The recently established University College London Centre for Behavioural Change is an exciting new area to explore for marketers – and more specifically pro-social marketers.

Experts from NHS Health and the UK’s Behaviour Change research funding bodies agree that the worlds between private and public sectors need to converge to make the urgent and eagerly-awaited Behavioural Change research applied, relevant and scalable.

Cue UCL, whose Centre for Behavioural Change could provide a perfect nexus for big brands to source an academic rigour to campaigns that help drive social change across important social areas such as sustainable environment (for example by encouraging recycling), preventative healthcare (such as encouraging exercise and health screening checks), and responsible financial behaviour (for example contributing to your pension), preventing domestic violence and more.

Think of the benefits that might be reached more quickly in these important areas if the money (and reach) of big brands got involved to consistently bring that message to consumers’ front of mind in the ad-breaks between their favourite shows, or even during the Super Bowl.

It seems a ripe opportunity for forward-thinking people in business and academia to stay close to.

Watch this space and this UCL presentation on Delivering Change for Society here.