Influence of Culture and Cross

Culture on Consumer Behavior

Learning Outcomes

Describe what culture is and how it impacts

consumer behaviors.
Explain how culture acts as an invisible
hand that guides consumption-related
attitudes, values, and behavior.
Understand what subculture is, and its
relationship to culture.
Understand nationality, religion, geography,
age, race, etc. as subcultural influence
consumer behavior
Understand how multiple subculture
memberships jointly influence consumer
behavior.

To Which Cultural Value or Values Is This

Products Advertising Appealing?

Chapter Eleven Slide3

Convenience in Food
Preparation

Chapter Eleven Slide4

Culture

The sum total of learned

beliefs, values, and
customs that serve to
regulate the consumer
behavior of members of
a particular society.

Chapter Eleven Slide5

Explanation:
Culture is a society personality
It is the sum total of learned beliefs,
values & customs that serve to direct
the consumer behavior of members of a
particular society
`Kodak vs. Fuji films based on
perception as to what constitutes quality
and meaning of country of origin i.e.
American versus Japanese made films

The Invisible Hand of Culture

Each individual perceives
the world through his
own cultural lens
E.g. To understand that brushing our
teeth twice a days with flavored
toothpaste is a cultural phenomenon
requires some awareness that
members of another society either do
not brush at all or do so in a manner
distinctly different from that our own
society
Chapter Eleven Slide7

Culture Satisfies Needs

Culture provides standards & rules about when to
eat, where to eat, how to eat.
Culture also provides insights as to suitable dress
for specific occasions
In Culture context if a product is no longer
acceptable because a value or custom to its use
does not adequately satisfy human needs, then
the firm producing the product must be ready to
revise its product offering which relates to newly
embraced customs and values.

Chapter Eleven Slide8

In Terms of Culture, Do You Consider This Product to

Be a Good Morning Beverage? Why or Why Not?

Chapter Eleven Slide9

Many Will Say NO Due to Lack of Nutritional

Value and Competing Products (Coffee).

Chapter Eleven Slide

10

In Terms of Culture, Do You Consider Either

Product to Be a Good Morning Beverage? Why
or Why Not?

Fillet-O-Fish Sandwich

McGriddle Sandwich

11

12

Culture Is Learned
A young girl who is told by her mother to stop
climbing trees because girl dont do that is
formal learning a value that her mother feel is
right. When she watches her mother preparing
food, she is informally learning certain cooking
habits. When she takes ballet lessons, she is
experiencing technical learning.

Culture Is Learned
Enculturation: The learning of ones own culture
Acculturation: The learning of a new or foreign
culture
Language and symbols:
1-Without a common language ,shared meaning could
not exist
2-Marketers must choose appropriate symbols in
advertising
3-Marketers can use known symbols for associations
4-All elements of Marketing Mix at which it is available
are symbols that communicate ranges of quality to
potential buyers

This
Web site
explores
animals as
symbols for
advertising.
weblink

This ad uses
the symbol
of a magnet
to
emphasize
its benefits.

How Does a Symbol Convey the

Products Advertised Benefits?

Chapter Eleven Slide

17

They Provide Additional

Meaning to the Ad.

Chapter Eleven Slide

18

Culture Is Learned
Ritual
1-A ritual is a type of symbolic activity consisting of
a series of steps
2-Rituals extend over the human life cycle
3-Marketers realize that rituals often involve
products (artifacts)

Selected Rituals and Associated

Artifacts
SELECTED RITUALS

TYPICAL ARTIFACTS

Wedding

White gown (something old, something

new, something borrowed, something
blue)

Birth of child

U.S. Savings Bond, silver baby spoon

Birthday

Card, present, cake with candles

50th Wedding anniversary

Catered party, card and gift, display of

photos of the couples life together

Graduation

Pen, U.S. Savings Bond, card,

wristwatch

Valentines Day

Candy, card, flowers

New Years Eve

Champagne, party, fancy dress

Chapter Eleven Slide

20

Culture Is Learned
Sharing of Culture:
1-To be a cultural characteristic, a belief, value, or
practice must be shared by a significant portion
of the society
2-Culture is transferred through family, schools,
houses of worship, and media

This ad uses
characters
well known
in the U.S.
culture.

Culture is Dynamic
Evolves because it fills needs
Certain factors change culture

Technology
Population shifts
Resource shortages
Wars
Changing values
Customs from other countries
Chapter Eleven Slide
23

The Measurement of Culture

Content Analysis
Consumer
Fieldwork
Value
Measurement
Instruments

Chapter Eleven Slide

24

Content
Analysis

A method for
systematically analyzing
the content of verbal
and/or pictorial
communication. The
method is frequently
used to determine
prevailing social values
of a society.

Chapter Eleven Slide

25

Which Cultural Value

Is Portrayed, and How So?

Chapter Eleven Slide

26

Progress The Fridge has

Superior Design

Chapter Eleven Slide

27

Which Cultural Value

Is This Ad Stressing, and How So?

Chapter Eleven Slide

28

Fitness and Health

Low Calorie

Chapter Eleven Slide

29

Content Analysis
It is useful to both marketers &
public-policy makers interested in
comparing the advertising claims of
competitors within a specific
industry, as well as for evaluating the
nature of advertising claims targeted
to specific audiences (e.g., women,
the elderly or children)

Consumer Fieldwork
Field Observation: A measurement
technique that takes place within a natural
environment that focuses on observing behavior
(sometimes without the subjects awareness)

Participant Observation: Researchers

who participate in the environment that they are
studying without notifying those who are being
observed

Chapter Eleven Slide

31

Value Measurement Survey Instruments

Rokeach Value Survey (RVS)
A self-administered inventory consisting of
eighteen terminal values (i.e., personal goals)
and eighteen instrumental values (i.e., ways
of reaching personal goals).
It can be used by the marketers to segment markets by specific
values & by perceptions of specific product attributes. Its useful
when developing new products for specific market segments

List of Values (LOV)

A value measurement instrument that asks
consumers to identify their two most important
values from a nine-value list that is based on
the terminal values of the Rokeach Value Survey

Chapter Eleven Slide

32

(continued)

This ad
references
a terminal
value.

Culture and Marketing Strategy

Identify key cultural values that affect the
consumption of the product
Ensure the marketing mix appeals to these
values
Examine changes in cultural values and
adapt the marketing mix if needed
Modify marketing mix to subcultures if the
culture is heterogeneous
Be aware of symbols and ritual

Core Values
Criteria for Value Selection
The value must be pervasive.
The value must be enduring.
The value must be consumerrelated.

Chapter Eleven Slide

36

Indian Core Values

Family Orientation
Savings Orientation
Festivities
Shopping as a Ritual
Mythology
Food habits

Core Values

Chapter Eleven Slide

38

Changing Cultural Trends in

Indian Urban Markets

Achievement Orientation
Work Ethic
Material Success
Middle-of-the-Road Approach to Tradition
Impulse Gratification
Use of Hi-Tech Products