#ogilvychange Prague - RunTour experiment

#ogilvychange Prague RunTour Experiment

Contact: jakub.hodbod@ogilvy.com #ogilvychange Prague

Behavioural Insight

Alter and Hershfield (2014) found that people search for existential

meaning when they approach a new decade in chronological age (e.g. when

turning 30, 40, 50 etc) and they are prone to making significant decisions

as they approach each decade, such as signing up for a marathon or even

having an extramarital affair.

The Experiment

This theory was put to the test for RunTour, targeting people who were turning 19, 29, 39 and 49 years old in a week on Facebook with tailored

ads. Two different messages were tested: One was generic and the second was

psychologically optimised by using a specific picture of a person of

similar age with a motivational message that reflected the upcoming

milestone in their life. The nudged message was slightly different based on

the age of the target, e.g. for 19 year olds: “It’s never too early to

change” vs. “It’s time to decide what’s next” for 49 year olds).

The Results

Generic: RunTour races are

coming here again. Come and

run 5 or 10 kilometres!

(For all ages)

Nudged message: It’s never

too early for a change.

Start running now!

(19 year olds)

Nudged message: Now is the

right time to choose the

right thing in your life.

(29 year olds)

Nudged message: It’s never

too late to change your

life for the better.

(39 year olds)

Nudged message: It’s time to

decide what’s next. Give your

life a meaning. Start running.

(49 year olds)

Analysis revealed that nudged targeted

Facebook ads outperformed generic message ads

with a 33% higher number of clicks and an 18%

higher click-through rate. This suggests

life-affirming messages are more motivating

for people approaching a new decade.

1.17%

1.37%

Generic posts Nudged posts