COVID-19 and the ‘What-the-Hell’ Effect — What We Can Learn From Dieting and Safe Sex
By Sara Isaac
October 29, 2020
Nearly 40 years ago, psychology professor Janet Polivy co-authored research that showed if you presented normal weight college students with a “taste test” of ice cream, the behavior between habitual dieters and […]
5 Things We Need To Do In This Pandemic — And Why We Aren’t Doing Them
By Mallory Peak
September 30, 2020
This has happened before: Millions of Americans opting to take mortal risks despite clear evidence they are putting themselves and others in danger. Think drunk driving in the 1970s. Seat belts in […]
I Say ‘Vaccine’ You Think ‘COVID.’ Let’s Get Routine Shots Back on Track.
By Sara Isaac
September 24, 2020
This winter is expected to deliver a double whammy of seasonal flu and COVID-19. That means flu shots and childhood immunizations are more important than ever to help keep Americans out of […]
Where to Advertise That Isn’t Facebook and Instagram
By Karen Ong Barone
July 8, 2020
With the Facebook boycott ongoing and meetings on Tuesday with civil rights groups only making matters worse, it begs the question – where should you be advertising that isn’t Facebook and Instagram? […]
How to Make Face Masks Fun, Easy and Popular
By Sara Isaac
June 19, 2020
Last weekend, a colleague of mine who lives in Florida’s Tampa Bay area spontaneously conducted a survey while out for Saturday errands. Shocked at seeing most people barefaced, she decided to ask […]
How #BlackOutTuesday Backlash Could be Hurting the Movement
By Karen Ong Barone
June 4, 2020
For many, the days since George Floyd’s death feels like a new dystopian world. A world of protests, curfews, rioting, teargas, rubber bullets, and an overwhelming feeling of anger, sadness, stress and, […]
How COVID-19 is Shaping a New Normal for U.S. Parents
By Peter Mitchell
April 15, 2020
Normal is changing, and now, we have a statistical glimpse of what that means for parents. For most, it has meant more frequent family dinners and movie nights. For many, it has […]
Public Health is My Health
By Peter Mitchell
April 1, 2020
You heard her: “There’s no magic bullet.” White House Task Force Coordinator Deborah Brix told us Monday, “There’s no magic vaccine or therapy. It’s just behaviors.”
Coronavirus Has Hit — Here’s Why You’re Still Not Washing Your Hands
By Sara Isaac
March 13, 2020
My local Costco has run out of toilet paper. Home Depot has been raided of all N95 masks. Across the country, big in-person gatherings have been canceled for the foreseeable future, and […]
Behavioral Science v. Social Marketing — Which is Better for Behavior Change?
By Sara Isaac
January 23, 2020
I’m a practitioner at a behavior change marketing agency with roots in social marketing. Then last year I ran off to the London School of Economics (two jet-lagged weeks at a time) […]
Think Women are Wonderful? Here’s Why That’s a Problem.
By Sara Isaac
November 1, 2019
Women are more environmentally responsible than men. They are more likely to volunteer and less likely to commit crimes. And they are good for business. Having three or more women on a […]
Did the Crying Indian Encourage Littering? How Social Norms Campaigns Can Go Wrong.
By Sara Isaac
October 3, 2019
The Iron Eyes Cody spot featuring an American Indian surveying a littered landscape and shedding a single, dramatic tear is one of the nation’s most famous public service announcements. But what if […]