Breaking the Code

Jun 28 2024 2

Breaking the Code Podcast artwork

Behavioral science is a cornerstone of modern marketing practice, but much of what passes itself off as behavioral science is just bs. Good social science gives us the insights and roadmap we need to change behavior, but bad social science just muddies the water and tarnishes the social sciences. As behavior change is a core objective of marketing, getting behavioral science right is crucial. Join us as two behavioral scientists sound off on what is, and isn't, good social science, from a variety of disciplines covering new topics every podcast.

Your hosts: Brad Davidson, PhD and Sonika Garcia, MPH - Medical Anthropology Strategists at Havas Health & You.

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Uncomfortable Conversations Save Lives: The Surgeon General Weighs In On The Risks of Social Media

Jun 28 2024 33 mins

In this episode, Brad and Gabe delve into the US Surgeon General's proposal to introduce warning labels on social media platforms, aimed at highlighting their impact on young people's mental health. In the US, the surgeon general is seen as a moral authority who looks at social issues through a health-first lens from the dangers of social media to gun violence. There's a lot to dis

This is not a Drill: Cervical Cancer is Curable, but Treatment is Often Too Painful to Survive

Jun 13 2024 48 mins

In this episode, we’re joined by Eve McDavid and Dr. Onyinye Balogun, founders of Mission Driven Tech, a Cervical Cancer innovation company. Their story is an inspirational application of Breaking the Code's themes of inclusive design, varied expressions of pain, and uncomfortable conversations that save lives. Our discussion delves into women's health and cervical cancer, highli

If Everything is 'Healthy', Nothing is

May 29 2024 23 mins

In a world of ubiquitous marketing, figuring out what supports a "healthy lifestyle" can be challenging. Marketers have picked up on the cultural trend towards wellness branding, and are enthusiastically, if somewhat disingenuously, leaning into claims that are technically true but not very helpful--"no added sugar", for example, is true, but irrelevant, for a product that has a hi

Ensuring the Customer is Always Right: A Brand's Role in Consumer Health Decisions

May 14 2024 35 mins

As people become more conscious and more knowledgeable about their health, it's on brands and health institutions to become more intimately aware of their consumer's (or patient's) health needs and goals. Someone who "does their own research" isn't operating in a silo - they still rely on the opinions of others, friends, influencers, health professionals and brands, to validate the

Skip the Chocolates, Bring out the Blindfold: ParkinSex & Putting Intimacy At the Forefront

Apr 16 2024 34 mins

In honor of Parkinson's awareness month, we're joined by Howard Lenn, EVP, Executive Creative Director at Havas Health Plus, to discuss his team's approach to the work on the "The Kama Sutra of Parkinson's", ParkinSex. Couples that include someone with Parkinson's are more likely to separate than couples that don't. Howard talks about the massive strain Parkinson's puts on intimacy

The Pain We Feel: Culture in Storytelling and The Learned Expression of Emotions

Apr 02 2024 33 mins

Something that has fascinated us recently is the role culture plays in the emotional aspects of storytelling. The emotional response, its justification and the words used to describe it all are heavily influenced by an individual's identity and how they've learned to express themselves. In this episode, we discuss some of the culture differences when it comes to talking about pain

Nurses are HCPs too: Honoring the Beating Heart of the Healthcare System

Mar 19 2024 36 mins

Too often in our industry, when we say "healthcare professional" what we really mean is ONE healthcare profession, the prescribing Medical Doctor. However, nursing is and always has been a part of the healthcare professional team, and today more than ever the roles nurses play in providing care are exactly those we cannot do without. Nursing is impossible to do remotely; they are t

A Chance to Stand Out: Does The SAT Do More Good Than Harm?

Mar 04 2024 37 mins

Recently, a number of prestigious U.S. universities have talked about reinstating The Scholastic Aptitude Test, more infamously known as The SAT, for applicants to their undergraduate programs. The SAT was once mandatory for college applications, but has become optional and then not used at all in progressive stages over the past two decades. However, debate rages as to whether sch

Do Superbowl Ads Do the Job?: Singing Busts, Resilient Athletes, & Family Photos with the Visually Impaired

Feb 20 2024 54 mins

Do you know anyone who just watches the Superbowl for the love of the game anymore? As TV viewers decline across the board, the Big Game on the second Sunday of February remains a must watch event in sports, entertainment, and advertising, hooking the attention from everyone from die-hard sports fans to Swifties.In this special episode, the full team, Brad, Sonika, and Gabriel play

Let's Think Zebras: Understanding Rare Disease Through the Lives of Those it Affects

Feb 05 2024 38 mins

A rare disease diagnosis is the beginning of a journey of unknowns. From an HCPs ability to treat, to a caregivers' emotional burden, to a patient's sense of identity, there are a variety of factors that remain uncertain or unclear which makeup the unique challenge of having a rare disease. Despite the challenge, people living with rare disease persevere and form communities - real