Behavioral Insights & Nudging: Public Regulation
Since 2013, together with iNudgeyou – The Center for Applied Behavioral Science, I have been responsible for developing and testing a large number of behavior-based initiatives together with public agencies and ministries.
The first projects and experiments were carried out together with the Danish Business Authority (ERST), but since then they have also come to include SKAT (The Danish Tax Authority), the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (KFST), the Labor Market and Recruitment Agency (STAR), and more.
Since then, the projects have helped to shape KFST’s work with consumer protection, formed the basis of the ‘Virkassistenten’ (‘The business compliance assistant’) at ERST, and provided insights into how SKAT and STAR can use behavioral insights to improve their communication efforts with citizens.
Behavioral Insights & Nudging: Supermarkets
In 2015, we tried for the first time to use behavioral insights in supermarkets to promote organic, sustainable, and healthy food as well as animal welfare products. It happened when the then Minister of Agriculture and Food, Dan Jørgensen, asked me for help to show the potential of applied behavioral science during 6 weeks fullblown intervention at Hjallese Supermarket (the most average Danish supermarket at that time).
The results: Organic sales increased by 43%, local foods by 112%, fruit by 22% and vegetables by 23%.
Since then, together with iNudgeyou, I have been involved in overseeing a large number of Behavioral Insights experiments in collaboration with Agriculture and Food, the Danish Meal Partnership, the Organic National Association, COOP, Salling Group, Rema 1000, etc.
Behavioral Insights & Nudging: Airports
In 2013, Copenhagen Airport was the first airport to choose to work systematically with Behavioral Insights and Nudging.
This led to a long-term collaboration with iNudgeyou, where we developed and tested behavioral measures in connection with the working environment (smoking zones, nearby accidents and ergonomics), wayfinding (boarding, security and baggage delivery), and flow optimization (arrival landside, security, trolleys, passport presentation, boarding, arrival airside, baggage delivery and customs).
Most pioneering was the work with Schmidt, Hammer & Lassen, where we created Finger C, which is both one of the most beautiful and efficient gate systems in the world, and developed an innovative boarding system for Emirates and Norwegian, which is used worldwide today.
Behavioral Insights & Nudging: The Health Sector
For more than a decade, we have worked to develop, test and implement behavioral concepts in collaboration with various parts of the healthcare system. The focus has been particularly on raising compliance both among patients, relatives and employees in a stressful everyday life.
Through experiments carried out together with amongst others Danish Regions, Region Zealand, Nordsjællands Hospital, Amager-Hvidovre Hospital, Gentofte Hospital, Bispebjerg Hospital and Sydvestjysk Hospital, we have developed scalable concepts to improve ergonomics, hand hygiene and wayfinding, create more coherent treatment processes, as well as reduce the number of absenteeism and error. Several of these experiments have been published in leading health journals.
Behavioral Insights & Nudging: Public Health
Sleep, diet, alcohol and exercise pose major challenges for public health. But Behavioral Insights and Nudging can contribute in important areas to improving public health. At least this is what we have worked intensively to show since 2010 in an area where details are often treated as such in favor of pointed fingers and moralizing.
In a long series of experiments, we have thus shown how apparently insignificant details can have a major impact on whether we can translate good intentions into action.
The experiments have dealt with everything from the importance of sailors’ sleep, how to get young people to eat more fruit and vegetables, reducing alcohol intake amongst students and reducing the consumption of unhealthy food among adults.
Behavioral Insights & Nudging: Climate change & Sustainability
You cannot avoid talking about behavioral change in connection with climate change and sustainability. But more than words are needed. That is why in these years I am in charge of a large number of experiments together with iNudgeyou, where we develop and test concepts that will help accelerate the green transition.
From the uptake of reusable coffee cups in companies and in cafes, over waste sorting and climate compensation to food choices, we have experimented with surprisingly positive results.
In one of the best-known experiments, we raised the average proportion of conference guests who chose a vegetarian lunch on average from 6% to 87%. The experiment has been a source of inspiration for a successful implementation strategy in the health sector in New York State.
Behavioral insights & Nudging: Work safety and compliance
No one goes to work with the intention of getting hurt or harming themselves. Behavioral insights are therefore a central key in the toolkit if you want to create better and safer working environments.
Therefore, it has also been incredibly rewarding and meaningful that the years have offered fantastic collaborations with MAERSK, Lego, Copenhagen Airports, Ørsted, Seahealth, Novo Nordisk, and many more., to develop and test Behavioural Insights concepts to minimize the risk of occupational accidents and create working conditions, which are designed for people’s well-being and safety.
Over the years, the insights have led to elements in both MAERSK’s and Novo Nordisk’s Global Safety Campaigns, as well as initiatives that have made a direct impact on shop-floor safety.
