Phil Barden Profile Picture

Keynote SpeakerPhil Barden

Managing Director DECODE marketing ltd

Phil Barden is a brand expert, author and speaker who combines his years in client-side brand management with a scientific approach to understanding how people make decisions, a key factor in successful branding and marketing. He was the force behind one of the earliest viral videos in the UK, T-Mobile’s... Read more

Biography

Phil Barden is a brand expert, author and speaker who combines his years in client-side brand management with a scientific approach to understanding how people make decisions, a key factor in successful branding and marketing. He was the force behind one of the earliest viral videos in the UK, T-Mobile’s iconic Liverpool Street Station flashmob dance video.

This success led Phil to found the UK arm of DECODE, the marketing agency behind the groundbreaking study that revealed the neuro-psychological drivers of human behaviour. The iconic T-Mobile campaign increased sales by almost 50 per cent and helped reduce customer churn in the years that followed.

Phil Barden has a profound understanding of what drives consumer habits and, most importantly, how to instill brand loyalty, or brand memory structure. His expertise lies in applying behavioural science to marketing. In 2022 he published the second edition of his 2013 book Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy, in which he sets out the six universal goals that motivate people – autonomy, discipline, excitement, adventure, security and enjoyment.

Before setting up DECODE, Phil Barden spent many years in client-side marketing, working for Diageo, T-Mobile and Unilever, where he held several senior marketing roles.

Phil is a regular guest on business and marketing podcasts and his keynotes unpick the science behind human behaviour, AI and marketing, branding, marketing and audiences. In 2022 Phil was elected a Fellow of the Marketing Society.

“This was excellent. No, actually it was more than excellent” Elyse Kane. VP Insights. Colgate Palmolive. North America
“You were a smash hit with the team” Daniel McCaskey. VP, Advertising and Media at Capital One
“Thank you, Phil, for an exceptional masterclass for our Executive MBA last evening - a superb insight into better marketing decision making with clear commercial impact. Looking forward to your next book” Sionade Robinson. Associate Dean and Professor at Cass Business School
“Incredibly inspiring session; loved his passion and the simplicity with which Phil explained complicated concepts, could have listened to him for another 2 hours!!” “Best so far when it comes to speakers” 81% of delegates scored Phil 5/5 in terms of usefulness, learning value and enjoyment APG and IPA on the ‘Planning Skills’
“The only external speaker to have been invited back to speak again at the conference the following year”. Soren Flensborg, SVP Marketing, Carlsberg Group
“Can I just say that I have attended quite a few of the recent ICG webinars and I thought this one stood out – very strong and knowledgeable speaker, very thought provoking and with some great illustrations/proof points”. Geoff Fitzgerald, Managing Director, Technology Research Ltd.

Popular Talks by Phil Barden

  • Decoding Value Perception: How Consumers Define ‘Worth It’

    In a cost-of-living crisis, how does the brain determine value for money? A £1 ice cream is value, but so is a £5,000 handbag. Understanding the neuroscience behind value perception helps businesses shape pricing, positioning, and messaging.

  • AI in Marketing: From Confusion to Competitive Advantage

    AI feels like a fast-moving black box – many brands dont trust it but know they need to act. This session demystifies AI and provides practical ways to leverage it, especially in creative brand communications, providing best practices and real-world examples of how global brands are using...

  • Brain-Friendly Marketing: Optimizing Ads, Promotions & Shopper Engagement

    The brain processes all marketing stimuli from ads and packaging, to promotions, according to known principles. Applying ‘brain-friendly’ techniques improves effectiveness across all marketing activities. Using real-life case studies to prove how neuroscience-backed strategies can help brands increase profitability and market share.

  • Winning Consumer Attention: Why People Don’t Choose Your Brand (Yet)

    Most businesses think theyre special, but the reality is that consumers dont care. So how do you make them choose your brand? The secret lies in understanding human motivation and decision-making in order to develop actionable strategies that motivate the consumer and increase brand preference...