Pages: 6

In this introduction to the book, we summarise our ABC approach, explaining how we have structured the book to enable marketers to apply theory to practice by considering the audience, then brand perception, then presenting customers with a choice.

Pages: 9

In this first chapter we introduce you to psychology, explaining how the field has grown and why it is important for marketing. We also discuss technological changes that have affected customer behaviour and how these changes affect marketers that apply psychology to their work.

Pages: 23

In this chapter, we explore what makes each customer different and why this knowledge is valuable for you as a marketer. While it's common to segment target audiences based on demographics such as age, gender, or geographic location, these criteria alone don't offer a complete picture of your customers. There are many psychological theories that can help marketers better understand customer behaviour, such as personality traits, cultural influences, and perceived socioeconomic status. As you read this chapter, please keep in mind the importance of avoiding stereotypes: Those broad, oversimplified assumptions about a set of criteria that can lead to biased thinking.

Pages: 29

In this chapter, we consider how your customers' disposition (their ‘outlook’ at a particular moment) affects their behaviour. This is often called ‘mindset’, popularised by Carol Dweck (2006) in her book which focuses on attitudes towards self-development (‘growth’ or ‘fixed’ mindset according to whether a person wants to increase their intelligence). There are a wide range of considerations included within this chapter, such as whether the customer feels positively (attitude) towards the topic of discussion, what they value or believe about the world, and what motivates them. These considerations will help you to understand your customers' point of view, create detailed personas, and effective messaging.

Pages: 36

In this chapter, we consider the role of social dynamics and how they influence customer behaviour. Understanding how customers view themselves – how they develop relationships, compare themselves to others, and assess their place within social groups – will help you develop marketing that truly resonates. Brains are wired to interpret and respond to the actions of others, meaning that customer decisions are often shaped by subtle cues, group norms, and social comparisons. By recognising these patterns, marketers can better understand audience behaviour in real-world contexts.

Pages: 51

A brand is “a name that influences buyers” (Kapferer, 2008). In this chapter, we want you to consider what customers will think when they learn about your brand, and how you can affect this. First, you need them to know that your brand exists, so how will you generate that awareness? What do you want customers to then think and feel? Perhaps this can be encapsulated through stories and language that engages them. In a digital environment, sound and pictures will be key to this, but what will customers recall about your brand? All of this will lay the groundwork for making product or service-based choices.

Pages: 17

In this chapter we explore how a customer's perception of a brand is guided by the people representing the brand. Very often messages are conveyed by a person, so what difference does this make? Here we present evidence that people make quick judgements about others, including assessing whether we like them, believe them, or respect them. This knowledge will help you select appropriate people to communicate your brand messages.

Pages: 27

We now look at how customers assess options to make a decision. What affects choices? In this chapter, we consider how memories can affect decision-making. According to Charan Ranganath (2025), the key to making memories stick in the brain is ‘attention’ and ‘intention’: Attract attention to the information and encourage an intention to remember that information. Memories are then held within the brain as ‘engrams’ (Semon, 1921), electrochemical structures that capture cognitive information. However, some memories might relate to a general idea, whereas others are very precise such as facts and figures about a product. Memories can be gained through experiences, but people vary in the degree to which they seek and retain new information. Relying on memory can also be problematic when memories are inaccurate. There is much to think about here, including the influence of existing memories and ability to make new information memorable.

Pages: 56

In this final chapter, we explore how customers assess the value of different choices – and how those assessments are shaped by bias. While price is often the most visible factor, customers rarely judge a price in isolation. Instead, they compare a price to a reference point and also rely on mental shortcuts (known as ‘heuristics’), such as avoiding risk and loss, valuing the efforts of themselves and others, and sometimes being influenced by emotions. By recognising these psychological biases and understanding how customers frame value, marketers can design experiences that feel more rewarding. This can lead to small but powerful moments of positive customer behaviour, as we'll see in the next case study.