NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Ogilvy today announced the creation of the Ogilvy Center
for Behavioral Science. The Center, which will work across
the Ogilvy group, will focus on establishing a new system to define
how audiences think, feel and behave to improve marketing and
communications effectiveness. Christopher
Graves will assume the role of President and Founder of the
Ogilvy Center for Behavioral Science effective immediately.
Graves will work with Carla
Hendra, Global Chairman, OgilvyRED and Vice Chairman, Ogilvy
Worldwide Board.
"Behavioral science will create a real edge for us in the
marketplace," said Carla Hendra,
Global Chairman, OgilvyRED and Vice Chairman, Ogilvy Worldwide
Board. "We are thrilled that Chris has agreed to take on this
new role as he is one of the industry's most recognized experts in
the field and will help us to transform the way we understand and
move people on behalf of our clients."
As part of its work, the Ogilvy Center for Behavioral Science
will tap a huge and fast-growing body of research to help clients
identify the levers most likely to shift behaviors and change
attitudes. To do this, Graves and the team have created a new
navigation tool called AMOS, named in honor of one of the founding
fathers of behavioral economics, Amos
Tversky.
"Recently we have all seen how traditional demographics research
can fail spectacularly in predicting outcomes – especially in a
polarized, 'post-fact' environment," said Graves, "but behavioral
scientists look beyond demographics and beyond what people say, to
the inner workings of how people view the world and create their
own identities." Graves noted behavioral scientists have shown that
instead of targeting people, understanding them works better.
Behavioral science helps us do that, creating far more effective
ways to help clients achieve better outcomes.
The Ogilvy Center for Behavioral Science will do just that, plus
create a comprehensive, new approach to achieving client goals by
combining the legendary Ogilvy expertise in brands, with new
cognitive and behavioral insights. The approach is called
"B4" due to its focus on Brand, Brain, Behavior, and Bias.
Graves said he spent eight years finding, digesting and sorting
research, but the key was creating a way for non-scientists to use
the findings in practical ways. "This is not a niche,"
cautioned Graves, "It drives big increases in effectiveness for
everything from health and wellbeing, the environment, personal
finance, social issues, politics, crisis management, employee
engagement, and sales of products and services."
The Ogilvy Center for Behavioral Science will launch in Q1 2017
and will scale across Ogilvy over time. The Center will appoint a
board of scientific advisors as well as partner with and build on
the groundbreaking work of the behavioral expert practice group,
Ogilvy Change, based out of London
and Washington, DC -- led in the
UK by Vice Chair Rory Sutherland and
Managing Director, Mark Lainas, and
led in Washington, DC by Executive
Vice President, Tony Silva -- with
further centers in Paris,
Sydney, Milan, Madrid, Wellington and Johannesburg.
Additionally, the Ogilvy Center for Behavioral Science will
partner with other behavior change specialists such as research
giant WPP's Kantar to create new cognitive insights, and with WPP
Government to help in large-scale population behavior change for
quality of life improvement.
Christopher Graves has led the
industry as a proponent for bringing more behavioral science into
communications. The Rockefeller Foundation honored Graves in 2016
with a prestigious Bellagio Residency, the Holmes Report named him
a Top 25 Innovator, and he is a WPP 4-time Atticus Award honoree
for thought leadership. Graves also co-founded the behavioral
insights initiative at the Institute for Public Relations. His
behavioral and cognitive insights writing has been featured in the
Harvard Business review and widely cited in media.
Graves has served at Ogilvy Public Relations for a combined 12
years – as Global Chair, Global CEO, and APAC Regional CEO.
Graves just completed two terms as Chair of the PR Council and he
is an elected life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer
Risi
646-240-6297
Jennifer.risi@ogivy.com
About Ogilvy & Mather
Ogilvy & Mather is one
of the largest marketing communications companies in the world. It
was named the Cannes Lions Network of the Year for
five consecutive years, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016; the
EFFIEs World's Most Effective Agency Network in 2012, 2013 and
2016; and Adweek's Global Agency of the Year in 2016. The company
is comprised of industry leading units in the following
disciplines: advertising; public relations and public affairs;
branding and identity; shopper and retail marketing; health care
communications; direct, digital, promotion and relationship
marketing; consulting, research and analytics; branded content and
entertainment; and specialist communications. O&M services
Fortune Global 500 companies as well as local businesses through
its network of more than 500 offices in 126 countries. It is a WPP
company (NASDAQ: WPPGY). For more information,
visit http://www.ogilvy.com/, or follow Ogilvy on Twitter
at @Ogilvy and on Facebook.com/Ogilvy.
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SOURCE Ogilvy