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About Ryan Hamilton
Ryan Hamilton's research on consumer psychology examines how customers decide what to buy and what brands mean to the people who buy them. He has consulted on pricing, branding and customer experience with Walmart, FedEx, Home Depot, Caterpillar, ConAgra, Cigna, Visa, Estee Lauder and Ipsos, among others.
His co-authored book The Growth Dilemma tackles a problem most growth strategies ignore: every new customer segment a brand attracts has different needs, and segments interact with each other as well as with the brand. Introducing the discipline of customer segment relationship management, Hamilton shows that correctly managed segments create growth that is cheaper, safer and more enduring, and gives leaders strategies for identifying sources of tension and staying out of the conflict zone. His earlier co-authored book, The Intuitive Customer, applies consumer psychology to managing customer experiences, a theme he continues as co-host of The Intuitive Customer podcast.
Ryan's Keynote Topics
Often, marketers focus on the tactics of brand building rather than rooting their brands in marketing strategy. But, according to Goizueta Business School marketing professor Ryan Hamilton, brands are so much more than a list of creative decisions – like what colors, fonts and logos to use – that become codified in a file managed by the legal department. In this engaging presentation, Hamilton draws on his years of research on consumer psychology to argue that the best way to think of a brand is as a memory structure in the minds of customers. Using real-world examples from a range of brands as well as lessons from psychology research and practical guidance, Hamilton shows that managing a brand is really about managing customer memories. Attendees will learn how memories are formed and reinforced, how they can change over time, and how leaders can apply this knowledge to impactful and truly memorable brand building.
There are two main hurdles that keep businesses from taking full advantage of the scientific method. One is philosophical: understanding the power of experiments and the many types of problems they can solve. But, according to Emory University Goizueta Business School marketing professor Ryan Hamilton, even after everyone agrees that a more scientific approach to decision making is a good idea, the second hurdle of developing the tactical skills within an organization to design, build and deploy experiments remains. In this revealing presentation, Hamilton shows how artificial intelligence can come to the rescue, thanks to the fact that AI tools have made nearly every step in the experimental testing process more accessible. Hamilton presents practical advice for using generative AI to develop experimental stimuli, design experimental interventions, analyze and interpret data, and even run simulated experiments using AI in place of human respondents. Audiences will learn the limitations of AI in these contexts and will leave with strategies for overcoming organizational and cultural roadblocks that interfere with deploying experiments in business.
Too often, firms are still segmenting their markets largely on demographic, geographic and behavioral characteristics without getting to the root of what those segments actually want. According to Goizueta Business School marketing professor Ryan Hamilton, if your company’s segmentation efforts can’t answer questions like “What do they value?” “What problems are they trying to solve?” and “What drives their purchase decisions?” the whole point is being missed. In this presentation, Hamilton reveals that a common problem with demographic information is that it rarely diagnoses preferences. Efforts that focus on targeting broad groups such as Millennials or Gen Z deepen the disconnect, he explains. The solution Hamilton provides audiences with is to prioritize “values-based segmentation” – the grouping of people according to what they want, not what they look like. With new tools for deriving maximum insights about customers and a fresh understanding of how values-based segmentation intersects with demographic information, leaders return to their organizations newly empowered to pave the way toward reaching ambitious sales goals.
How can companies leverage the power of AI without compromising their core strategy, consumer trust or brand identity? Businesses today are rushing to adopt AI tools for customer engagement, content generation and strategic insights. AI can be a powerful ally, says Ryan Hamilton, Goizueta Business School marketing professor, but only when businesses maintain intentional control over strategy, clearly define their brand’s meaning and understand how consumers emotionally respond to AI-driven interactions. In this presentation, Hamilton proposes a framework to help organizations capitalize on AI while safeguarding what matters most. Audiences leave with a better understanding of how to harness AI without losing control of their brand or their customer relationships, and how to drive sustainable growth with both innovation and intention.
As brands seek to grow by attracting new customers, are leaders taking into account that every new customer segment has different needs and preferences? According to Emory University Goizueta Business School marketing professor Ryan Hamilton, as new segments are added to the customer base, brands face the challenge of managing both the relationship between the brand and its customers, and between the unique customer segments. In this eye-opening presentation based on his latest book “The Growth Dilemma,” Hamilton shows that when correctly managed, customer segments create growth that is cheaper, safer and more enduring. Introducing a new business discipline – Customer Segment Relationship Management (CSRM) – he emphasizes the importance of focusing on understanding how customer segments will interact with each other. Audiences will learn how properly managed customer segments create opportunities for multiplicative growth. Attendees also gain strategies for identifying different sources of tension, how to avoid “the conflict zone,” and how to escape it if necessary.
By some estimates, as much as 45% of customers’ shopping is habitual. How can understanding human habits apply to both business and personal improvement? According to Goizueta Business School marketing professor Ryan Hamilton, a working knowledge of how habits are formed and broken is highly relevant to many – including marketers looking to change consumer behavior, managers looking to shake employees out of unhelpful behaviors, and even ourselves when trying to figure out why it is so hard to go to the gym in the morning. In one of Hamilton’s most popular sessions, he will draw on the latest psychological research from consumer and non-consumer domains to provide audiences with various examples of the power of behavioral science. Illustrating key learnings on human habits and practical guidance from behavioral science, attendees will leave with immediately applicable strategies to leverage both into powerful marketing initiatives.
Ryan in the Media
My Ebike Delivery Went Missing. When I Tried to Recover It, I Ended Up in Chatbot Hell
How Prominent Brands Manage Different Customer Segments as They Grow
What Customers Really Think About Your AI Experience
Tiny Tweaks That Can Have a BIG Effect (And Why They Sometimes Don’t)
The $10 Bag of Chex Mix That Triggered Airport-Snack Pricing Outrage ($)
#Expert Insight: Price Image Formation: When is HILO low?
The Science of Decision Making
Product Returns Represent Billion-Dollar Strategic Blind Spot for Major Retailers
How Anticipation Warps Our Sense of Time
Apple Continues to Shine Atop the Forbes Most Valuable Brands List
Is Amazon Getting Too Big?
The Intuitive Customer Podcast
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