Using Nudge Cards to Inspire Your Marketing

What are nudges?

Nudges are small changes in the environment that influence people’s choices in a positive way, without taking away their freedom to make a different choice. An example is the placement of HFSS (high in fat, sugar, or salt) products away from prominent locations in stores (e.g., checkout, aisle ends). People who can’t see these products so easily are nudged towards other, healthier food purchases without losing the freedom to choose the food they want. 

Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein introduced this concept in their 2008 book Nudge, which was updated in 2021 following developments in research and widespread application in sectors like business, and government. Nudges are techniques that can change behaviour, they are based on behavioural principles known as heuristics and biases which people use to make shortcuts to make quick decisions. An example is the anchoring bias, which describes how we typically use the first information we see as the ‘anchor’ or reference point to evaluate succeeding information. This is why we tend to weigh the original price with the discounted price before considering the discounted price as a good deal.

In marketing, we consider nudges, heuristics and biases in our work because of how effective they are in influencing consumer behaviours. There are many different kinds of nudges and behavioural principles depending on the behavioural problem or challenge that needs to be solved. There are so many, in fact, that it could be overwhelming to know where and how to begin using them. 

At the Human First Collective, we have selected 31 examples of nudges and behavioural principles that we frequently use in our marketing recommendations and turned them into a handy deck of ‘nudge cards’.

What are nudge cards? 

The behavioural principles in these cards are based on years of psychological research and we have summarised them in short, bite-sized descriptions. While not comprehensive, the simplicity and visual nature of these nudge cards make them good resources for teams with mixed levels of knowledge about behavioural science.

The card format also adds an element of playfulness. Rather than presenting the nudges in a spreadsheet or slide deck, which can take time to read through, the playing card format is more interactive and makes them easy to use in collaborative settings like workshops or team meetings.

How can you use these nudge cards?

There are many ways to use these cards and we have three suggestions, specifically for inspiring marketing strategies and tactics.

Brainstorming New Ideas

Stuck on an idea for a new campaign? Pick a random card and think about a concept or a copy to spark some new ideas for your brand. 

Consider the Ikea Effect (People tend to place a higher value on things they helped create). How may we highlight the benefit of co-creation to nudge customers into choosing your brand?

Nike is one of the largest athleticwear brands, famous for its athletic shoes. They also offer Nike by You, a customisation platform where members can select colours and designs to make their shoes uniquely theirs. This service harnesses the Ikea Effect, making their customers feel a more personal connection and value their created shoes more. Giving customers the opportunity to customise their shoes led to a growth of over 42% in Nike’s online sales.

Evaluating Current Marketing Efforts

Want to look at your brand from a different perspective? Pick a card and think about whether they are present in your campaign messaging or customer journey.

For example, consider the Messenger Effect (People evaluate the information they receive based on the source). Is your brand the best messenger for communicating your message or should someone else be speaking on behalf of your brand? 

HelloFresh is a food box subscription service that makes home cooking more convenient. They have an affiliate program, inviting content creators to be HelloFresh ambassadors. These content creators range from chefs to mum influencers who already have an active community following them for relevant content. Using these messengers with more relatable identities allows them to connect with their audience more authentically.

Combining Nudges to Maximise Impact

Want to challenge yourself and take your behavioural knowledge to the next level? Pick two cards and think about how they may be combined to improve the customer’s experience.

Consider the concepts of the Goal Gradient Effect (As people get closer to a reward, they speed up their behaviour to achieve their goal faster) and the Reciprocity Bias (People feel obligated to return favours when someone does something positive for them). How can these two principles be used to facilitate the purchase journey?

An example of these two principles being used is in Leon’s loyalty emails. Leon provides a visual of their customers’ loyalty points (Goal Gradient Effect) while also combining it with free coffee to show their appreciation (Reciprocity). Combined, this encourages the customer to continue making progress towards achieving the next level and the freebie also makes them feel more favourable towards the brand.

Key Takeaways

• Nudges are small changes in the environment that influence customer behaviour. There are many nudges that could be used depending on the challenge that needs to be solved
• Our nudge cards condense complex behavioural science principles into a bite-sized, visually appealing resource, making them more accessible for teams with varying expertise
• Nudge cards can be used for:
• Brainstorming or coming up with new marketing ideas, such as incorporating customisation and personalisation (The Ikea Effect) to encourage more sales.
• Evaluating current marketing efforts by considering concepts like the Messenger Effect, which highlights the importance of using relatable voices to connect with your audience  
• Challenging yourself with advanced applications of behavioural concepts by using multiple concepts like Goal Gradient and Reciprocity to strengthen loyalty programmes.

Would you like your own pack of nudge cards to spark new ideas for your brand? Contact us!