Shane Donnellan, senior behaviour change specialist, Changeworks Visit the CharityComms website to view slides from past events, see what events we have coming up and to check out what else we do: www.charitycomms.org.uk

1. Delivering positive low carbon living
Behavioural Science and Comms
Intro Workshop,12 June

2. Aims
•Rationale
•Intro to behavioural science
•Practical exercises
•Bag of tools that can be applied to comms
•Reflections

3. Purpose of Session
• Impact and effectiveness
• Client focused (not funders)
• Consistency
• No blanket rules/ bans/ phrases/ silver bullets – comms is never
black and white. Dependent on context and target audience.
• Ongoing journey

4. What does “behaviour change” mean to
you?
• Behavioural science/ “Behaviour change”
– understanding that humans don’t always act rationally.
However we do often behave in predictably irrational ways.
• Using this understanding to influence the choices people make.

5. • We receive huge amounts of information every second from our
environment. This comes through our sensory organs.
• We process this without much effort and as efficiently as
possible
• (shortcuts, look for patterns,
make sense of it from past experience….)
Receiving and Processing Information

6. Consider how the following ways of presenting information might
influence the response:
• Open v closed questions
• Framing (glass half full)
• Sequence of info
• Hiding undesirable advice
• Emphasis
• Language used
• Style of communication
• Emotional response to communicator
• Personal relevance
Examples

7. Behaviour is a broad term
• Take an action
• Stop doing something
• Change how to do something
• Start/ stop/ maintain/ change a habit
• Remembering
• Doing something the right way
• Doing something at the right time
• …..

8. • Nudges: Cues which can influence a person’s decision, but don’t remove their
personal choice for action.
• Has become the public image of all things related to behaviour change. These
cues based on the same principles used in more complex interventions
• Nudges may be in our physical environment, digital, how choices are presented
to us, written etc.
- Layout of supermarkets
- Plastic bottle deposits
- Plastic bag charges
- Reminders for appointments
- Automatic sign-ups
- What other examples are you familiar with?
• Shoves
• Clumsy nudges
Nudges

9. Tools (nudges) for Marketing, Comms and
Engagement
1. Personalise
2. Make it easy/ Attractive
3. Social norms
4. Avoiding losses

10. 1. Personalise
• We are interested in things that relate to us (and therefor more
motivated by them)
• The more specific the better. E.g. “Newhaven Road Staff” will
have more of an impact than “staff in the charitable sector”
• Action language (Use less energy when.. v less energy is
used when, waste food v food that goes to waste….)
• Person in the comms (You can reduce your waste…)

11. • Make a change in behaviour easy and hassle free for customer
• Bit.ly/make_it_simple
• Pre-populated fields
• Simple calls to action
• ….?
• Language used can influence how we feel and how much we fit
into the story
✔support, tips, advice, cosy, warm…
✘behaviour change, nudge, debt, struggling…
2. Make it Attractive/ Easy

12. We tend to do what those around us are already doing (or
what we think they are)
1. If the norm is desirable, let people know about it.
2. Relate the norm to your target audience as much as
possible.
3. Be careful when dealing with undesirable norms.
3. Social Norms

14. Social Norms: Example Phrases
• Most people…
• 60% of people…
• Thanks to everyone who has already…
• Only 20% have still to…
• We are expecting a big turnout so…
• …?

15. • Behavioural research shows that people can be more likely to avoid a
loss, than gain something
• Instead of focusing on saving money or protecting the environment (both
‘gains’), we can talk about:
Avoiding wasting energy, preventing waste, or managing your home better
/ putting you more in control of your home (to avoid waste)
4. Avoiding a loss

16. Avoiding a loss
Example phrases:
“This would help you spend £25 less on your fuel bills (v. save
£25)”
“No point having all that heat that you’re paying for just floating
around when the house is empty”
“This uses a lot of energy which is just money going out of your
pocket at the end of the day”
Other examples?

17. Framing loss/ Action language
Closing your windows in
winter saves energy. We
would generally advise doing
this. On average people who
do this save £100 a year.
Windows left open in winter
wastes heat and money. We
would really recommend that
you close them. This could
save you £100 a year. Would
you be willing to try closing
them?

21. Exercises

22. Discussion
• Change Works in Peebles will help householders, businesses,
community groups and health care providers to reduce heating and
electricity costs and improve warmth in local homes, businesses and
community space
• So cut down your lighting bill and energy use simply by changing the
types of bulbs you use at home, and how you use them.
• We can help you to save money in your home
• We offer Almond Housing Association tenants living in Craigshill,
Whitburn and Ladywell free and confidential energy advice to help
cut their heating and electricity bills, keep their homes warm and dry

23. Discussion
• The CANNY BUDGETTING Fife project is a free service that
provides specialist advice and practical support to help you stay
affordably warm your home, and save money at the same time.
• Kitchen Canny is both a stand-alone resource and a community
workshop programme, designed to help people to reduce food
waste.
• The workshops highlight the scale and impact of food waste on
the environment and our wallets. The practical advice given
helps employees prevent food waste and avoid wasting money.

24. Discussion: Real life Challenges
Boiler Sticker Text
If you require any assistance with
your new heating system, please
call Changeworks on 0131 468
8655
Every year the average
household can lose out on:
£100+ by not reviewing tariffs,
suppliers or payment methods
£460 on food waste
£140 in the Warm Home Discount
Possible alternative
You could be missing out on:
£140 Warm Homes Discount
You could also be wasting
Over £100 by not reviewing
tariffs, suppliers or payment
methods
£460 on food waste
Call Changeworks on 0131 468
8665 to help you get the most out
of your heating system and put
the pounds back in your pocket.

25. Discussion
Facebook Post:
The Energy Advice Service offer
free impartial energy advice to
City of Edinburgh Tenants.
Energy Advice Service has saved
City of Edinburgh Council tenants
over £118,000 on their energy
costs since the service began. Do
you want advice on your fuel,
energy or possible debt issues?
Call now on 0131 123456
Possible alternative
Our free Energy Advice Service
has helped Edinburgh tenants get
£118,000 back from energy bills.
For advice, tips and support, give
us a call on 0131 123 456.

26. Scenario 1
Changeworks are running a community event in
Portobello promoting energy efficiency. Attendees
should register online. In the run up to the event
you have to write two tweets promoting the event.
This is an important event so the bigger the
attendance the better. Please write 2 Tweets.

27. Scenario 2
You have been asked to promote a survey to Leith
residents which explores their transport choices.
The survey needs to be complete by the end of
June and many responses are needed. Write the
Facebook post which accompanies the survey.

28. • Personalise
• Make it attractive/ easy
• Social Norms
• Avoid a loss
Recap

29. 26 June 2019
Edinburgh
#CCScots
Maximising engagement with
behavioural science

30. Visit the CharityComms website to view
slides from past events, see what events
we have coming up and to check out
what else we do:
www.charitycomms.org.uk