the science behind
consumer behavior
Gather alongside marketers across the country for a conference that explores the science behind consumer decision-making.
Sign up to hear more about our Fall 2025 Event on September 26 at Newfields
During Unreasonable, we took an in-depth,
research-based look at consumer behavior.
Research continues to show us that consumers don’t make buying decisions rationally. And at Unreasonable, we dove into that research—with talks from the scientists, academics, and creative minds who conducted it. Attendees connected with other marketers, got a closer look at the science behind what makes their consumers tick, and learned how to can use that knowledge to shift their behavior.
Why Unreasonable?
Today many marketing leaders and CEOs continue to cling to the misguided notion that their customers are mostly rational beings—and that their buying decisions are based more on reason than emotion. More logic and less gut. More need and less want.
This misunderstanding is understandable because we humans are all somewhat fooled by our own sense of rationality. But an abundance of research over the past thirty years has revealed that we all actually behave “unreasonably,” often basing decisions on factors we’re not even aware of. This event is a window into this important work, and will hopefully convince you to think very differently about how to communicate with and study consumers and their behavior.
Want a sneak peek at what’s coming?
From FOMO to Fulfillment: The Science of Consumer Behavior | SXSW 2025
At SXSW 2025, Tom Denari (President & CEO, Young & Laramore) moderated a discussion about the hidden factors behind human decision-making.
FEATURING THREE PANELISTS AND ALUMNI SPEAKERS FROM THE UNREASONABLE CONFERENCE:
- KELLY GOLDSMITH (VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY - OWEN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT)
- MICHAEL PLATT (THE WHARTON SCHOOL)
- LAWRENCE WILLIAMS (UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER - LEEDS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS)
We’d like to thank Cummins, our partner in thought leadership, for sponsoring the 2025 conference.
Location
Since its foundation, we’ve proudly hosted the Unreasonable conference at Newfields: A Place for Nature and the Arts. The Newfields Campus spans 152 acres of forests, waterways, gardens, and venues ranging from the Indianapolis Museum of Art to the Tobias Theater—a 530-seat auditorium that Indianapolis Monthly magazine called “the best screening room in Indianapolis.”
Conference attendees spent most of the day in the Tobias Theater, and to enjoy a break for lunch in the Randolph H. Deer Special Events Pavilion.