
Increase
the reward

17. To decrease the pain
we need to consider how we
position and present value

18. Availability
Decreasing the pain using behavioural economics
Framing Anchoring
90% lean 10% fat

19. Loss aversionPermissibilitySocial Proof
Decreasing the pain using behavioural economics [Cont’d.]

20. To increase the reward
we need to appeal to people’s
‘explicit’ and ‘implicit’ goals

21. Pleasing scent,
restore and soften
skin
Explicit goals are specific to a given product category and are
vital to buyers
Gets you from A to B
Tasty, filling,
and gives energy

22. Implicit goals are deep psychological needs
Security
Care, trust, closeness,
security, warmth
Excitement
Vitality, fun, curiosity,
creativity, change
Autonomy
Pride, success, power,
superiority, recognition
Enjoyment
Relaxation, light-heartedness,
openness, pleasure
Adventure
Freedom, discovery,
rebellion, courage, risk
Discipline
Precision, order,
logic, reason

23. Signals and associations within the brand experience help serve
implicit goals
Product ExperienceCommunications Context

24. Thus, motivational theory can help us in two ways
1. Develop value
propositions
2. Provide guidance
for creative
signals and
associations

25. 1. Developing value propositions
Soup
Enjoyment:
relaxation, light
heartedness,
openness, pleasure,
relief
It can be eaten with
sides, adapted with
spices, or even used as
a base to create a stew,
curry or laksa
Product/Feature Explicit Goal Implicit Goal
‘Brand X’ soups make your meal improvisation magnificent’

26. 2. Provide guidance for creative signals and associations

27. Explicit goals
● Is it a feature no-one else owns?
● Is it a mature category?
● How important is the feature to
people?
Considerations when assigning explicit and implicit goals
Implicit goals
● What’s the dominant implicit goal of
the category?
● Who is the target audience?
● What are the positive and negative
brand associations?
● How does it relate to the product
experience/explicit goal?

28. Part three: How we can apply theory to creative

29. Value proposition development using motivational theory
Product/Feature Explicit goal Implicit goal Brand
Automatic braking
system
Automatic braking
system
Automatic braking
system
Shorter braking
distance
Shorter braking
distance
Shorter braking
distance
Superiority: owning
advanced technology
Driving pleasure: we
can drive faster, as the
system can react quicker
Safety: we can help
protect ourselves and
our family
Phil Barden, Decoded

30. Mercedes-Benz
Product/Feature
Explicit goal
Shorter braking distance
Implicit goal
Automatic braking system
Superiority
http://youtube.com/v/j_Q5s_LqxJ8

31. Mercedes-Benz
Product/Feature
Explicit goal
Shorter braking distance
Implicit goal
Automatic braking system
?
http://youtube.com/v/_DrJiOjN7nE

32. Toyota
Product/Feature
Explicit goal
Never breaks down
Implicit goal
Built with quality
engineering
Sagaciousness
http://youtube.com/v/vbsyEI78m5s

33. Southern Comfort
Product/Feature
Explicit goal
Refreshment
Implicit goal
Alcoholic spirit
Confidence/Autonomy
http://youtube.com/v/ygeWsoYYMuQ

34. Orangina
Product/Feature
Explicit goal
A refreshing drink
Implicit goal
A drink you need to shake
Excitement (adult)
http://youtube.com/v/rZJDqWmrS-E

35. Marlboro
Product/Feature
Explicit goal
A pick-me-up
Implicit goal
Full-flavour cigarettes
Autonomy

36. Creative needs fulfil goals in distinct and exciting ways
Security Adventure
Enjoyment Excitement
Discipline Autonomy
Phil Barden, Decoded

37. Culture is the gateway

38. 1. System 1 (autopilot) and System 2 (pilot) are the two processes
involved in decision making
2. ‘Increasing the reward’ and ‘decreasing the pain’ are ways we can
encourage people to buy
a. Behavioural economic frameworks can help us decrease the pain in buying
b. Serving implicit and explicit goals can help us increase the reward and
provides guidance for signals and associations within the brand experience
3. Breakthrough creative needs to find distinct and culturally relevant
ways to serve implicit goals
Recap

39. Thank you