Meaning and Nature of Culture:-

Culture is an aggregate of the learned beliefs, attitudes, values, norms and customs of a

society or group of people, shared by them and transmitted from generation to generation

within that society.

Culture too changes with time. The society that developed the culture is continuously being

exposed to new experiences. Further, the society or group is not a fixed body of people. New

generations are being brought into it and some new members from other cultures are being

assimilated. With the increased mobility of persons, flow of information and young person’s

joining the group; cultures expand, dilute, subdivide and change.

The changes in culture are however not rapid and never drastic. The changes reflect the move

from old ideas to the new and also acceptance of ground realities brought in by

environmental or generational changes. Therefore changes can only be gradual.

The word culture or the concept itself is flexible and can be stretched to cover different types

of aggregation. When we speak of Eastern culture it includes vast world stretching from

Egypt and Russia to India and Indonesia. It is perfectly legitimate for us to take up study of

subcultures of this Eastern culture like the Russian culture or Indian culture. A combination

group or cross-culture group like “Indian immigrants” can also be recognized and studied, as

long as the group is of adequate size and importance as body of consumers.

We have already defined that culture is an aggregate of beliefs, attitudes etc. culture can be

viewed as a “blessing” and a preserve of values, heritage, arts and good behavior. It can also

be a “baggage” when we consider that it transmits some irrational and out-of-date attitudes

included in it as custom.

The main vehicles of culture are the family and the religious institutions where the individual

is “taught” much of the ideas, beliefs etc., that from the culture. This teaching is reinforced as

moderated by two other vehicles namely the educational institution and the mass media.

Characteristics of Culture:

Culture is invented: It cannot be viewed as something that just “exists” and waiting

to be discovered. People are responsible for inventing their culture and this invention

consists of three interdependent components:

1. Ideological component refers to ideas, beliefs, values, and approaches to defining

what is right and wrong, or desirable and undesirable.

2. Technological component is concerned with the skill, arts, and crafts that provide

human with the means to produce goods by using what is available to them in

their environment.

3. Consumer component enables humans to live in the family systems and market it

possible to coordinate their behavior effectively with others actions.

Culture is leaned: It is not like biological features or instinctive. The process of

learning cultural blues begins early in life largely through social interactions among

families, friends, in settings in such as educational and religious institutions; growing

children are firmly indoctrinated with ways of behaving, thinking and feeling. Some

of the core cultural values that have been passed down through generations in India

are belief in god, respecting elders, husband domination, being polite to ladies,

accepting arranged marriage, viewing marriage as a union between two families and

living in joint families etc.

Culture is Shared by a firmly large group of human beings living in organized

societies and works as a linking force. Generally, common religion and language are

the critical elements that the American pop culture is being shared by a large number

of other countries through the availability of several products such as coca cola,

McDonald’s burgers, Levi’s jeans, movies and music etc.

Culture satisfies needs: Its components are passed down through generations

because they are gratifying. Culture offers order, direction and guides societies in all

phases of life by providing tried and trusted ways of meeting the physiological,

personal and social needs and due to these reasons people feel comfortable in doing

things in the customary way. Cultural values and customs etc. are followed as long as

they keep on offering satisfaction, even when we are exposed to other culture.

Though advertising is considered an important agent in bringing about social change,

from the marketers point of view an important mission of advertising is to reinforce

established cultural t and aiding in the development of new tasted, habits and customs.

Culture is not static: some cultures are relatively more resistant to change than

others but they do change gradually and continuously. These changes, however, may

be very slow in some cultures while others may be more dynamic and receptive to

changes. Since cultures are not static and change rapidly or slowly in different

societies, this becomes quit an important consideration from the marketers point of

view. For example, traditionally the role of women in India was confined within the

household. As a rule, they were married at an early age, looked after household duties

and bore children. In urban India, at least, the role of women is gradually getting

redefined. More and more women are acquiring higher and technical education and

entering several professions, which earlier were the sole domain of men. As a result of

this, dual income households are emerging, with smaller families and increased

buying power. This has thrown up several, and important, opportunities to marketers.

Such cultural changes in India can be directly attributed to the influence of western

cultures and media influence, which emphasize freedom and equality to women.

Culture can divided into two distinct components.

Influence of Culture on consumer behavior

While there are a large number of areas where the individual is conditioned by his culture, for

our study we will focus on certain areas where his consumer behavior comes influence. There

are:

Consumption of food, clothing and housing

Perception on messages and media, and

Receptivity to new ideas and change

Cultur

Internal mental culture

(Ideas, knowledge, concepts)

External material culture

(Things that can be seen touched and used in our day to day living, e.g. art, music, theatre, clothing, etc. housing, books, movies, sports)

Cognitive components belief of after life, etc. Ideas, knowledge, god, supernatural power, etc.

Normative components values, conduct, norms that regulate behaviour

Food: Food perhaps is the area where preferences are any way very individual and very

marked. Additionally, culture introduces certain preferences. The examples of preference

induced by cultures are

Kosher foods – for persons of Jewish subculture

Avoidance of beef – by Hindus and Sikhs

Avoidance of pork – by Muslims

Vegetarian food – large subcultures in India

Sea foods – for subcultures in the Far East

Clothing By sheer logic, clothing preference should depend on climate and weather.

However, one can observe many peculiar preferences exhibited by consumers who can be

identified as belonging to a subculture. The preferences in these cases appear to be culturally

inherited. Otherwise there is no other explanation why Italian gentry in Toronto or Indian

ladies in San Francisco are shopping for silks and why custom dictated elaborate dresses

unsuitable for the local and prevailing climate are purchased all the year round, by ethnic

groups.

Housing people of a certain class brought up in the western culture may view the house as a

caste to protect their privacy whereas persons in the same class brought up in Eastern culture

want to treat the house as a showpiece as well as a place for interacting with kith and kin.

Such cultural influences affect the choice of location, material, construction and décor of the

houses the consumer buys and this has to be kept in mind by the marketers.

Marketers also hold varying conception of culture. A traditional marketing view in this

perspective, culture is viewed as a relatively unchanging background for behavior, consisting

primarily of values and norms. Values are enduring beliefs about desirable outcomes that

transcend specific situations and shape one’s behavior. If asked, people can usually state

important values: honesty, dependability, and so forth, for example. Cultures vary in the

strength of members’ beliefs in a limited number of universal values. Norms are informal,

usually unspoken rules that govern behavior.

Two views of Culture and Consumer Behavior

Traditional Marketing View

Consumption

Pattern

Antecedents to culture

Antecedents to culture

Culture

(Collective)

Culture

(Collective)

Perceptual

Categorization

Perceptual

Inference

Information

Processing

Strategies

Motives

Self-concept

Perceptual

Categorization

Perceptual

Inference

Information

Processing

Strategies

Motives

Self-concept

Emerging Marketing View:-

Material goods

Cultural templates

Action (blueprint)

Consumption patterns

Cultural templates

For interpretation (lens)

Cultural fields (scapes)

Values and norms help to determine perceptual and cognitive principles that, in turn,

influence people’s attitudes to marketing offerings and consumption practice. In perspective,

the key questions for marketers are to what extent should they adapt market offerings to other

culture context, and how should they do it.

Some anthropologists (scientists who study human culture), we define a society’s culture as

frameworks for action and understanding that enable one to operate in a manner acceptable to

other members. The frameworks vary between cultures, but they always incorporate

language, norms, values, and objects, as well as the myths, symbols, and rituals that we

discuss later in the chapter. Both individuals and firms that wish to operate successfully in a

culture require these kinds of knowledge. In this view, values, norms, and other cultural

elements differ in kind, not merely in strength, between different cultures.

To complicate matters, culture cannot be reduced to a list of language, things, people,

behavior, or values, although all of these are important in a culture. Our list of facts about the

Danes did not lead us to correctly predict the popularity of baby joggers, for example. The

above figure indicates culture can be through of as a set of dynamic models. Members of a

culture use these models to perceive, relate to, and interpret their world. Thus, culture

consists of shared frameworks or blueprints both for action and for understanding.

Blueprints for action and interpretation are constructed by culture from two basic elements.

First is through cultural categories, which organize time, space, nature, and the human

community. For example, class, occupation, ethnicity, gender, and age are examples of

cultural categories.

In addition to cultural categories, blueprints for action and interpretation are also shaped by

cultural principles, the values, norms, and beliefs that allow things to be grouped into

cultural categories, ranked, and interrelated. For example, cultural principles enable us to

classify products into categories and identify new brands as belonging to particular

categories. Some culture principles are expressed in sayings and folk wisdom such as “hard

work pays.” “There is virtue in loyalty to the state,” “you get what you pay for,” “seeing

believes,” “possession is nine-tenths of the law,” or “the nail that sticks up gets hammered

down.”

Variation in cultural values

There are three broad forms of cultural values as show in following fig.

Other Oriented values

Environment oriented values

Self oriented values

Societies view of relationship between people

Societies view of relationship with environment

Objective/approaches to life, society finds

Consumption purchase communications

Cultural values

Values include instrumental values, shared beliefs about how people should behave, and

terminal values, or desirable life goals. Examples of instrumental values include

competence, compassion, sociality, and integrity.

Ambition is an instrumental value that might help one attains a comfortable life, which is a

terminal value.

Cultural values are shared broadly across a society. They are learned, reinforced, and

modified within subcultures, ethnic groups, social classes, and families, values are organized

into systems that differ in their importance to consumers. They transcend particular

situations. Some believe that behaviors develop from attitudes, which in turn derive from

more general or abstract cultural values. This is referred to as the value-attitude behavior

hierarchy.

The Rokeach value survey (RVS) identifies a set of 18 terminal values, or desired end

states, and instrumental values, or desirable actions. A comparison between Brazil and the

united states on a few of Rokeach’s terminal values shows substantial differences. The most

import values in the united states-family security, a world at peace, freedom (independence),

and self-respect-are ranked substantially lower in Brazil (seventh, fifth, sixth, and ninth,

respective). The highest-ranking Brazilian values-true friendship, mature love, happiness, and

inner harmony –were ranked lower in the United States (tenth, fourteenth, fifth, and

thirteenth, respectively). The U.S. terminal value rankings on the RVS have remained

remarkably stable over time.

Hofstede proposed another approach of value measurement, and it has been applied more

extensively. It is based on five dimensions of cultural values, sometimes called value

orientations. These values are as follows:

1. Individualism vs. Collectivism Cultures,

2. Masculinity vs. femininity,

3. High vs. low power distance,

4. High vs. low uncertainly avoidance, and

5. Abstract vs. associative thinking.

1. Individualism vs. Collectivism Cultures:-

“Individualism Culture is a society in which members put their personal advancement and

welfare ahead of that for other groups, institutions, and the culture as a whole”. In such

societies, people are personally focused, have loose connection with others and place their

interest and goals above those of other individuals and the groups to which they belong. The

development of the “private self” is encouraged.

In this culture, consumers are less likely to be influenced by their peers or reference group. In

this culture, choosing a product that focus on their personal self image, that will give personal

pleasure and allow them to express themselves freely will be on target.

“Collectivism Culture is a culture in which people put the goods of others, the groups they

belong to, and the society as a whole above their own.” Self discipline is important, and

individuals basically accept where they are in life. Competition on group basis is acceptable

but not encouraged. Here, the development of the “collective self” is fostered.

In collectivist society, “fitting in” is important, so products and services that reference group

demand are needed. Pleasure, skill development, and knowledge acquisition in group setting

are also to be focus for offerings.

2. Masculinity vs. femininity

“Masculine culture is a society in which male roles are considered superior to female”. In

this, high value is placed on such things as monetary gain, material possessions, competition,

being successful, and being assertive and aggressive.

“Femininity culture is a society in which female roles are considered superior to male role”.

It sets values on nurturing, the family, quality of life, social responsibility, environment

quality and the like over attaining wealth, possessions etc…

3. High vs. Low Power Distance

“Power distance is a level of social inequality that exists in a society and how willing

members are to accept authority at all levels”.

“High power distance means high social inequality.” In this includes accepting authority at

the family level, in social settings, at work, from government agencies and the like. Countries

with higher power distance include Venezuela, Guatemala, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, India,

Malaysia, Japan etc…

“Low Power distance relationships are more informal across social levels, more equality is

found among all people, and authority is more shared.” Countries with low power distance

include Australia, New Zealand, England, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada etc…

4. High vs. Low Uncertainty Avoidance

“Uncertainty avoidance is a willingness of the member of a society to accept ambiguity and

uncertainty.”

“High uncertainty avoidance (a “certainty culture”) is found in societies that have

routinized behavior patterns, many rules and regulation, low tolerance for new ideas or new

ways to do things.” Persons in such societies tend to go to their families and other important

to them to obtain advice, security, guidance, and comfort. They are more prone to stress,

emotional, anxious, aggressive, and are hard workers.

“Low uncertainty avoidance (an “uncertainly culture”) exists in cultures where people “go

with the flow”. They don’t have a strong desire to control their destiny and have a sense that

what is to come will be. They are said to be relieved, confident, rational, and retired, behavior

patterns as individuals and consumers are more fluid and reactive, and new ideas and new

ways are more easily accepted, partly because they are more willing to accept personal risks.

5. Abstract vs. Associative Thinking Culture

“Abstract thinking those societies whose members are logical thinkers, interested in the

principle of cause and effect.” Products and services are seen as good benefits-deliverers

purely because their inherent characteristics. Face to face communication is preferred.

Member of such societies are willing and eager to make changes and to try new things,

including new products and services.

“Associative thinking is those societies in which connections or associations with people,

celebrities, and events impact on the importance of things.” Consumer products or services

tied to such acquire value. Thinking that a baseball bat that matches that of home run hitters

Mark McGuire or Barry Bonds is better than one not tied to a special player whether it’s the

correct length and weight for you or not. Associative thinking societies also see connections

with God or gods, supernatural or mystic beings, events or places to various life events.

6. The Confucian Dynamic Impact on Cultures

“The Confucian dynamic, at the positive end of the Confucian Dynamic scale are such

values as persistence, hard work, thrift, shame, and regard for relationships that indicate a

future-oriented, dynamic mentality. At the negative end are values indicating a static

mentality. They are tied to the present and the past and include “face,” reciprocity, and

tradition.” Such values encourage people to stay within known and accepted societal

boundaries. This dimension is not only fund in cultures with a history of Confucian influence.

Brazil is one of the highest scoring countries, and Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden are

in the middle. The Confucian Dynamic is referred to as “long-term vs. short-term

orientation.”

Cultural Myths and Symbols

Myths and symbols are an example of what we have called a template or cultural blueprint

for interpretation because they help us understand what we observe in social life. Myths are

stories containing symbolic elements that express shared emotions and cultural values. In

traditional cultures, people conveyed culture knowledge to their children through myths,

legends, and fairy tales. Today, many popular culture media like television programs,

advertisements, movies, comics, cartoons, and novels build on mythic themes and convey

cultural knowledge to consumers. Knowledge of myths and how they work is useful to

marketers. Myths serve several important fictions in culture. First, they emphasize how things

are interconnected.

Second, myths maintain social order by authorizing a social code. The European Cinderella

myth teaches us how a miserable but deserving person can be blessed with wealth and

happiness. This rags-to-riches story resonates with the U.S. immigrant experience. Therefore,

variants of the Cinderella myth reappear in many media products, including recent films like

pretty Woman and Working Girl.

Third, myths provide psychological models for individual behavior and identify. Many myths

teach models of heroic or right action. Disney films such as The Lion King, Mulan, and

Tarzan are examples of films whose heroes act out models where individual- ism and

personal integrity are promoted.

Important behaviors in any society in any society can be better understood by reference to

shared Cultural symbols, objects that represent beliefs and values. Culture is well reflected in

core symbols, symbols that are emotionally powerful and that contain multiple meanings. In

the United symbols, symbols include George Washington and the Wild West. In finance, core

symbols include the Louvre museum, the tricolour French flag, and Marianne, a mythical

figure whose face adorns French coins, money, and buildings.

People use core symbols in different ways. The U.S. flag is a public symbol, typically used to

mark official places and events. Danes use their flag as an intimate, domestic symbol.

Marketers can use cultural symbols to help position products and services. Example is the Taj

Mahal, a famous Indian building, is a popular name for Indian restaurants all over the world.

Cultural Rituals

Cultural rituals are a good example of activities that combine blueprints for action and

understanding. They consist of behaviors that occur in a relatively fixed sequence and that

tend to be repeated periodically. Knowledge of rituals simplifies behavioral choices such as

how to behave at a wedding, for example.

Rituals organize peoples feeling and facilitate and simplify group communications. That is,

rituals organize life experience and give it meaning. They are particularly useful in handling

situations involving risk, whether the risk is social, emotional, or physical.

From important types of consumer rituals are those relating to possession, grooming,

divestment and exchange. People undertake possession rituals when products move from the

marketplace to the home or workplace where they are consumed. Possession rituals also

occur when people move into a new home or take possession of pre owned goods, which may

involve cleaning, customization, or making offerings such as the Jewish custom of tacking a

mezuzah to the door frame.

Grooming rituals tend to be private behaviors that aid in the transition from private to public

self and back again. Clean/dirty, public/ private, work/ leisure are three of the symbolic

transformations that are often involved in grooming rituals. Numerous beauty products and

personal services are marketed on their contribution to making grooming rituals successful.

Divestment rituals occur when consumers relinquish possession of objects.

Exchange rituals, like holiday gift giving, are an extremely important ritual type. An

important class of exchange rituals involves rites of passage. In rites of passage like college

graduation, participants mark events that symbolize changes in their social status.

For marketers, providing ritual goods has pluses and minuses. For example, vendors at some

Shinto temples in Japan that specialize in childbirth blessings do a thriving business in

protective charms and support garments. Stationery and party supply stores provide all sorts

of goods for calendrical rituals such as birthdays, carnival, or Halloween. Other retailers

provide symbolic goods that allow fans to express their affiliation with sports teams and

contests. Sometimes, a consumer product becomes almost identical with a ritual or even

triggers the ritual. For example, Mother’s Day was created in order to sell more flowers and it

works. For florists, Mother’s day is the biggest revenue – producing day of the year.

Rituals have life cycles; they decline and gain in popularity, and new cultural rituals emerge

as others fade.

Culture further divided in two category; sub culture and cross- culture.

WHAT IS SUBCULTURE?

The members of specific subculture possess beliefs, values, and customers that set them apart

from other members of the same society. In addition, they adhere to most of the dominant

cultural beliefs, values, and behavioral patterns of the larger society. We define subculture,

then as a distinct cultural group that exists as an identifiable segment within a larger, more

complex society.

In below figure presents a simple model of the relationship between two subcultural groups

and the larger culture. As depicts, each subculture has its own unique traits, yet both groups

share the dominant traits of the overall American culture. Each American, however, is at the

same time a member of various subcultures. For example, a 14-year-old boy may

simultaneously be Hispanic, Catholic, a teenager, and a New Yorker. We should expect that

membership in each different subculture would provide its own set of specific beliefs, values,

attitudes, and customs.

Subcultural analysis enables the marketing manager to focus on sizable and “natural” market

segments. When carrying out such analyses, the marketer must determine whether the beliefs,

values, and customs shared by members of a specific subgroup make them desirable

candidates for special marketing attention. Subcultures, therefore, are relevant units of

analysis for market research. Important subcultural categories are nationality, religion,

geographic, location, race, age, and sex.

NATIONALITY SUBCULTURES

Although most U.S. citizens, especially those in the United States, see themselves as

American, they frequently retain a sense of identification and pride in the language and

custom of their ancestors. When it comes to consumer behavior, this ancestral pride is

manifested most strongly in the consumption of ethic food, in the purchase of numerous

cultural artifacts (ethic clothing, art, music, foreign-language newspapers). Interest in these

goods and services has expanded rapidly as younger Americans attempt to better understand

Dominant Cultural Traits of United -States Citizens

and more closely associate with their ethnic roots. The importance of ethnic origin as a

subcultural market segment, the following section examines Hispanic-American subculture.

Hispanic Subcultures

Hispanic –Americans represent about 9 percent of the United States population. In American

population segments, Hispanic-Americans are younger, they are members of larger families

and they are more likely to live an “extended family” household, with members consisting of

several generations.

Hispanic-Americans are projected to supplant African-American within 20 years as the

largest American minority group. Hispanic has already become the dominant minority in

New York, San Diego, San Francisco and they represent the majority in San Antonio, Texas.

This subcultural group can be considered as a single market, based on a common language

and culture, or as separate subcultural markets that correspond to different Hispanic countries

of origin. There are twelve Hispanic subcultural groups now identified in the United States.

Understanding Hispanic Consumer Behavior

Available evidence indicates that Hispanic and Anglo consumers differ in terms of a variety

of important buyer behavior variables. Hispanic consumers prefer well-established brands

and traditionally prefer to shop at smaller store. Similarly, other research indicates that when

it comes to clothes shopping, Hispanic youths are more fashion-conscious and are more likely

to seek out and be loyal to well-known brands and to generally like the act of shopping more

than their non-Hispanic counterparts.

Defining and Segmenting the Hispanic Market

Marketers who are targeting the diverse Hispanic subcultural groupings are concerned with

finding the best ways to define and segment this market. Of these measures, the combination

of self-identification and degree of identification are particularly appealing, because they

permit consumers to define or label themselves. Research shows that those who strongly

identify with being Hispanic are more frequent users of Spanish-language media, are more

brand loyal, are more likely to buy prestige brands, are more likely to seek the advice of

another and to more often be influenced by friends or family, and are more likely to buy

brands advertised to Hispanics than Weak Hispanic Identifiers. This pattern suggests that the

degree of Hispanic identification is a useful segmentation variable when one is targeting

Hispanic market.

RELIGIOUS SUBCULTURES

The United States reportedly has more than 200 different organized religious groups. The

members of all these religious groups at time are likely to make purchase decisions that are

influenced by their religious identity. Consumer behavior is directly affected by religion in

term of products that are symbolically and ritualistically associated with the celebration of

various religious holidays. For example, Christmas has become the major gift –purchasing

season of the year.

In our earlier discussion of the family we indicate that husband and wife decision making

also was related to religious orientation. It was reported that husbands in proreligious and

catholic families were the major influence in making specific purchase decisions, husband

and wives shared equally in most decisions. Religious requirements or practices sometimes

take on an expanded meaning beyond their original purpose.

RACIAL SUBCULTURES

The major racial subcultures in the United States are Caucasian, African-American, Asian-

American, and American Indian. Although differences in lifestyles and consumer spending

patterns exist among these groups, the vast majority of racially oriented consume research has

focused on consumer differences between African-Americans and Caucasians. Only recently

has particular research attention been given to Asian-American consumers.

Asian-American Consumers

The Asian-American population is currently more than seven million in size and is the fastest

growing American minority. For example, between 1980 and 1990, the white, African-

American, and Hispanic populations in the United States grew 6, 13 and 53%, respectively;

during this same time period, the Asian population grew by 108%. Asian- Americans are

largely family-oriented, highly industrious and strongly driven to achieve a middle-class

lifestyle, they are an attractive market for increasing numbers of marketers.

Where Are the Asian-American?

Asian-Americans are largely urban people, who are presently concentrated in a small number

of large American cities. Most Chinese, as well as most Asian-Americans, do not live in

downtown urban areas; they live in the suburbs.

Understanding the Asian-American Consumer

Local newspapers and weekly newsmagazines frequently portray the accomplishments of

Asian-Americans, who have shown they to be hardworking, very family-oriented and strivers

for excellence in educational pursuits. Asian-American children have consistently won a

substantial share of academic awards and scholarships.

Asian-American as Consumers

Asian-American spends about $38 billion on consumer goods and services annually. It is

important to remember that Asian-Americans are really drawn from diverse cultural

backgrounds. Therefore, although Asian-Americans have many similarities, marketers should

approach this overall group with caution, as they are not completely homogeneous. For

example, Vietnamese-Americans are more likely to follow the traditional model wherein the

man makes the decision for large purchase, whereas Chinese-American husbands and wives

are more likely to share in the decision-making process.

Age as Subcultures:-

Each major age sub grouping of the population might be thought of as a separate subculture,

because important shifts occur in the demand for specific types of product and services. Age

subculture has three additional groups: Generation X, baby boomers and the mature and

elderly.

The Generation X Market:

This age grouping often referred to as Xers, busters or slackers and twenty something

consists of approximately 46 million 18 to 29 years old who spend about $125 billion yearly.

For Generation X consumers, job satisfaction is typically much more important than salary.

Xers reject the values of older co-workers who may neglect their families while striving to

secure higher salaries and career advancement.

Appealing to Generation X:-

Members of generation X often pride themselves on their sophistication. Although they are

not necessarily materialistic, they do purchase good brand name e.g. Sony but not necessarily

designer labels. Xers are not against the advertising but only opposed to insincerity.

The baby boomer Market:

Marketers have found baby boomers a particularly desirable target audience because

1.) They are the single largest distinctive age category alive today

2.) they frequently make important consumers purchase decision; and

3.) They contain a small sub segment of trend setting consumers who have influence on

the consumer taste of other age segment of society.

As baby boomers age, the nature of the products and services they most need or desire

changes. For example, because of the aging of this market segment, Levi Strauss is featuring

“relaxed fit” jeans, sales of “lineless” bifocal glasses to new customers are up substantially,

and sales of walking shoes have grown rapidly.

Mature and elderly Consumer:-

Baby boomers are starting to hit 50, there are plenty of pre boomers (i.e. those 45 to 65

years), and the no. of elderly consumers is growing twice as fast as the overall United States

population.

Sex as a subculture:-

Consumer products and sex roles

Within every society, it is quite common to find products that are either exclusively or

strongly associated with the members of one sex. In the United States, for example, shaving

equipment, cigars, pants, ties, and work clothing were historically male products; bracelets,

hair spray, etc generally were considered feminine products.

Despite the fact the line between “male only” and 1”female only” products has become

blurred in recent years, consumers tend to impute a sex, or gender, to products. For this

reason, advertising executives should consider not only the sex of their target market but also

the perceived sex of the product category in the development of their advertising campaigns.

CROSS – CULTURAL CONSUMER ANALYSIS

Cross cultural consumer analysis is defined as the effort to determine to what extent the

consumers of two or more nations are similar or different. Such analyses can provide

marketers with an understanding of the psychological, social, and cultural characteristics of

the foreign consumers they wish to target, so that they can design effective marketing

strategies for each of the specific national markets involved. Cross cultural analysis might

also include a comparison of subcultural groups within a single country.

Acculturation is a Needed Marketing Viewpoint

Too many marketers make the strategic error of believing that “if it is liked by local or

domestic consumers, then everyone will like it”. It reflects a lack of appreciation of the

unique psychological, social, cultural, and environmental characteristics of distinctly different

cultures.

Cross cultural acculturation is a dual process for marketers.

First, marketers must thoroughly orient themselves to the values, beliefs, and customs of the

new society to appropriately position and market their products.

Second, to gain acceptance for a culturally new product in a foreign society, they must

develop a strategy that encourages members of that society to modify or even break with their

own traditions.

Distinctive Characteristics of Cross – Cultural Analysis

It is often difficult for a company planning to do business in foreign country to undertake

cross-cultural consumer research. In Saudi Arabia it is illegal to stop people on the streets,

and focus groups are impractical, because most gatherings of four or more people are

outlawed.

Applying Research techniques

Although the same research techniques used to study domestic consumers are useful in

studying consumers in foreign lands, in cross cultural analysis an additional burden exists,

because language and word usage often differ from nation to nation. Another issue in

international marketing research concerns scales of measurement.

Globalization and cultural consumer behavior

With so much diversity present among the members of just one nation, it is easy to appreciate

that numerous larger differences may exist between citizens of different nations having

different cultures, values, beliefs and languages. If international marketers are to satisfy the

needs of consumers in potentially very distinct markets effectively, they must understand the

relevant similarities and differences that exist between the peoples of the countries they

decide to target.

As increasing in no. of consumers from all over the world come in contact with the material

goods and lifestyle of people living in other countries, and as the no. of middle class

consumers grows in developing countries, marketers are eager to locate these new customers

and to offer them their products.

Some of the problems involved in cross cultural analysis include differences in language,

consumption patterns, needs, product usage, economic and social conditions, marketing

conditions, and market research opportunities. There is urgent need for more systematic and

conceptual cross cultural characteristics concerning the consumption habits of foreign

consumers. Such analyses would identify increased marketing opportunities that would

benefit both international marketers and their targeted consumers.

Summary:

A culture is a shared template for behavior and interpretation. Although people hardly ever

notice their own culture, culture supplies important boundaries on behavior. Culture is

adaptive, dynamic, and patterned. Although there is substantial intra cultural variability, it is

possible to identify core values that seem to define a culture. Many different approaches to

measuring cultural values have been developed.

In addition to values, myths, symbols, and rituals also help to define culture. Important

consumer behavior in any society can be better understood by referencing shared myths and

symbolic meanings. Consumer goods often become core blueprints for actions and

interpretation. Among different type of rituals are those that relate to possessions, grooming,

divestment and exchange. The uses of ritual objects, often consumer product accompany

these rituals.

Bibliography

Books:

Eric Arnould, Linda Price and George Zinkhan, “Consumers”, Publisher:Mc Graw

Hill Publication, 1st edition.

Leon G. Schiffman & Leslie Lazar Kanuk , “Consumer Behavior”, Publisher:

Prentice-hall India, 6th edition.

M.S.Raju & Dominique Xardel, “Consumer Behavior”.

Material Given by Mr. Vipul Patel.

Neeran Gautam & Kokil Jain, “Consumer Behavior”, Wisdom Publications.

Matin Khan, “Consumer Behavior”, New Age International Publishers, 2nd edition.