When I read “The Choice Factory”, I stopped looking at myself as just a human being. What I found was a universe of intricate and specific biases, some of which I was completely unaware of, and others that I merely thought of as personality traits. Wrong. In the 21^st century, the age of abundance and desire for instant consumer gratification, I am no longer a simple human being. I am a product scanner who decodes advertising messages following an inherent system of complex behavioral biases. And the latter is precisely what Richard Shotton’s book “The Choice Factory” is presenting.

To say we are complex creatures is one part of the equation. We are complex, because we are the sole species with cognitive brain abilities and a skill for “strategic planning and decision making as well as "multi-tasking", as pointed by Oxford University. At the same time we are very simple – because we operate under very similar and basic stimuli. In Shotton’s book and Amazon bestseller, the author and marketing professional whose career spans across from working in media to specializing in applying behavioral science to business problems, reveals the driving forces behind people’s decisions on what to buy, with the mission to help companies understand what drives consumer choice. In what he calls “behavioral shortcuts”, Richard outlines simple ways to apply this knowledge to some of the challenges that marketers face today.

With translations in 12 languages, Richard Shotton’s book is now also available in Bulgarian through “Asenevtsi Publishing House”.

“If you’re in the business of marketing, you’re in the business of behaviour change. You need people to change their behaviour, not just their thoughts. And if that’s the case why wouldn’t you draw on behavioural science, a catalogue of studies that shows you what effectively changes behaviour. Hopefully, the publication of “The Choice Factory” in Bulgarian will increase the numbers of brands harnessing this topic, “ the author told bTV Media Group upon the release of the Bulgarian edition.

Editor Kristina Petrova shares "Having spent years publishing nonfiction, we are always on the lookout for titles that will enrich readers' knowledge and help them learn more not only about themselves, but about the world around them. Trying to find a book simplifying the principles of advertising for advertisers and business owners, I came across Richard Shotton's British Publishers (Harriman House). The title The Choice Factory instantly caught my attention. It didn't take long discussion in our editorial office before we concluded that we had to publish it. From his book we learn 25 behavioral tendencies that make us buy. It's safe to say that learning about these tendencies is invaluable for any reader. From the average consumer, to the advertiser, to the business owner wanting to sell more, the techniques and intricacies of advertising are what drive the world of sales. With this book, we give Bulgarian readers long-sought answers to the question "Why does this sell so much?" that many of us ask ourselves every day."

The book is available from December 4^th online and in bookstores. Richard is active online and you can read more about his understanding of consumer choice and advertising strategies in bTV Media Group’s interview upon the publication of his second book this year – “The Illusion of Choice: 16 ½ psychological biases that influence what we buy”.

Written By Konstantina Bandutova