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42Courses

Behavioural Science for Effective Messaging

9h

Three things you can actually rely on.

A CPD-accredited Mini MBA.

Real credentials for real progress. Signed, dated, and easy to verify.

Marked by humans, not bots.

You get feedback from a real person, and they usually respond within 24 hours.

Personalised to your role.

Every lesson is reshaped around your job, so you can put it into practice straight away, starting Monday.


About this course

Most of what drives us isn't something we consciously notice. These instincts and mental 'pulls' sit underneath the surface, and then they show up in what we do, one way or another.

In this behavioural science course focused on messaging that works, we're going to break down how the advertising world uses what we know about the subconscious mind to get people to buy more products and services.

And if you thought that was powerful before, the digital world has made it even stronger.

Every time you watch something on Netflix (or shop on Amazon, or search on Google, or basically anything online), you leave behind a trail called a digital footprint. So when those hidden psychological currents pop up, the system can spot the 'bubbles' and use them to guess what caused them in the first place.

Twitter can tell when you're feeling low, Verizon can spot patterns around personality, and Facebook can make educated guesses about your political leaning.

Put simply, technology is getting closer to predicting what you'll respond to. And sooner than you might expect, those deeper psychological patterns will be used to serve the kind of advertising that actually cuts through.

By the end of this course, you'll know how to avoid being left behind.

You'll learn what kinds of messages the brain naturally leans into, which ones it tends to ignore, and the practical steps for finding new audiences online. Plus, we'll cover the key ingredients that help something earn attention and spread.

You'll also learn how to use the OCEAN framework to segment audiences more accurately, so you can get a better read on what type of messaging will land best with different people.

Taught by Patrick Fagan, a globally recognised award-winning Behavioural Science leader, Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy, and Dan Bennett, who leads the Behavioural Science team at Ogilvy.

Once you finish, you'll receive a CPD certification, plus the confidence to start using behavioural science on real problems, not just theory.

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WHAT LEVEL OF LEARNING IS THIS?

  • Each 42courses course is built to cover the basics properly. You'll finish with a clear understanding of the topic, along with the main methods, models, and what good practice looks like.
  • You won't just do it alone. Real tutors review your work throughout the course and help guide you when you hit a wall.

How long does it take to complete a course?

  • Most learners spend about 7-9 hours in total. There's no rush and no strict time limit. Lessons are broken into short, manageable chunks.
  • You can learn whenever it suits you. Start whenever you want, pause when life happens, and wrap up when you're ready. No waiting for someone to mark coursework.

Which Behavioural Science course should I take?

Totally fair. With 42courses, you've got a lot of genuinely useful Behavioural Science options, and they're not dry in the way some courses are.

You can take them in any order, and each one still stands on its own.

If you're stuck and you don't feel like flipping a coin, use the guide below to pick the best match for you ??

  • Behavioural Economics - Great if you want an enjoyable introduction to the subject, plus key biases that can spark ideas and deepen your understanding.
  • Applied Behavioural Science - Best when you already know the basics a bit and want to learn the models and frameworks that help you solve problems using behavioural science.
  • Behavioural Science for Effective Messaging - Ideal if you've got a bit of background, genuinely like psychology (people and behaviour), and want to craft messaging that actually works. This is the kind of 'filter' that strong marketers use all the time.
  • Behavioural Science for Brands - Perfect if you know the basics and want some fun, practical inspiration for using behavioural science to grow your brand.
  • Want every single one? - Grab a 42courses subscription and take them all ??

What you'll learn:

  • How to spot which stimuli the brain listens to, and which ones it tunes out
  • What actually helps content or offers go viral
  • Ways to discover and reach new audiences online
  • How to improve the impact of your advertising by 10 times
  • Learn how personalised messaging works and how to use it effectively

Who's it for

Designed around you.

If you're a:

  • Digital marketer, working day to day with campaigns
  • A driven thinker looking for a real advantage over the competition
  • Someone who wants a fresh way of looking at things
  • People who want to tackle challenges more effectively
  • Marketers who want their campaigns to perform better

A quick look at what's going on behind the scenes.

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Inside a lesson

Short, story-based lessons that keep your attention. Never the kind of content you have to force yourself through. You'll spend about 15 minutes per section. Expect video, writing that tells a story, and a question to check the idea really stuck.

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AI personalisation

Made for your situation and your goals. Tell us what you do and what you're trying to fix. Our AI reshapes each lesson with practical takeaways for your specific work. The core frameworks and data stay the same, but the examples are tailored to you.

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Real feedback

Support from a real human. Some questions get marked by a person on our team. If you need direction, you'll get it. And if you're stuck or want to talk it through, we're glad to jump on a call.

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The certificate

A Mini MBA certificate you'll actually want to keep. CPD-accredited, signed, dated, and trackable. Plus, our completion rate is above 80% compared to an industry average that's much closer to 10%.


42courses vs typical online courses.

Feature 42courses Typical platform
Marking & feedback by real people Within 24 hours Often auto-quiz only
Personalised by role & sector AI reshapes every lesson Same content for everyone
Taught by working practitioners The people who built the ideas Usually academics or actors
Average completion rate Over 80% 5 to 15% (industry average)
CPD-accredited Mini MBA certificate Every course Sometimes
30-day money back, no questions If you aren't happy, we aren't Usually a 7-day refund window

Questions you might be thinking about.

You're looking at around eight hours of content total, broken into short lessons of roughly 15 minutes each. Most people get through it in about two weeks, but there's no deadline. You can pause anytime if work or life gets in the way.
No preparation needed. We start with the basics and then build from there. The course offers a new, practical way to think about the topic, using insights from some of the best voices in the field. Whether you're brand new or you've been doing this for years, there's something to sharpen your approach.
Each lesson ends with a quick question to see how well you understood it. We manually mark selected questions in every course. If you need a bit of guidance, a real person on our team responds with notes to help you get to the right place. And if you want to work something out or talk it through, we're always happy to set up a call.
You've got 30 days from when you enrol to request a full refund. No questions, no exit interview, no awkward back and forth. We respond to refund requests within 24 hours, often sooner. If you aren't happy, neither are we.
The books give you the science. This course helps you apply it. It's customised around your role and goals, so each lesson ends with practical, personalised takeaways you can use right away.
Yes. Learners have used it across tech, healthcare, retail, banking, government, charities, and education. Our AI personalises every lesson to your role and goals, so the exercises and examples reflect your reality instead of some generic scenario.
Yes. Most learning and development budgets can cover this without any drama. If you need it, we can also provide a VAT-friendly invoice. Just email us at groundcontrol@42courses.com . For groups of 10 or more learners, check the Team plans section.
It's a CPD-accredited certificate, recognised across the UK and internationally for continuing professional development. It's personalised with your name, signed, dated, and trackable. You can add it to your LinkedIn, drop it into your CV, mention it in your performance review, or keep it as a nice win on your fridge.

Tools you'll explore

Patrick Fagan

Patrick Fagan

Patrick is a consumer psychologist who focuses on turning psychological research into business insight. He teaches consumer behaviour, has published academic work from pricing to Facebook, and has contributed to outlets like AdMap and The Guardian. He's also been interviewed by organisations such as the BBC and London Live.

Rory Sutherland

Rory Sutherland

Rory Sutherland is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in advertising and behavioural science. He serves as President Emeritus at Ogilvy Consulting, where he helped set up the agency's pioneering behavioural science work. He's also the author of the bestselling book Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense. Rory joined Ogilvy back in 1988 as a trainee, then spent more than twenty years working as a copywriter and creative director before asking a bigger question: why do people actually do what they do? His core idea is that humans are wonderfully irrational, and that this is a strength. The behavioural science practice he helped create is all about spotting small psychological shifts that lead to outsized results in how people behave. His TED talks, including the popular 'Life Lessons from an Ad Man', have been watched millions of times, which makes him one of TED's most viewed marketing thinkers. He writes the Wiki Man column for The Spectator, previously served as President of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), and founded Nudgestock, the biggest festival in the world for behavioural science and creativity, often described as 'Glastonbury for nerds'. His other books include The Wiki Man and Transport for Humans, co-authored with Pete Dyson. Across all of his work, there's a consistent message: logic isn't everything, a 'wrong' idea can sometimes spark a good one, and the biggest improvements usually come from thinking differently, not spending more. Rory lives in Kent, England, and remains advertising's go-to defender of the illogical.

Dan Bennett

Dan Bennett

Dan is trained as a psychologist and is Ogilvy Change's first Choice Architect. He's published in academic journals and has applied behavioural economics to more than 50 of the world's leading brands.

Ogilvy Consulting

Ogilvy Consulting

Ogilvy Consulting builds and runs behavioural strategies across different areas. Their team of Behavioural Strategists draws on the latest academic thinking in social psychology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and behavioural economics to tackle a wide range of challenges. They've helped clients uncover opportunities in everything from reducing dirty-hand incidence in a food factory by 63% with something as simple as a hand-stamp, to saving a business '1.9M by improving call centre agents and scripts. Website : OgilvyConsulting.com Twitter : @OgilvyConsultUK


What we'll cover, in order.

An Introduction to Behavioural Science

Most of our decisions are based on emotion since we only have a small amount of conscious brainpower.
We Are Cognitive Misers
Your Brain’s Bouncer
The Three Stimuli You’ll Always Respond To
Why Ask Rhetorical Questions?
Of Flies and Urinals

How Digital Advertising Works

Behavioural science principles reveal how (digital) advertising works - namely, by exploiting biases and tapping into memory structures.
Modern Skulls, Stone Age Brains
Advertising and Mental Availability
Advertising and Memory Structures
The Psych of Like
Six Principles for Making Sticky Memes

The Magic of Psychometry

Psychometry is historically the kooky claim that you can read someone from their belongings - but experimental research and data analytics suggest it’s a not-so-kooky reality after all.
Understanding People
Explaining the O.C.E.A.N. model a.ka. ‘The Big Five’
Thin Slices
Thin Slices and Predicting Future Behaviour
Digital Footprints
What your digital footprint tells Big Tech about you

Personalising Persuasion

Once you’ve deduced the personality of your target audience, you can design messages that are more likely to resonate with them. In this chapter, we show you how.
The Power of Personalisation
The Three Reasons Why Personalisation Works
Personal Design
Personal Wording
Personal Nudges
Three Types of People

The Nitty Gritty of Targeted Messaging

Engaging people through targeted messaging takes a bit of know-how, from measuring personality to creating self-teaching AI.
Calculating Character
How to measure your audience’s personality scientifically
Putting People into Buckets
Matching and Modelling
Finding Customers Online
The Machine Learning Feedback Loop
The Art of Creating Creative

Brave New World

The free flow of data is bringing a sort-of Age of Aquarius in which everything is in flux and a constant state of revolution; get on board (ethically), or get left behind.
Can it be Ethical?
Four things to bear in mind when designing effective (targeted) messaging
From Traits to States
The Window to the Soul
Stepping into the Future

Certification Process

1

Complete all the classes

Attend classes, ask questions, and finish your homework. We check your activity and support your learning journey every step of the way.

2

Get the Summary Notes

Receive high-quality supporting documents, summary notes, and recommended readings. Ensure you have access to all tools and resources.

3

Complete 100% Impact

Complete the final assessment to validate your learning. Earn your certificate and share your achievement with your professional network!

Behavioural Science for Effective Messaging
Free

This Course Includes:

Level Access
9h of Content
Certificate of Completion
English

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