Decoded – The Science Behind Why We Buy

A must-read for marketers who want to create real business value by winning consumers in the aisle.

Phil Barden presents a compelling new look at consumer decision-making frameworks.  “Decoded” uncovers why consumers buy what they buy, through various scientific case studies and work done by ‘decision scientists’ at Decode, a consulting firm.

A wonderful highlight of “Decoded” is its construction and the manner in which Phil presents case studies and experimental questions. He captures your interest with an answer followed by a detailing of the valuable ‘why’, or the insight based on decision science. It is through these examples and questions that you discover the ‘a-ha!’ moments to appreciate the science of decision-making.

The chapter titled ‘Moment of Truth’ is probably the most insightful, as it is rich with examples that explain the concept that net value equals reward minus pain. It provides a new perspective to resolve the classical ‘hard-sell’ versus ‘brand-image’ marketing quandary, by maximising net value. Phil reframes the classical price-value debate by highlighting that price can be a key indicator of quality. The shopper’s situational context plays a key role in shaping perceived value and costs. This is particularly relevant in today’s recessionary context where price-discounting tends to prevail.

Each chapter cleverly ends with a one-pager on ‘What we have learned in this chapter’ and ‘What this means to us as marketers’. Considering most organisations today have their own internal ‘ways of marketing’ or ‘brand academy’ making it difficult to rewire with decision sciences, it would have been useful for Phil to end with a checklist. For instance, a set of practical questions based on decision science could be suggested, that marketers could ask themselves on typical projects (e.g. communication development, innovation, point of sale material development, etc.).

Decoded is not a light read, nor is it a ‘dip in/dip out’ format. It can become jargon-heavy in outlining a range of factors like shopping context, framing, net value, goal-based valuation and path dependency that influence the choices consumers make. However, it’s worth setting aside those few hours to read it in one sitting. The case studies and experimental questions will keep you turning the page for more.

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