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Once upon a time, marketers were the charming persuaders who could spin, shine and sell with a snappy headline or emotional hook. But today’s consumers are taking a big step back, researching, comparing, asking friends and thinking painstakingly about every decision.
Consumer behaviour is highly sensitive to external economic conditions, and our current cost-of-living crisis is resulting in a significant change in how consumers perceive value, make decisions and engage with brands. When faced with financial constraints, consumers become more deliberate, price-conscious and risk-averse.
What we’re seeing now is a fundamental shift in what consumers need from us and what marketing needs to become in response. In short: helping is the new hustling.
The long game of trust
Economic pressure changes the psychology of decision-making. People become more cautious, more rational and more emotionally conflicted. They still want the best, but they’re hyper-aware of risk.
That’s why the most impactful marketing today happens well before a sale. It’s in the pre-purchase research phase, where brands act as guides rather than sellers. We help consumers explore options, ask questions, understand trade-offs and feel seen in their decision-making process.
At AIB, our consumer behaviour subject teaches the importance of the full consumer decision-making journey: from need recognition and information search during the pre-purchase stage, through to post-purchase evaluation. We often describe the customer journey as a series of interconnected touchpoints, those micro-stages of interaction that guide the customer from pre-purchase through purchase and into post-purchase. When these touchpoints are well-designed, they can actively build trust, reduce friction and deepen engagement.
Customer experience is the new competitive edge
Customer experience is imperative as a competitive advantage for companies. This is where tools like customer journey mapping and experience audits become even more vital. They allow marketers to understand not just what the customer is doing but how they’re feeling at every stage of the interaction. Where are the friction points? Where is confidence faltering? What could we do to be genuinely helpful?
The TCQ framework – Touchpoints, Context and Qualities – is a fantastic tool to assess these moments. Whether someone is navigating a clunky checkout or hesitating over a return policy, these are all ‘moments of truth’ – those pivotal points in the journey where the customer’s expectations are either met, exceeded, or disappointed.
When brands deliver above expectations, these moments become ‘wow’ experiences, generating positive responses and garnering long-term loyalty. These moments are often shared socially or remembered fondly, turning satisfied customers into advocates.
Conversely, when the experience falls short, such as delays, poor service, confusing interfaces, or unfulfilled promises, those same ‘moments of truth’ become pain points. These negative encounters can cause frustration, break trust and disrupt the journey entirely. The consequences are serious: abandoned purchases, lack of repeat business and damaging word-of-mouth.
Behavioural insight over blanket strategy
To truly embrace marketing’s new mandate to help, not hustle, we need to stop guessing what consumers want and start deeply understanding who they are, what drives them and how we can support their decision-making with empathy and insight.
Historically, consumers of the 20th century were largely conformist, shaped by social norms and mass media, and tended to follow rather than challenge the market (Oszust & Stecko, 2020). They were less informed, exhibited lower awareness of their rights and responsibilities, and rarely questioned the ethics of the products they consumed.
However, the modern consumer is radically different. Today’s consumers are more informed, more empowered and far more engaged. They are digital natives or digital adopters with high levels of consumer awareness. They value authenticity, ethical practices and sustainability, and they expect transparency from brands.
Brands that succeed are those that tailor their messages to align with the values, self-concept and emotional drivers of their audiences. This is where insights from behavioural theories, like trait theory or motivation-related theories, can provide valuable direction in campaign development and segmentation strategy.
So, where does all of this leave the modern marketer?
In my view, we need to reimagine what qualifies someone as a marketer in the first place. The best marketers today think like behavioural scientists, act like service designers and lead like community builders. They help people make sense of things. They act as a true, trusted partner.
In challenging economic climates or when trust in institutions is fragile, the ability to influence decision-making positively becomes even more critical. This requires a shift from short-term persuasion to long-term relationship-building. Businesses must meet consumers where they are, not just in terms of platform but in terms of mindset, and guide them through a journey that feels respectful, intuitive and supportive.
It’s time we recognised that the real work of marketing isn’t about persuasion, it’s problem-solving. It’s about reducing anxiety, increasing confidence and simplifying complexity – giving people a clear path forward when the world feels overwhelming.
The brands that thrive will be the ones that show up with sincerity, invest in connection and replace the hustle with helpfulness. In doing so, they’ll earn something even more valuable than attention: trust.
Dr Bora Qesja is an award-winning academic and marketing expert. In 2024, Qesja was one of four finalists for the Most Inspirational MBA Lecturer Award in Australasia. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (University of Adelaide), MSc in Luxury Goods and Services (International University of Monaco), BSc in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (Jacobs University) and has more than 10 years of experience working in academia and industry.
Lorna Jane Clarkson leans into helping not hustling with her podcast series Never Give Up
