Cultural Imprinting | A Strategy To Resonate Deeply With Consumers
Resonate deeply with consumers on a cultural and identity level
A deep dive into Cultural Imprinting - a less-recognised way for customer experience practitioners to craft strategies beyond emotional engagement and resonate deeply with consumers on a cultural and self-identity level.
Can we easily manipulate consumers?
Are consumers simply puppets at the mercy of every pixelated ad, experience or billboard we produce?
I’m sure you’d agree that consumers rarely conform to any model of perfectly rational or economic behaviour. Still, surely they’re not at our mercy - they can't be that easily manipulated? And would we want to try?
Ads often work through simple associations. You and I use liking as a heuristic for most of our decisions. So, if consumers like something, they're more likely to favour it when purchasing. A Coke ad brimming with smiles forms an association between Coke and positive feelings because that's how our brains work. This is the essence of cognitive psychology, where understanding these connections is pivotal.
This is a process called emotional inception, which establishes a primary association.
But while seeing a Coke ad may create a positive link in our minds, it doesn't guarantee a purchase. Competitive ads are also busy making different associations.
Models of persuasion follow one of two routes: the central route, involving careful, rational consideration, and the peripheral route, relying on quick decisions based on heuristics. Consumers often lean towards the peripheral route, using heuristics like liking, availability, and conformity for decision-making.
Advertising targets this peripheral route by creating associations and aiming to influence our self-image and desires. While it takes repeated exposure to truly rewire our preferences, the fact is that external influences can shape our thoughts without our explicit permission.
That’s associations, contrary to the belief that we're impulsive buyers: most purchases stem from familiarity, habit and associations rather than spontaneous decisions.
It’s bullshit to say everything we buy is on impulse.
I'm pretty sure I’m no different to you.
We’re cautious.
Our brain wants to be flirted with.
We want our ego caressed.
We want to be part of something, and
We’re lazy decision-makers.
It’s just we don’t always recognise it.
When you go to bed tonight, will you have bought anything you had no previous thought or intention of purchasing before you woke up this morning?
Rare is the consumer who impulse buys a new iPhone, a Maldives holiday, a new car, or even a new breakfast cereal on a whim, on impulse and without previous thought.
That’s just not how we usually do things.
Much of what we buy uses memory muscle - we buy the same product most times in the supermarket because it’s salient, available, and straightforward. We’re wired to keep things simple. It makes availability crucial for many repeat purchases.
If it’s out of stock, we’re unlikely to rush to another supermarket to get it - we’ll choose an alternative.
And if we do bother, it’s because our loyalty is driven by memory that overcomes inconvenience - that, for some emotional reason - we only want this product.
What we often mistake for loyalty is repeat buying driven by simplicity of decision-making, availability on the shelf and salience.
It's not always about emotional sway; simplicity and ease often drive our purchases.
Realistically, how a consumer experiences the brand, including ads, needs to be experienced multiple times before they even start to rewrite consumers’ desires.
But my point stands: we can, without permission and over time, alter the contents of minds to prompt consumers to think about scampering off in service of goals that are not theirs.
Because we do buy emotionally. Not everything, and probably only a small proportion of our total buying. The rest of the time, we’re satisfying needs and wants. Meeting our Needs, Wants, and Emotions are the reasons we buy.
We crave relationships, travel in packs and form relationships with ideas - and at its heart, a good experience of a brand is an idea we can attach to.
You and I use liking as a heuristic for virtually all decisions (we decide in favour of things we like), so increasing the chances of a consumer liking something reasonably reliably increases our chances of them purchasing it at some point.
The warm appeal of a Coke ad full of smiling faces will reliably create an association between Coke and positive emotions.
It’s simply how we’re wired.
It’s how our brains work.
Many things make sense once you start seeing things through the priming lens.
This is emotional inception, which, at its simplest, is basic association. Any consumer will associate Coke with positivity after seeing it often enough. It doesn’t mean they’ll buy one, though.
Humans (consumers) rarely spend enough time deciding for it to be considered rational in any way. We’re hard-wired with a few heuristics and use those for almost everything. Liking, availability, and conformity are all we can muster in most cases.
Look at this Corona ad below.
When you see this ad, notice a few things - the attractive person of the gender you're attracted to. The open space, clear skies, and the beach are positive, pleasant sensory cues. The text, ‘Find your beach’, implies that drinking Corona will make you feel similar to these things.
What does this ad mean for you?
I recently asked this question to other readers of my newsletter.
Will you recall it the next time you’re on the beach and buy a Corona?
Is it a signal to relax anywhere with a Corona?
Is it about sharing with a loved one?
Is it trying to prompt instant action to grab the beer?
Dear readers mainly suggested the ad communicated that Corona will make you attractive, calm, and relaxed, which are all nice things. This is emotional inception at work. We all know it exists; most of us can spot it, and few can ignore its effect.
But I reckon it’s more than this.
Great advertising understands that our emotions can be part of a cultural movement.
The ad also establishes another meta-level association between people who drink Corona and those with these qualities.
This is cultural imprinting.
This Corona ad works more strongly on a cultural level: This ad is cultural imprinting. It says, ‘When you want to be seen as one of the boys, grab a Corona because they are all grabbing one too’.
You can seed your audience with a basic image or message for each product, then step back and wait, not for its emotional message but for your audience to decide whether to use the product based on whether they're comfortable with the cultural signal your image sends.
More than just enhancing its power, many people know that a piece of information can also change its meaning. The precise way this works is quite complex and little understood, but it can be highly profound when you think about it.
Here’s a great article about it from Kevin Simpler (who, if I’m correct, created the phrase cultural imprinting). He thinks the types of products where this works best are surprisingly broad. Beer, soft drinks, restaurants, airlines, cars, computers, clothing. Music, movies, and TV shows (we love to share stories about these things, right?)
Even household products send cultural signals, as they'll be noticed when you invite friends over to your home. Any product enjoyed, seen, and discussed in the presence of your peers is ripe for cultural imprinting.
What does this mean?
Look at this ad above.
I think it’s a brilliant ad anyway (nothing about the product, no tagline - it’s all in our heads!). I also believe this is another excellent example: it’s saying serious runners are Nike runners in the rain whilst we drink coffee, so if you want to be seen as part of that culture…
The experience of a brand, from ads, packaging, communications, product design and more is often a metaphor for who the consumer wants to be.
So if we use products for signalling – i.e. ‘What does using this product tell other people about me?’ we can see how this differs from the emotional inception view of how advertising can work on a one-to-one basis.
It explains why targeted digital ads are so ineffective compared to mass outdoor campaigns. When you see a digital ad, for all you know you’re the only one seeing it – so who cares? But when something is plastered all over the place you know everyone else has seen it too – so it becomes important information.
With the Corona and Nike ads, it’s not enough to believe it – we have to know that others think it, too. That way, we know that our signal will be understood when they see us with it.
Some evidence for this idea is that you rarely get extensive ad campaigns for products others don’t see or know you’re using. If a product is used privately (Kevin Simler examples bedsheets), it has no signalling potential, making brand advertising ineffective. Only highly public products (like beer) can employ cultural imprinting to its full effect.
My view?
I think Mr. Simpler is, on balance, more correct than the ‘emotional association’ theory many of us worship.
Q: When you buy a $20,000 watch do you want to know the time, or do you want to make a statement?
A: The latter, of course. But is that statement for you to feel and see, or is it for your tribe to feel and see?
What a product says about you is only important insofar as other people will take notice of your use of it — i.e., if there's social or cultural signalling involved.
There’s logic here.
The impact of ads can go beyond mere emotional appeal by creating a cultural movement. The ads I’ve shown you aren’t just about associating the product with positive emotions; they also tie in with a particular lifestyle or persona.
Ads like these aim for cultural imprinting, signalling not just a product but a sense of belonging or identity.
It's about what others perceive about our product use. This is why some products receive heavy advertising while others, more private in usage, don’t require such extensive promotion.
The implications for your CX strategy.
It explains why mass campaigns might impact more than a targeted digital ad. When an ad is seen by many, it gains a cultural significance that aids in signalling. This means understanding the signalling potential of different media types is crucial in advertising strategy.
This theory also emphasises the importance of common knowledge. For a fact to hold significance, it's not just about everyone knowing it; it's about everyone knowing that everyone else knows it, creating a network of shared understanding and significance.
If you were the only person in the world who had seen an ad - well, the association is inside your head alone. But the cultural imprinting theory says this wouldn’t work since ads need to have been seen by thousands and millions of other people to facilitate signalling. Without that broader knowledge, any association the ad builds is useless.
Consumer behaviour in this context isn't just about personal appreciation; it’s a communal recognition. The bandwagon effect and social proof - where people follow what’s popular - are powerful influencers. This social psychology phenomenon underscores that what many see carries more weight than individual impressions.
What are its strategic implications?
Strategically, its use needs meticulous planning. It hinges on product familiarity, brand recognition, and the scope of public acknowledgement. Products that are widely seen and recognized lend themselves to effective cultural imprinting.
It means working out the signalling potential of different media types and placement before choosing where/how you advertise.
It depends in part on your product familiarity.
It depends on your brand’s level of fame (if you’re an unfamiliar product, it won’t work for you as you’re too unknown to too many).
Cultural imprinting relies on the principle of common knowledge. For a fact to be common knowledge among a group, it's not enough for everyone to know it. Everyone must also know that everyone else knows it — and know that they know that they know it... and so on.
How To Use It
Personalise and Relate: By recognising the cultural values and social markers tied to products, you can tailor experiences that resonate with specific target audiences. Language, imagery, and narratives can be aligned to the cultural identities and values of the consumers. When they feel a brand understands and reflects their cultural identities, it is powerful and enhances the overall experience.
Build Emotional Bonds: Cultural imprinting often triggers emotional responses. You can leverage this by crafting experiences that evoke emotions associated with a specific culture or social identity. Creating a sense of belonging, nostalgia, or aspiration within the customer journey can deeply resonate with individuals and foster a stronger emotional bond with the brand.
Identity Expression: Consumers often use products and brands to express their identity or desired social image. You can design experiences that align with these, allowing them to feel seen, validated, and empowered through their interactions with our brand.
Cultural Insights for Innovation: Understanding the cultural implications behind consumer choices can give you valuable insights for innovation. Examples include developing products, services, and experiences that align with specific cultural markers, creating a more profound, more meaningful impact on the customer. Do some brainstorming on what your target archetypes will be talking about next. You can be a cultural trendsetter! (Move over, fashion runways; the real shows are in the cx department!).
Research and Understand Cultural Cues: Conduct a thorough study into the cultural nuances and values relevant to your target audience. Understand what cultural symbols, narratives, and values are meaningful to them.
Customise Experiences: Tailor experiences in ways that reflect and resonate with these cultural cues. Ensure your messaging and offerings align with the cultural identities your customers relate to.
Create Inclusive Experiences: Embrace diversity and inclusivity in your strategies. Acknowledge and celebrate various cultural identities within your customer base, ensuring everyone feels represented and valued.
Consistent Brand Storytelling: Maintain a consistent brand narrative that aligns with the cultural identity you want to convey. You’ll need to ensure this story is embedded across all touchpoints to maintain a cohesive and immersive experience.
Leveraging Cultural Imprinting in CX Strategies
By incorporating insights from cultural imprinting into your strategies, you can create experiences that are not just transactional but emotionally resonant.
This robust approach, woven around cultural significance, fosters a more profound connection, loyalty, and identification with brands.
Your views matter. Drop a comment to continue the conversation.
If you’d like more reading on this topic:
*Kahneman, Thinking Fast and Slow
A great article about imprinting from Kevin Simpler
The framing effect, as proposed by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman
Social anthropologist Grant McCracken, in his book Culture and Consumption explores how products and brands become intertwined with cultural meaning and how consumers use them to signal aspects of their identity