119. Why Marketing is About Behaviour Change w. Thinkerbell's Dan Monheit

Most marketing briefs never mention behaviour. They mention a product launch, a credit card switch, a new vehicle landing next month. Dan Monheit's argument is that every one of them is the same brief wearing a different outfit: you want someone to do something they're not currently doing.

In this episode of the Smarter Marketer Podcast, Host James Lawrence and Dan Monheit, Chief CX Thinker at Thinkerbell, discuss which biases suit which problems, why the best in-house marketers are really pitch people in client roles, what happens to brand building when a third of your audience asks an LLM first and more.

Key Takeaways:How Dan ended up in behavioural science by coming at it backwards, from advertising rather than academiaWhy he thinks every brief is a behaviour change briefWhy you should put the customer and the brand on equal footing, rather than the customer firstThe peak-end rule, and why the last experience shapes how people remember everythingEffort bias: why invisible work is worthless workWhy people can't reliably tell you why they buy thingsHow the best in-house marketers build a business case that actually landsWhere AI helps and where it costs you: writing to communicate vs writing to thinkWhat LLMs change for brand building and the consideration set

Guest:Dan Monheit is Chief CX Thinker at Thinkerbell and one of Australia's most recognised voices on behavioural science in marketing.

He co-founded Hardhat in 2005, straight out of uni, and spent fifteen years reinventing it before landing on the idea that held it all together: every brief is a behaviour change brief. Hardhat was acquired by Thinkerbell in 2024.

You can follow Dan on LinkedIn.

Find Us Online:James Lawrence LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslawrenceoz/ Smarter Marketer Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/smarter-marketer-podcast Rocket Agency Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/ Rocket Agency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocket-agency-pty-ltd/

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About the Podcast:This is the definitive podcast for Australian marketers. Join Rocket Agency Co-Founder and best-selling author, James Lawrence in conversation with marketers, leaders, and thinkers about what it takes to be a smarter and more successful marketer.