Behaviour Change Marketing Bootcamp

Alison Whitaker Stewart & Peter Dutton — localising We Are Undefeatable in Blackburn with Darwen In this episode of BrainFuel, Ruth is joined by Alison Whitaker Stewart , Physical Activity Campaigns Lead at Together in Active Future (a Sport England place-based partner), and Peter Dutton , Senior Engagement Manager at the Richmond Group of Charities. They share how they took the national We Ar...

 In this episode of BrainFuel , Ruth is joined by Johanna Jefferies , Public Health Consultant and Associate Director at Hampshire County Council , and Jonathan Baker , Senior Insight Lead, to share how they’ve successfully embedded behavioural science into council and public health work in a way that’s practical, memorable, and genuinely usable. Jo and Jonathan unpack what it really takes to...

In this episode of BrainFuel , Ruth is joined by Dr Paul Chadwick  Chief Executive of the Behavioural Science and Public Health Network (BSPHN) , clinical psychologist, and former Co-Director at the UCL Centre for Behaviour Change . Paul shares what’s changing inside BSPHN, why the organisation is expanding beyond public health, and what it will take to embed behavioural science across the pu...

Marketing & Psychology: Understanding Customer Behaviour with the ABC Approach In this episode, Ruth Dale is joined by Luan Wise  and D r Tom Bowden-Green  to explore their new book, Marketing and Psychology: Understanding Customer Behaviour with the ABC Approach — a practical, evidence-led guide for anyone working in marketing, communications, public health, or behaviour change. Thi...

Final Episode of 2025 Guest: Stephanie Snow, Chair of CIPR Health Theme: The future of health communications, behaviour change, and reputation as we head into 2026 Episode overview We’re closing out 2025 with a thoughtful, energising conversation about where health communications is heading next. Recorded earlier this year but released now to harness the fresh start effect , this episode looks squ...

Emergency Episode! World Social Marketing Conference: Hot Takes & Game-Changing Ideas Host: Ruth Dale  Guests: Ed Gyde , Katherine Knight , Ian Fannon We rushed home from sunny Spain with too much excitement not to podcast about it . This episode unpacks the World Social Marketing Conference , its biggest sparks, freshest ideas, and the vibe shift happening across global behaviour change....

  Ruth is joined by Caroline Latta , communications and engagement specialist and founder of OLOVUS , for a powerful conversation about what real co-design looks like when it moves beyond surveys, hypotheticals and “tell us what service you want.” This episode tells the story of a short break service for people with learning disabilities— re-imagined from the ground up . Instead of asking fam...

"Must Listen for Everyone Working in or On Individual Change projects or Campaigns" Is blaming “individual willpower”  one of the industry’s most successful PR tactics. Why do our environments make the healthy choice so hard? And who profits when they do? In this powerful episode of the Behaviour Change Marketing Bootcamp Podcast , Ruth Dale sits down with Louis Bird , Principal in Public Hea...

Welcome to another episode of Brain Fuel! I’m so excited to share my conversation with Dr. Heather McKee, one of Europe’s leading lifestyle behaviour change specialists. Heather brings a wealth of experience in health psychology and digital health, and her insights are both practical and inspiring. In this episode, we explore the science of sustainable behaviour change, the promise and pitfalls of...

A very different episode with Sabine De-Ville Instead of talking about health Let's embody it. In all our behavioural insights work, there is one common theme - despite the subject. It also appeared again and again in our training. Your tired brain. Breathwork can be a game-changer.  Especially if you live meeting to meeting - Zoom call to Zoom call. The air is free, you can do it anytime, an...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Eleanor Stanley, a coach and communication specialist, about her inspiring work with Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS and the British Association of Retinal Screeners. Eleanor shared a powerful case study on using co-production and storytelling to increase attendance for diabetic eye screenings , especially among groups that are often harder to reach....

We explore the real reason why many health campaigns fail: a lack of clarity rooted in assumptions about the audience. Over the past few episodes, Ruth has walked us through how brains get overwhelmed, how decision fatigue kicks in, and how even well-meaning messages can backfire. This week’s episode brings it all together with a simple but powerful test: 👉 Do you really know your audience? 💡 Ke...

In this episode, Ruth explores what happens when our brain’s decision-making battery runs flat — and why that matters deeply for health communication. Drawing on behavioural science concepts like ego depletion and bounded rationality, she shares how cognitive overload derails even the best campaigns. If your work relies on a calm, rational audience... it might be time to rethink. This one’s short,...

Do Health Messages Nag or Nudge? In this episode of BrainFuel: The Clarity Series , Ruth dives into psychological reactance — the powerful force behind why people reject health advice (even the good kind). You'll learn: Why audiences push back (and how to stop pushing them) How clarity, tone, and choice impact trust Simple tweaks to make your message land better 🌬️ Want the BrainFuel Breather audi...

  Ever poured your heart into a health campaign only to see… crickets? You’re not alone. In this episode, Ruth dives into why clarity is the key to behaviour change — and why it’s so hard to find in a world of noise, deadlines, and overloaded brains (yes, yours too). We’re talking cognitive fatigue, irrational audiences, and the myth of "more info = better choices". 🎧 Plus, you'll hear: Why...

This episode was sparked by a newsletter. When Elina’s Artificial Thought landed in my inbox, it immediately lit a fire under a question I’d been sitting with: Where does AI fit in behaviour change work? I invited Elina onto BrainFuel — and this episode is where the conversation began. Together, we dive into the emerging relationship between behavioural science and artificial intelligence — not as...

Today's episode continues exploring Social Marketing with Communications Strategy Consultant Neil Hopkins.  Neil is also he founder of the Secret Social Marketers Club on LinkedIn. He has extensive experience in public service, particularly in road safety and local government communications.  Listen to the episode to as we explore what social marketing is (hint - not social media) where...

  This week is an exploration of social marketing, challenging misconceptions, and driving meaningful behaviour change with one of the field's most respected practitioners, Nedra Weinriech. Nedra is founder of Weinreich Communications, and an editorial board member for Social Marketing Quarterly. She has been practising social marketing for over 30 years.  Highlights: Nedra's Personal Pr...

This week, we’re celebrating 10 years of the EAST Framework (Easy, Attractive, Social, Timely) and asking a powerful question: How often do we reflect on our own behaviour as change-makers? We explore why simple frameworks still work in a complex world, what the “toothbrush problem” is, and why mastering a few tools beats collecting many. 🛠️ Action tip : Start by checking in on your decision-makin...

Hi everyone, this is a reflective episode, and a soft announcement - softly very softly! We are ...rebranding the Podcast! Transitioning from "Behaviour Change Marketing Bootcamp" to "BrainFuel" This is allow us to focus more on our core mission which is to focus on health and reducing health inequalites fueling brain power and decision-making skills. Our vision is for the episodes to spark curios...

This week, we dive into a fascinating conversation with Daniel Preece, Public Health practitioner extraordinaire. Daniel sits with the Plymouth City Council and commissions the local Stop Smoking Service.  We explore insights from our recent Behavioural Insights Deep Dive where we listened to routine and manual workers and why the want to - or don't want to - quit smoking tobacco.&n...

In today's episode we are joined by Stuart King. Stuart founded BeeZee Bodies 17 years ago whilst working in public health. A hugely successful service it supports people all over England. At Public Health England he was senior scientist in the obesity and healthy weight team and he still works closely with Public Health producing and hosting The Real World Behavioural Science podca...

This episode deep dives into 8 top tips for effective Smokefree messaging this No Smoking Day - 13th March.   For details check out our blog Want to do more? Come to the Smokefree Training Day 2024  - the day after No Smoking Day on 14th March 2024 Early bird is on!        

Happy 2024!   In today's episode we welcome Nathan Monk and Rebecca Roberts as we go deep into Behaviour Change and Further Education and Higher Education.  Nathan Monk is cofounder of Smile and one of the brains behind Prospectus Plus, the innovative and personalised prospectus solution that is transforming the conversation around digitally tailoring recruitment journeys. We talk about...

In today's episode we highlight 3 books recommended by 3 of our 2023 podcast guests and an ask for you (see below!)   1) Mistakes Were Made But Not By Me - Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions & Hurtful Acts by Carol Travis & Elliott Aronson   Recommended by Samuel Salzer from E40 How to build Habits that Stick.   2) A more Beautiful Question: The Power of Inqu...