Unlocking Behaviour Change: A Webinar with Rory Sutherland
On 19th February 2025, Ian Farrow, Managing Director of Westco Communications, will host an exclusive one-hour in-conversation webinar with none other than Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK. Ian will delve into Rory’s remarkable career and his extensive expertise in marketing and behaviour change. Designed to inspire public service professionals, the discussion will explore how behavioural science can drive meaningful, socially beneficial change in public service communications.
Rory Sutherland, a globally renowned marketing thought leader, has been at the forefront of this field for decades. As Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK, he has not only pioneered innovative approaches to advertising but also applied his expertise to public service campaigns. His work demonstrates how small, seemingly minor interventions can lead to significant societal benefits. Whether it’s redesigning a message for maximum impact or understanding the subtle triggers that shape decision-making, Rory’s insights promise to resonate with anyone committed to public service excellence.
Previous encounters
The last time Rory and Ian met during lockdown produced the following 10 points to consider:
- Set up a creative board for a holistic view of problem-solving
Set up a creative board that visualises not just the problem that you need to solve, but all the wider solutions and approaches that you can use to tackle it. Through this, you get a much wider view of possible resolutions that include elements such as psychology and human behaviour alongside the more logical approaches that come from an economic or legal perspective.
- Give people small, manageable options to start changing their behaviour
Human behaviour is often dictated by risk factors, meaning that people are much less likely to make major, transformational decisions. Rather, people prefer to make smaller decisions that gradually affect change. To tackle the climate emergency, councils can provide people with a selection of options for taking action, like in the TV show Countdown – ask them to choose three small steps and perhaps one major one. Just get them started towards the course of change.
- Bring creatives into the room
Historically, governments have largely relied on a narrow economic and legalistic view of the world. This means that they tend to provide solutions to problems that follow narrowly (and sometimes incorrectly) defined economic models. Some solutions may therefore be counterintuitive. To counter this, you need to include creatives in the room to help balance out the perspectives and offer left-of-field, ‘out the box’ thinking for a more rounded solution.
- Beware of data!
Beware the use of big data without fully understanding what it’s telling you. Bad maths is worse than no maths, and can ultimately lead you to really poor judgement. Any use of data needs to be understood fully and contextually before informing a decision that involves people.
- Don’t be defensive
Local government may be susceptible to defensive decision-making – because of its political nature, local government can make decisions based on the option that has the least risk of going wrong. This means that government rarely uses new innovative approaches to things, instead relying on the same tried and tested theory with largely the same risk-averse outcomes (MiniMax in Game Theory). Be bolder and more innovative with decision-making.
- Nothing needs be permanent
Does legislation always have to be designed to be permanent? Why not try temporary ideas with communities? Test them, shape them, improve them, and learn what works best.
- Introduce models that gradually reap benefits
Introducing climate-friendly actions, such as car-free days, is likely to create unforeseen positive consequences, such as people speaking to their neighbours more, shopping at more local businesses while walking, or businesses themselves offering incentives for not using your car. However, in order to make them viable, they need to be introduced slowly – for example, four car-free days a year across three years – by the end of which, people will begin to look forward to these car-free days without realising, given they are continually adapting and producing more positive consequences.
- Learn from temporarily forced shocks
Temporary, forced, and simultaneous shocks (pandemics, wars, disasters) can create long-lasting societal shifts – just look at women in the workplace during the Second World War. So how can we use them as a learning curve? Can we use them to implement changes such as car-free days that help change behaviour in the long term?
- Leave problems of coordination to the central government
Bigger behaviour change elements need to be coordinated by the government. For example, should the government have a system of lockers for use for online shopping and local commerce? This would help with needless delivery journeys, help local businesses, and change how people shop.
- Simply put, the government should be more helpful
Government needs to use substantial insight and power to be genuinely helpful. Don’t just assume that people respond to being bossed about or bribed – sometimes just asking nicely and encouraging small positive steps towards change can be more beneficial. Equally, this works internally too – what has the government learned from its procurement exercises and how can that experience be shared for a collective goal?
Spotlight on the MadMasters Course
One of the key topics of this webinar will be Rory Sutherland’s acclaimed MadMasters course. This program equips professionals with the tools and techniques to harness the power of behavioural science in their work. Designed for those who aim to create impactful, evidence-based communications, MadMasters is an intensive learning experience that combines theory with practical application.
Participants of the course gain invaluable insights into:
- Understanding and leveraging behavioural economics.
- Designing campaigns that drive real-world outcomes.
- Embracing creativity to solve complex societal challenges.
Westco has secured 10 tickets at a vastly reduced cost of £400 (usual costs £1,200). To register your interest MAD//Masters with Rory Sutherland
On 19th February 2025, Ian Farrow, Managing Director of Westco Communications, will host an exclusive one-hour in-conversation webinar with none other than Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK. Ian will delve into Rory’s remarkable career and his extensive expertise in marketing and behaviour change.