Case Studies

The UK City Council approached CeDEx to finding out low-cost, easy-to-implement methods for maintaining high levels of student voter registration.

Approach and Method

This project (view paper online) directly tested the effects of different kinds of written communication on student voter registration.  Postcards reminding students to register were sent to over 7000 students.  Some postcards highlighted a small potential monetary gain from registering (Monetary Gain Group), some highlighted the possibility of a small monetary loss from failing to do (Monetary Loss group), whilst some contained only a simple reminder not to miss the chance to vote (Baseline Group).

Results

Messages highlighting the possibility of a small monetary loss for failing to register were statistically most effective in motivating voter registration in this population.  Those highlighting the possibility of a monetary gain did not improve registration rates relative to the baseline. This suggests that attempts to increase or maintain high levels of electoral participation in student populations may profitably include messages that refer to potential losses. More here.

The Decision Lab team collaborated with one of the world’s largest fast-food chains to tackle the problem of kids obesity. How the choice architecture of their restaurants could be modified to encourage healthier decisions among kids and their parents? Ather thorough research show that one of the biggest barriers we faced was parental expectations: parents simply don’t expect to find healthy opions when they walk into a fast food restaurant. And more deep insight revealed that major reasons why so many customers bypassed the healthier options available to them was the design of the restaurant’s point-of-sale (POS) system. Even though, by default, the chain’s kiddie meal was supposed to come with a healthy side of fruit, the POS was set up to always prompt crew members to select either fries or fruit. In effect, the crew was nudging people towards the less healthy option.

Some of the reserachers ultimate recommendations were adjustments to sales systems and internal policies. For example, a simple change to the POS design and a minor modification to staff training protocols would eliminate one of the biggest barriers to ordering healthier kids’ meals. When these systems were tested with the design updates, the reserachers found that healthy ordering increased by up to 40%.

The researchers got a little more creative: since the research had made it clear that kids were an important influence in parents’ food choices at fast-food restaurants, one of the answers to this question was the big red button: if kids pick a healthy menu item, they get to hit a big red button, which then plays a congratulatory message.  When this intervention was tested, it appaired that as a result 20% more consumers opted for the healthier meal. More here.

In recent years, air pollution has become a serious problem in the ancient city of Rome. In January 2020, the air quality in the city got so bad that the amount of fine particle pollution exceeded Italy’s permitted limit.  One of the big contributors to Rome’s pollution problem is diesel. Diesel vehicles, which are still very common across Italy and thus, the vast majority of their smog is emitted by consumer vehicles.

The city tested out various policies (including very strick ones) to cut down on diesel fumes, but citizens were quick to find ways around them. In the end, the past experience had made it clear to the city officals that no policy could be effective without public buy-in. So after announcing the ban, the city of Rome reached out to the Decision Lab for help easing their citizens into the upcoming change.

One probably need a pretty good reason to get on board with that kind of shift — one that was rooted in things that she already cared about. In other words, one need it to be aligned with her values. This was one of the main focuses of the behaviourally informed messaging strategy The Decision Lab tem designed for the city. Even though Italians do care deeply about the environment, abstract messages and statistics about pollution aren’t usually the most impactful. Instead, the Decision Lab recommended framing the diesel ban in terms that resonate deeply with most Romans. That involves things like:

• keep the city a safe place for their children and grandchildren to grow up.
• remind Romans of the millennia of history behind their ancient city, and the immeasurable value that they are helping to protect by complying with the ban.
• appeal to Romans’ sense of national pride and their desire for Italy to lead the EU in terms of action on climate change.

As a result, over 3 million Roman citizens were impacted by the messaging strategy. More here.