Behavioral Science Companies

What Are Behavioral Science Companies?

Behavioral science companies specialize in understanding and leveraging human behavior to help organizations overcome challenges and make informed decisions. By applying principles from psychology, economics, and sociology, these companies develop data-driven strategies that enhance client interactions, optimize workforce management, predict consumer behavior, and refine product design, among other objectives. Their expertise allows businesses and organizations to implement practical solutions grounded in behavioral insights.

The Basic Idea

Have you ever noticed that you sometimes make decisions that aren’t in your best interest? Perhaps you splurged on an expensive meal instead of putting money aside for groceries, or procrastinated on an important project only to scramble at the last minute to get it finished. 

Despite our best intentions, we often make choices that don’t align with our long-term goals. This universal human quirk has fascinated scientists for decades, inspiring a wealth of research in various social science fields by experts keen on understanding human behavior. Today, behavioral science companies are turning this academic research into practical solutions for businesses, non-profits, and public organizations.

What exactly do behavioral science companies do? Their work typically involves developing behavioral interventions to help organizations tackle pressing challenges by gently nudging people toward better choices. Here are some key areas of focus:

  • Policy Implementation: Behavioral science companies might work with governments to design policies that encourage citizens to adopt desirable behaviors, such as health compliance and sustainability.
  • Organizational Decision-Making: Policy Implementation: Behavioral science companies might work with governments to design policies that encourage citizens to adopt desirable behaviors, such as health compliance and sustainability.
  • Organizational Decision-Making: These companies address cognitive biases that can hinder decision-making, allowing organizations to make evidence-based choices that align with their overarching business goals.
  • Product Design: Behavioral science companies also apply data-driven insights to product design, helping companies create products and services that better align with consumer behavior.
  • Consumer Behavior: These companies often work with brands to design choice architecture that nudges consumers toward behaviors that drive sales, leveraging psychological principles to increase engagement and conversions. 
  • Employee Engagement: Within organizations, behavioral science companies might provide advice regarding workplace design, training programs, incentive structures, and communication strategies to improve employee engagement, satisfaction, and performance.
  • Risk Prevention and Compliance: These companies also leverage insights from behavioral science to help organizations prevent fraud, improve cybersecurity, and ensure regulatory compliance to mitigate common business risks.

Beyond consulting, behavioral science companies often engage in ongoing research and experimentation to understand what drives human behavior. This might involve testing behavioral theories and concepts in real-world settings to identify effective intervention strategies that might work outside of clinical research environments. 

Behavioral science companies may also run workshops and training sessions to help businesses apply behavioral principles and overcome common barriers to implementation. These workshops can equip teams with the tools they need to leverage behavioral insights in their operations, whether their goal is to enhance company culture, drive sales, or streamline organizational decision-making.

Many industries rely on behavioral science companies, including tech, finance, healthcare, education, marketing, and the nonprofit and public sectors. For example, tech companies might consult a behavioral science company for help designing a user interface that caters to their users’ natural preferences. In healthcare, behavioral science can help teams improve medical adherence to treatment plans. Governments might employ behavioral scientists to help design policies that address social issues. Across diverse sectors, behavioral science companies play a crucial role in shaping effective decision-making.

  • Product Design: Behavioral science companies also apply data-driven insights to product design, helping companies create products and services that better align with consumer behavior.
  • Consumer Behavior: These companies often work with brands to design choice architecture that nudges consumers toward behaviors that drive sales, leveraging psychological principles to increase engagement and conversions. 
  • Employee Engagement: Within organizations, behavioral science companies might provide advice regarding workplace design, training programs, incentive structures, and communication strategies to improve employee engagement, satisfaction, and performance.
  • Risk Prevention and Compliance: These companies also leverage insights from behavioral science to help organizations prevent fraud, improve cybersecurity, and ensure regulatory compliance to mitigate common business risks.

Beyond consulting, behavioral science companies often engage in ongoing research and experimentation to understand what drives human behavior. This might involve testing behavioral theories and concepts in real-world settings to identify effective intervention strategies that might work outside of clinical research environments. 

Behavioral science companies may also run workshops and training sessions to help businesses apply behavioral principles and overcome common barriers to implementation. These workshops can equip teams with the tools they need to leverage behavioral insights in their operations, whether their goal is to enhance company culture, drive sales, or streamline organizational decision-making.

Many industries rely on behavioral science companies, including tech, finance, healthcare, education, marketing, and the nonprofit and public sectors. For example, tech companies might consult a behavioral science company for help designing a user interface that caters to their users’ natural preferences. In healthcare, behavioral science can help teams improve medical adherence to treatment plans. Governments might employ behavioral scientists to help design policies that address social issues. Across diverse sectors, behavioral science companies play a crucial role in shaping effective decision-making.

“Policy makers, like most people, normally feel that they already know all the psychology and all the sociology they are likely to need for their decisions. I don't think they are right, but that's the way it is.”


Daniel Kahneman, Nobel-winning psychologist and expert in behavioral economics

About the Author

Smiling woman with long hair stands in front of a lush plant with pink and yellow flowers, near what appears to be a house exterior with horizontal siding and a staircase.

Kira Warje

Kira holds a degree in Psychology with an extended minor in Anthropology. Fascinated by all things human, she has written extensively on cognition and mental health, often leveraging insights about the human mind to craft actionable marketing content for brands. She loves talking about human quirks and motivations, driven by the belief that behavioural science can help us all lead healthier, happier, and more sustainable lives. Occasionally, Kira dabbles in web development and enjoys learning about the synergy between psychology and UX design.

About us

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I was blown away with their application and translation of behavioral science into practice. They took a very complex ecosystem and created a series of interventions using an innovative mix of the latest research and creative client co-creation. I was so impressed at the final product they created, which was hugely comprehensive despite the large scope of the client being of the world's most far-reaching and best known consumer brands. I'm excited to see what we can create together in the future.

Heather McKee

BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST

GLOBAL COFFEEHOUSE CHAIN PROJECT

OUR CLIENT SUCCESS

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Annual Revenue Increase

By launching a behavioral science practice at the core of the organization, we helped one of the largest insurers in North America realize $30M increase in annual revenue.

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Increase in Monthly Users

By redesigning North America's first national digital platform for mental health, we achieved a 52% lift in monthly users and an 83% improvement on clinical assessment.

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Reduction In Design Time

By designing a new process and getting buy-in from the C-Suite team, we helped one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world reduce software design time by 75%.

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Reduction in Client Drop-Off

By implementing targeted nudges based on proactive interventions, we reduced drop-off rates for 450,000 clients belonging to USA's oldest debt consolidation organizations by 46%

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