THE INFLUENCE OF

CULTURE ON CONSUMER

BUYING BEHAVIOUR

WHAT IS CULTURE

• “A system of values and norms that are shared among a group of people and that when taken together constitute a design for living.”

• Hofstede, Namenwirth and Weber

There are more than 160 definitions of culture

“Communicable knowledge, learned behavior passed on from

generation to generation”

“ An Integrated system of learned behavior patterns that are

distinguishing characteristic of the members of a given

society

“ The collective programming of the mind which distinguishes

the members of one group or category from those of another

WHAT IS CULTURE?• It is the sum total of learned beliefs, values, and

customs that serve to direct the consumer

behaviour of members of a particular society.• The belief and value components of our definition refer to the

accumulated feelings and priorities that individuals have about ‘things’ and possessions.

• More precisely, beliefs consist of the very large number of mental or verbal statements that reflect a person’s particular knowledge and assessment of something.

• Values also are beliefs. Values differ from other beliefs, however, because they meet the following criteria:

1. They are relatively few in number

2. They serve as a guide for culturally appropriate behaviour

3. They are enduring or difficult to change

4. They are not tied to specific objects or situations

5. They are widely accepted by the members of a society.

• Therefore, in a broad sense, both values and beliefs are mental images that affect a wide range of specific attitudes that, in turn, influence the way a person is likely to respond in a specific situation. For example, the criteria a person uses to evaluate alternative brands in a product category (such as Volvo versus Jaguar automobiles), or his or her eventual preference for one of these brands over the other, are influenced by both a person’s general values ( perceptions as to what constitutes quality and the meaning of country of origin) and specific beliefs ( particularly perceptions about the quality of Swedish-made versus English-made cars).

• In contrast to beliefs and values, customers are overt modes of behaviour that constitute culturally approved or acceptable ways of behaving in specific situations.

• Customs consist of everyday or routine behaviour. For example, a consumer’s routine behaviour, such as adding sugar and milk to coffee, putting ketchup on hamburgers, putting mustard on frankfurters, and having a salad after rather than before the main course of a meal, are customers. Thus, whereas beliefs and values are guides for behaviour, customs are usual and acceptable ways of behaving.

• By our definition, it is easy to see how an understanding of various cultures of a society helps marketers predict consumer acceptance of their products.

• To produce and sell internationally, you must think of what the culture in that particular country demands.

• Businesses need to advertise and in order for customers to get the message of advertisement, it must be said in a language that can be easily understood.

For example a multinational company advertising its products in China, has to use a language that can

easily be understood ( of course Chinese), when advertising in Japan ( Japanese) , in Korea (Korean

Language), in England ( English) in France (French), in the USA (English) in Brazil (Brazilian), in

Malaysia ( Malaysian), in Portugal ( Portuguese), in Italy (Italian) etc.

• In producing products, businesses have to think of the components, aesthetics, Shape, size, quality, texture etc. For example British cars are different from other cars because of the positioning of the stirring. In other countries say France, USA etc the stirring appears to the left, but in Britain, it appears to the right. The style of driving differs in Britain compared to other countries say France, USA. For example cars are driven to the left but in France, USA, Cameroon etc cars are driven to the right. These are a few examples

• Therefore when designing cars for the British market, the car should be designed to suit the British culture and when designing cars for say the US, French or Japanese market etc, it should be designed to fit the culture.

Element of Culture

A. Language

• Spoken Language• Written Language• Official Language

• Body Language: eye contact, posture, gesture, distance, dressing,

Movement, facial expression:

• International LanguageB. Religion

• Beliefs and Norms• Sacred Objects• Philosophical Systems

• Prayer/ Rituals• Leading Religious of the World

C. Values and Attitudes

Toward

• Time (Monochromic (V.S) Polychromic)• Achievement• Work• Change• Risk Taking

D. Education

• Literacy Level• Formal Education• Vocational Training• Human Resource Planning• Primary / Secondary / High education

E. Social Organization

• Social Institutions• Authority Structure• Interest Groups• Status Systems• Social Mobility

F. Technology and Material Culture

• Science• Invention• Energy Systems• Communications• Tools and Objects• Urbanization

G. Politics

• Nationalism• National Interests• Power• Ideologies• Political Risks• Sovereignty

H. Law

• Common Law• Code Law• Foreign law• Home / Host Country Law• Regulation / Antitrust Policy• International Law

COMPONENTS OF CULTURE

• Values: Abstract ideas/assumptions about what a group believes to be good, right and desirable

• Norms: social rules and guidelines that prescribe appropriate behavior in particular situations

• Folkways: Routine conventions of everyday life.– Little moral significance– Generally, social conventions such as dress codes, social

manners, and neighborly behavior• Mores: Norms central to the functioning of society and its social

life– Greater significance than folkways– Violation can bring serious retribution

• Theft, adultery, incest and cannibalism

DETERMINANTS OF CULTURE:

• Social structure

• Religion

• Language

• Education

• Economic philosophy

• Political philosophy

THE INVISIBLE HAND OF CULTURE• Consumers both view themselves in the context of their culture and react to

their environment based upon the cultural framework that they bring to that experiences. Each individual perceives the world through his own cultural lens.

• The impact of culture is so natural and automatic that its influence on behaviour is usually taken for granted. For instance, when consumer researchers ask people why they do certain things, they frequently answer, ‘because it’s the right thing to do.’ This seemingly superficial response partially reflects the ingrained influence of culture on our behaviour. Often it is only when we are exposed to people with different cultural values or customs ( as when visiting a different region or a different country) that we become aware of how culture has molded our own behaviour. Thus a true appreciation of the influence that culture has on our daily life requires some knowledge of at least one other society with different cultural characteristics. For example, to understand that brushing our teeth twice a day with flavoured toothpaste is a cultural phenomenon requires some awareness that members of another society either do not brush their teeth at all or do so in a distinctly different manner than or own society.

CULTURE SATISFISES NEEDS• Culture exists to satisfy the needs of the people within a

society. It offers order, direction, and guidance in all phases of human problem solving by providing ‘ tried and-true’ methods of satisfying physiological, personal, and social needs. For example, culture provides standards and ‘rules’ about when to eat , where to eat what to eat, what is appropriate to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner; what to eat at a wedding or even at a picnic.

• Culture is also associated with what a society’s members consider to be a necessity and what they view as a luxury. For instance, 55% of American adults consider a microwave to be a necessity, and 36% consider a remote control for a TV or VCR to be a necessity.

• Similarly, culture also provides insights as to suitable dress for specific occasions ( such as what to wear around a house, what to wear to school, to work, to church, at a fast-food restaurant, or to a movie theatre). Dress codes have shifted dramatically; people are dressing more casually most of the time.

• Cultural beliefs, values and customs continue to be followed as long as they yield satisfaction. When a specific standard no longer satisfies the members of a society, however it is modified or replaced, so that the resulting standard is more in line with current needs and desires.

CULTURE IS LEARNED• Unlike innate biological characteristics (e.g. gender, skin, hair

colour, or intelligence), culture is learned. At an early stage, we begin to acquire from our social environment a set of beliefs, values, and customs that make up our culture. For children, the learning of these acceptable cultural values and customs is reinforced by the process of playing with their toys. As children play, they act out and rehearse important cultural lessons and situations. This cultural learning prepares them for later real-life circumstances

HOW IS CULTURE LEARNED• Anthropologists have identified three distinct forms of cultural

learning: 1. Formal learning in which adults and other siblings teach a young

family member how to behave2. Informal learning, in which a child learns primarily by imitating the

behaviour of selected others, such as family, friends or TV heroes3. Technical learning, in which teachers instruct the child in an

educational environment about what should be done, how it should be done, and why it should be done. Although a firm’s advertising can influence all three types of cultural learning, it is likely that many product advertisements enhance informal cultural learning by providing the audience with a model of behaviour to imitate. This is especially true for visible or conspicuous products that are evaluated in public settings ( such as designer clothing, cell phones, or status golf clubs), where peer influence is likely to play an important role.

HOW CULTURE IS LEARNED• We learn to do the following from childhood:1. Speak our language2. Write3. Eat4. Sing5. Play6. Drink7. Talk8. Dress9. Cook10. Drive11. Do politics12. Acquire knowledge13. Produce goods and services14. Serve customersThese are examples of aspects of culture which we all have learned to performespecially from childhood.

ENCULTURATION AND ACCULTURATION

• When discussing the acquisition of culture, anthropologists often distinguish between the learning of one’s own, or native, culture and the learning of some ‘new’ (other) culture. The learning of one’s own culture is known as enculturation while the learning of a new or foreign culture is known as acculturation.

• Acculturation is an important concept for marketers who plan to sell their products in foreign or multinational markets. In such cases, marketers must study the specific culture (s) of their potential target markets to determine whether their products will be acceptable to its members and if so, how they can best communicate the characteristics of their products to persuade the target market to buy.

LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS• To acquire a common culture, the members of a society must be able to

communicate with each other through a common language. Without a common language, shared meaning could not exist, and true communication would not take place.

• To communicate effectively with their audiences, marketers must use appropriate symbols to convey desired product images or characteristics. These symbols can be verbal or nonverbal. Verbal symbols may include a television announcement or an advertisement in a magazine. Nonverbal communication includes the use of such symbols as figures, colours, shapes, and even textures to lead additional meaning to print or broadcast advertisements, to trademarks, and to packaging or product designs.

• A symbol is any that stands for something else. Any word is a symbol. The word hurricane calls forth the notion of wind and rain and also has the power to stir us emotionally, arousing feelings of danger and the need for protection and safety.

• Similarly, the word jaguar has symbolic meaning: To some it suggests a fine luxury automobile, to others it implies wealth and status; to some it suggests a sleek, wild animal to be seen in the zoo.

RITUALWHAT IS RITUAL?• Ritual is a type of symbolic activity consisting of aseries of steps occurring in a fixed sequence andrepeated over time.RITUAL CAN ALSO STAND FOR THE FOLLOWING:

1. established formal behavior: an established and prescribed pattern of observance, for example, in a religion

2. actions done formally and repeatedly: the performance of actions or procedures in a set, ordered, and ceremonial way (often used before a noun)

3. unchanging pattern: a formalized pattern of actions or words followed regularly and precisely (informal)

Examples of RITUALS

The way religious and other festivities arecelebrated• Confirmation• Baptism• Christmas• Easter• Marriage• Birthday• New year• Graduation

CULTURE IS SHARED• To be a cultural characteristic, a particular belief, value, or practice must

be shared by a significant portion of the society. Thus culture frequently is viewed as group customs that link together the members of a society. Of course, common language is the critical component that makes it possible for people to share values, experiences, and customs.

EXAMPLES TO SHOW HOW CULTURE IS SHARED

1. In the UK the language shared by its people is English2. In France it is French3. In US it is English4. In China it is Chinese5. In Japan it is Japanese.This is important to marketers because when considering production, andadvertisement of products, they should consider that culture is shared by somany people. If the company decides to advertise its products, then thelanguage shared by the people should be used because it can be understoodby a vast majority of people.

CULTURE IS SHARED• In China, their food is eaten using chop sticks by

vast majority of people. • Still in China they consume Chinese food• While in Japan, Japanese food is consumed• In UK vast majority of people belong to Christianity

as a religion.• In Iran, Dubai, United Arab Emirate etc the people

belong to the Islamic religion• Religious rituals are shared by vast majority of

people in these different countries.

CULTURE IS DYNAMIC• To fulfill its need-gratifying role, culture continually must evolve if it is to

function in the best interest of a society. For this reason, the marketer must carefully monitor the sociocultural environment in order to market an existing product more effectively or to develop promising new products.

• Many factors are likely to produce cultural changes within a given society ( new technology, population shifts, resource shortages, wars, changing values, and customs borrowed from other cultures, political and legal factors)

• The changing nature of culture means that marketers have to consistently reconsider why consumers are now doing what they do, who the purchasers and the users of their products are ( males only, females only, or both), when they do their shopping, how and where they can be reached by the media, and what new product and service needs are emerging.

• Marketers who monitor cultural changes also often find new opportunities to increase corporate profitability. For example, marketers of such products and services as life insurance, financial and investment advice, casual clothing, toy electric trains, and cigars are among those who have attempted to take advantage of shifts in what is feminine and how to communicate with female consumers.

THE MEASUREMENT OF CULTURE.• A wide range of measurement techniques are

used in the study of culture.

1. Projective techniques

2. Attitude measurement methods

3. Field observation

4. Participant observation

5. Content analysis

6. Value measurement survey instruments (technique).

7. Consumer fieldwork

American core values• Achievement and success• Activity• Efficiency and practicality• Progress• Material comfort• Individualism• Freedom• External conformity• Humanitarianism• Youthfulness• Fitness and Health• Core values are not an American phenomenon

SUBCULTURE AND

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

WHAT IS SUBCULTURE?• Subculture is a distinct cultural group that exists as an

identifiable segment within a larger, more complex society.

• Thus the cultural profile of a society or nation is a composite of two distinct elements: ( 1. the unique beliefs, values, and customs subscribed to by members of specific subcultures; and (2) the central or core cultural themes that are shared by most of the population, regardless of specific subcultural

membership.

Examples of Subcultures• NATIONALITY SUBCULTURE

MAIN CULTURE SUBCULTURE

BRITISH African, Chinese, Indian, Jamaicans, etc

AMERICAN African, Jamaican, Malaysian, etc

RELIGIOUS SUBCULTURES

MAIN RELIGION AND DENOMINATION

OTHER RELIGIONS & DENOMINATIONS

CHRISTAINITY - Anglican

Catholics, protestants, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism

GEOGRAPHIC AND REGIONAL SUBCULTURES.

MAIN CULTURE SUBCULTURE

USA Washington DC

Newyork

Chicago

Los Angeles

Detroit

Philadelphia

San Francisco

Cleveland

Minnesota

Arizona

RACIAL SUBCULTURES.

MAIN RACIAL CULTURE: THE WHITE AMERICAN CONSUMER

SUBRATIAL CULTURE

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CONSUMERS

ASIAN AMERICAN CONSUMERS

AGE SUBCULTURE

Sex as a subculture:

• SEX ROLES AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

• CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND SEX ROLES

• THE WORKING WOMAN