Behavior Change Communication Strategies

Most communication campaigns inform. Few create genuine understanding. Even fewer change behavior. Volume PR exists to close that gap.

For more than 25 years, Volume PR has pioneered the application of behavioral science to strategic communication. We call this Affective Influence—a framework that positions affect (the body’s felt sense of value and meaning) as the governing variable of human cognition, decision-making, and behavior change. This isn’t theory layered on top of PR. It’s a fundamentally different understanding of how communication works—and it’s the foundation of everything we do.

The Science Behind Our Strategy

Traditional communication strategy assumes a rational audience: deliver the right information, and people will act accordingly. Decades of research in affective neuroscience, psychoneuroimmunology, and behavioral economics reveal a different reality. Human decisions are governed first by affect—by how information feels before it is consciously evaluated. Understanding this changes everything about how we design communication.

Volume PR’s behavioral communication framework integrates insights from:

Affective neuroscience

How emotional and somatic signals shape attention, trust, and decision-making

Behavioral economics

How cognitive biases, framing effects, and choice architecture influence audience behavior

Cognitive psychology

How information is processed, stored, and retrieved—and what this means for message design

Psychoneuroimmunology

How communication environments affect physiological states that determine receptivity and well-being

Applications

Public Health & Social Impact Communication

Designing campaigns that move populations from awareness to action on health behaviors, safety practices, environmental responsibility, and civic engagement. Volume PR’s behavioral approach has been applied to complex challenges including vaccination communication, chronic disease management, and STEM education engagement.

Corporate & Organizational Behavior Change

Internal communication strategies that drive adoption of new processes, cultural transformation, DEI initiatives, or safety programs. We design internal campaigns that don’t just announce change, they create the affective conditions under which people embrace it.

Brand Perception & Narrative Change

When your audience’s perception of your brand, product, or issue doesn’t match reality, Volume PR designs narrative strategies grounded in the science of belief formation and attitude change. This includes reputation repair, market repositioning, and complex issue advocacy.

Policy & Regulatory Communication

Government agencies and advocacy organizations working to shape public understanding of complex policy issues. We translate policy into communication that meets audiences where they are cognitively and emotionally, building understanding that leads to support and compliance.

Affective Influence: The Framework

Affective Influence is Volume PR’s proprietary behavioral communication framework, developed over 25 years by founder Elizabeth Edwards. Recognized by academic colleagues as potential Nobel Prize-level research, Affective Influence challenges foundational assumptions in behavioral economics by demonstrating that affect, not cognition, is the primary driver of human decision-making.

This framework powers every strategy we design. It’s why our communication campaigns don’t just generate awareness. They create the neurological conditions for understanding, trust, and lasting behavior change.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is behavior change communication?

Behavior change communication is the strategic design of messages, campaigns, and communication environments to influence how audiences think, feel, and act. It draws from behavioral science disciplines to create communication that goes beyond awareness to produce genuine understanding and measurable behavior change.

What is Affective Influence?

Affective Influence is Volume PR’s proprietary framework that positions affect—the body’s felt sense of value, meaning, and relevance—as the governing variable of human cognition and decision-making. Developed over 25 years, it integrates insights from affective neuroscience, behavioral economics, and psychoneuroimmunology to create more effective communication strategies.

What industries benefit most from behavior change communication?

Any organization seeking to influence audience behavior benefits from this approach. Volume PR has applied behavioral communication science to healthcare, public health, technology adoption, financial services, education, government, nonprofits, and corporate transformation programs.

How do you measure behavior change from communication campaigns?

We measure across multiple dimensions: awareness and comprehension metrics, sentiment and trust indicators, behavioral intent and self-reported change, actual behavior data where available, and physiological engagement markers. Our measurement frameworks are designed to connect communication activity to tangible behavioral outcomes.