The Great British Brag Off: How to Show Off Without Offending the Neighbours

In sales is it important to blow your own trumpet?

Pull up a chair and pop the kettle on. It's time to talk about boasting. Not the wine and dine, hire a brass band kind of boasting. We mean the art of sharing success in a way that feels more thank you card and less Piccadilly Circus billboard. Across cultures, there is a fine line between celebrating and showing off.

The average Brit wades through roughly one thousand seven hundred banner ads every month, enough to wallpaper your gran's bungalow. Meanwhile Americans can see upwards of four thousand to ten thousand ads per day, though experiments suggest they only notice about one hundred of them. No wonder the phrase “skip ad” is everyone's favourite button.

In a 2022 study, ninety percent of UK consumers said they remember a brand if its ad makes them laugh, while nearly half feel disconnected if it does not. The Brits love a joke and research shows it actually pays to lighten up.

Trust in UK advertising climbed from thirty percent in 2022 to thirty nine percent in 2024. Young adults between eighteen and thirty four drove the change, boosting their trust by sixteen points. Over fifty fives budged by only three points, which may explain the generational divide about TikTok dance videos.

Speaking of TikTok, the average Brit spends forty nine hours and twenty nine minutes a month scrolling. That is almost two full days. More than eighty percent of us are active on social media. Compare that with China where ninety one percent of internet users have at least one social media account and they clock more than one and a half hours per day. No wonder Chinese shoppers are influenced by influencers. About eighty percent say they are more likely to buy if someone they follow recommends a product. Its no wonder that estate agents are becoming influencers, or at least trying to. Some much more successfully than others.

Only thirty percent of Brits declare loyalty to a brand, whereas forty four percent of Americans do. Brits like to shop around and they are more price sensitive, perhaps because the UK has a lower per capita income. It is not that British consumers are less discerning, but they weigh cost against value.

In the Middle East, almost half the population is under twenty five and they have high incomes and a taste for luxury. Brand status matters and big names dominate the market. A few major corporations own most of the market share. New products struggle unless endorsed by trusted partners. Places like Dubai love a branded residence and they are catching on here, to capture these buyers.

Personality matters too. A meta review of one hundred eighty two studies found, unsurprisingly, that extroverts are more likely to post, spend more time online and create content because they enjoy social attention. Introverts tend to avoid self promotion. They share value or insights instead of broadcasting personal triumphs. That style aligns well with British sensibilities where bragging is sometimes frowned upon. We wonder of this is changing or we just like to think it is.

Humble bragging does not work. Experiments show that combining a boast with a complaint makes people like you less. People overestimate how positive others will feel about their boasts and underestimate the annoyance. Better to tell the truth and laugh at yourself. The good news is that sharing credit solves the problem. Studies find that when people mention colleagues or clients alongside their achievements, they are seen as more competent and trustworthy. It is like a group photo: you are in the picture, but so are the people who made the moment happen. Because there is nothing more British than a little humility, a lot of humour and a nod to the team that got you there.