Culture & Consumerism: How Our Roots Shape What We Buy
Issue#7
Ever wondered why certain brands just feel right? Culture plays a huge role in how we connect with products, ads, and even brand values (Kotler & Keller, 2022).
As a British Sikh, my cultural background influences not just how I market, but also how I shop. From faith-based ethics to community-driven values, cultural elements shape the way businesses engage with diverse audiences.
Culture: The Unseen Hand in Marketing
Culture is more than food, fashion, or festivals—it’s a mindset that shapes our values, beliefs, and buying behaviour (Solomon et al., 2021).
Whether it’s supporting brands that align with sustainability, valuing quality over convenience, or being drawn to businesses that celebrate diversity, culture is always in play.
Values Matter: The Power of Cultural Identity
Take the Sikh principle of Seva (selfless service)—it naturally leads me to brands that give back. Companies championing ethical supply chains, charity work, or fair trade resonate more with me as both a marketer and a consumer (Schiffman & Wisenblit, 2019).
Similarly, many from culturally rich backgrounds lean toward businesses that reflect their traditions, vegan skincare, or representation in media.
Community & Trust: Word-of-Mouth Marketing
In many cultures, including mine, word-of-mouth is king.
Trust is built within communities, and recommendations from family, friends, or respected figures carry more weight than any billboard or Google ad (Keller, 2021).
That’s why influencer marketing and testimonials work so well—people trust people, not just logos.
Final Thought: Marketing with Meaning
For brands, recognising cultural influences isn’t just about selling—it’s about connecting. Whether through inclusive advertising, ethical business practices, or understanding the values of different communities, the best marketing isn’t just seen—it’s felt.
As a British Sikh marketer, I see the impact of culture on both sides—how businesses shape their messages and how consumers, like me, respond.
So next time you see a brand that truly speaks to you, ask yourself: Is it just great marketing, or does it align with who I am?
Brain Hacks: How Cognitive Learning Shapes What We Buy
Issue#6
Ever feel like brands just get you? That’s not luck—it’s science!
Marketers use cognitive learning to shape how we think, remember, and react to their messages (Kotler & Keller, 2022). Whether it’s that song stuck in your head or a brand slogan you can recall in your sleep, cognitive learning is doing its thing!
Wait… What’s Cognitive Learning?
Cognitive learning is all about how we absorb, process, and use information. It’s the reason you remember Nike’s “Just Do It” but forget what you had for lunch yesterday (Solomon et al., 2021). Brands use repetition, storytelling, and problem-solving cues to lock their messages into your brain.
The Power of Repetition: Say It Again!
Ever wonder why you keep seeing the same ad over and over? That’s because repetition reinforces memory (Schiffman & Wisenblit, 2019). The more we see or hear something, the more likely we are to believe it’s true. It’s why brands hammer home their taglines—so when you think of sneakers, you instantly think Nike.
Learning by Doing: Ever Tried Before You Buy?
Hands-on experiences also boost learning. Free samples, interactive ads, and virtual try-ons engage us on a deeper level, making brands feel familiar and trustworthy (Keller, 2021).
That’s why companies let you “test drive” products—because once you try it, you’re more likely to buy it!
Shaping Consumer Choices—Without You Noticing
Marketers also tap into problem-solving learning. If an ad makes you think, “That solves my problem!”, you’re more likely to remember it (Aaker, 2019).
That’s why tutorials, explainer videos, and customer success stories are everywhere—they make brands feel useful.
Final Thought: Who’s Teaching Who?
Cognitive learning isn’t just a one-way street—consumers are getting smarter, too. We filter ads, research products, and make informed choices.
So next time a brand sticks in your mind, ask yourself: Did I learn this, or was I taught?
Mind Games: How Attitudes and Beliefs Shape What We Buy
Issue#5
Marketing isn’t just about flashy ads or catchy slogans—it’s a mind game! The way we think, feel, and believe about brands plays a massive role in what we buy (Kotler & Keller, 2022). Ever wondered why you swear by one coffee brand while your friend insists another is so much better?
That’s attitudes and beliefs in action!
The Power of Attitudes: More Than Just a Mood
Attitudes are like our shopping compass—they guide our choices based on past experiences, emotions, and social influences (Solomon et al., 2021). Marketers tap into this by crafting feel-good stories and emotional ads (Aaker, 2019).
Think about those heart-warming holiday commercials—they’re not just selling a product; they’re selling how it makes you feel!
Beliefs: The Invisible Hand Behind Every Purchase
Beliefs shape our reality. If we believe a brand is eco-friendly, high-quality, or the best value for money, we’re more likely to choose it (Schiffman & Wisenblit, 2019). That’s why influencer reviews, and word-of-mouth recommendations are marketing gold.
When someone we trust vouches for a brand, our belief in the product skyrockets.
Marketing Magic: Changing Minds, One Ad at a Time
Brands constantly work to shift our attitudes and beliefs—whether it’s rebranding for a fresh image or launching a bold ad campaign to challenge perceptions (Keller, 2021). Take sustainability, for example, Companies that once focused purely on price now highlight their green credentials to attract eco-conscious consumers.
Final Thought: You’re In the Driver’s Seat!
At the end of the day, marketers may play the mind game, but you call the shots.
Your attitudes and beliefs shape your shopping choices—so next time you reach for a product, ask yourself: Why do I believe this is the best?
How can we Segment our audience to create the best Strategies?
Issue#4
Do you have the best product for your consumers, but you feel like none of your customers are connecting with you? Well, there could be a lot of reasons…, but one of the biggest reasons on why this could be happening is because you are not segmenting your audience and trying to market your product to all your customers the way! Let’s talk about this…
Segmenting your audience can be one of the most powerful tools that you do (Tarver, 2024), but where do you need to start?
Well, you need to start with the basics to begin with, focusing on demographic and geographic, this helps you to understand how old your consumers are and where your consumers will be based, are they world-wide, are they just based in United Kingdom or are your services just based in Nottingham? Once you understand the geographic of your audience, then let’s look at who your audience are, are they 8-10 year old’s or are they 18-45 years old? Once you understand this, that is when you can affectively target your audience an 8-year-old child may only have use of a tablet to watch YouTube videos were as an 18 year old will have access to a phone which in this day and age, we can access all sorts on social media such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
It is very important that you segment your audience to then be able to set strategies in place, checkout our next blog post so you can find out how you can outline your strategy’s.
How can we Analyse our Behaviour?
Issue #3
Do we really understand how consumers? If you think so, how do you? Is it because of how they interact with your products and brand? Is it because you go out and talk to all your customers every month? Can you just be thinking about what your consumers want and make sure you’re providing them with that service? Well in this Blog we will be discussing all of the above!
Behavioural analytics is the process of collecting and analysing data from the actions performed by a consumer of a product shown on either your website or app, with this data you can see how consumers interact with the digital experience and make decisions about how to improve your digital products in the future (Busch, 2022).
An example of a consumer’s behaviour relevant to behavioural analytics:
- Creating an account
- Filling out an online form
- Abandoning a cart
- Purchasing a subscription
These behaviours are known as event-based analytics, these are tracked to reveal user preferences, intentions and habits.
So, if you are a digital marketer who is working in the education sector, why don’t you put out a form for your audience to get an understanding of how they feel about your service and your products that you provide, this may be a new document or a new course that your looking to realise, allow your consumers to give you feedback on how they feel, why? So that you can provide an even better service or product for when with their feedback in mind!
How Variables can impact your consumer Behaviour.
Issue#2
Do you really understand how certain variables can impact your consumers no matter the field that you operate in? In this blog, we will be discussing how they can no matter if you’re in the educational sector, media sector or even the retail sector.
The variables that can impact your consumer behaviour can be such things such as psychological factors, social factors, cultural factors, personal factors, economic factors and technological factors (Clooktrack 2023).
These being the 6 primary factors that impact consumer behaviour.
- The Psychological factors – These can be factors much as motivation, perception learning and attitudes and beliefs that are powerful determinants of consumer behaviour. For example, when a need becomes pressing for a consumer, it triggers a motivational state that directs our behaviour towards fulfilling that need. An example of this can be within the education sector, if a learner has completed all training required for the given standard and does not have an End-Point Assessment Organisation this will trigger the motivation for the training provider to find an EPAO regardless of price or service due to the urgency, (Clooktrack 2023).
- The social factors – As humans we are social beings, we are influenced by what is around us, from the moment we step into this world, our friends and family and social circles shape our preferences and attitudes, which then leads us ultimately to our buying behaviour (Cloocktrack 2023).
- The personal factors – This can change from person to person within the marketplace it can include such things such as age, life cycle stage, occupation, income levels and lifestyle choices (Cloocktrack 2023). An example of this would be a gentlemen who is 35 years old, who is a company owner with a net worth of £100,000 would be more inclined to buy an iPhone 16 outright, rather than a 35 year old who is working as a PAYE earning £20,000 each year with a take home of £1,333 after tax, each month, as the iPhone is £1,349.00, therefore more than a month’s salary for gentlemen 2 therefore is less likely to purchase the phone (Apple (UK), 2022.
January 2025
Issues #01
Happy new year!
Expanding minds through excellence.
We are incredibly excited about the opportunities ahead and remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of assessment excellence.
As we begin 2025, we are excited to share our vision and focus for the year ahead. Building on our achievements from the past year, our dedication to delivering high-quality End Point Assessments remains stronger than ever.
We are proud to announce the release of our updated EPA Guides, shaped by valuable feedback from Ofqual. These guides have been carefully revised to provide clearer instructions, improved structure, and enhanced resources for both apprentices and clients. Our goal is to make the EPA journey as transparent and supportive as possible.
Access Our Updated EPA Guides Today! Explore our newly updated EPA Guides and ensure you’re fully prepared for success.
Expansion of Quality Practitioner
We are excited to announce the introduction of the Quality Practitioner into our portfolio. This new standard focuses on equipping professionals with the skills and knowledge to drive quality improvements within their organisations. By offering assessments in this area, we aim to support businesses in embedding a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
Thank you for being part of our journey, and we look forward to connecting with you this year.
Here’s to a productive and impactful 2025!