Adam Alter

Why do people return to some ideas, products, experiences, and brands over and over again, while others fade from memory and interest almost immediately? In his new book on behavioral addiction, Adam Alter investigates what separates the irresistible from the forgettable. The answers draw from a broad range of case studies and research—from as far afield as the world of video game design and television script writing to app design and digital advertising. The answers apply broadly to all forms of business, from online and digital product development to consumer sales, packaged goods, services, politics, medicine, and law. Why, for example, did Instagram succeed while Hipstamatic, a very similar earlier app, failed? Why do people play the lottery despite losing time and again and facing impossibly long odds? Should you release upbeat products when the economy is thriving or when times are tough? Alter answers these questions and more in a keynote that explains the sharp divide between the instant sensation and the forgotten disaster.

How do even the smallest environmental cues affect our behavior? How does the world around us—the weather, colors, geography and location—affect our moods and social interactions? Adam Alter offers a groundbreaking look into the complex relationship between environmental features and our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Humans respond emotionally, physically, and mentally to the shifting world around them. The names we assign, the language we use, and the symbols and images we deploy all affect how we behave as well. Alter examines it all, delivering a fascinating overview of why we do what we do. He breaks down our cognitive responses to external influences, showing the effects that are driven by small cues. How are these cues cognitively processed? Where do they reside in our consciousness? Alter offers thoughts on how leaders, policymakers, and smarter organizations can change conditions, and create more cognitively healthy environments—and healthier human beings.

In this talk, Adam Alter explores how businesses can better understand and predict the behavior of their customers. He begins by explaining why we often misunderstand how customers think, and then goes on to describe how they actually make purchasing decisions. How do they decide whether a new product will be valuable? How do they choose among a set of brands? How can companies present choices and options to maximize the appeal of their products? Having explained the features of consumer psychology, Alter presents a series of interventions that enable companies to communicate with customers more effectively and compellingly.