Measuring cultural values Content analysis Ethnographic fieldworks (Field observation) Depth interviews Focus groups Questionnaires Content analysis, as the name implies, focuses on the content of societies’ verbal, written, and pictorial communications, including promotional messages. Content analysis can determine what social and cultural changes have occurred in a specific society or compare different cultures. Field observation consists of observing the daily behavior of selected members of a society. Based on their observations, researchers draw conclusions about the values, beliefs, and customs of the society under investigation. In some cases, researchers become participant-observers; that is, they become active members of the environment that they are studying and engage in the same behaviors, rituals, and customs that they study. Marketers have used depth interviews and focus groups to study social and cultural changes. In focus group discussions, consumers are apt to reveal attitudes and behaviors that signal shifts in values that may affect, for example, the acceptance of new products and services. Focus groups have been used to generate ideas for persuasive strategies designed to reinforce customer loyalty and retention. Self-administered questionnaires measure individuals’ cultural values, such as the Rokeach Value Survey, the Values and Lifestyles VALS measure, and Gordon’s survey of personal and interpersonal values.

focuses on the content of societies’ verbal, written, and pictorial communications, including promotional messages. Content analysis can determine what social and cultural changes have occurred in a specific society or compare different cultures. Content analysis, The content of culture can often be read from the material objects produced by the social group. For instance, consumer researchers have exam- ined comic books to gain insights into the dominant values in a culture. Other researchers have examined a historical record of print advertisements to see how American values and women’s roles have changed during the past 90 years.

Ethnography These procedures involve detailed and prolonged observation of consumers’ emotional responses, cognitions, and behaviors during their ordinary daily lives. Based on this rich and detailed data, researchers interpret or infer the values and key meanings of the culture. Unlike anthropologists, who might live in the studied society for months or years, consumer researchers tend to make their observations more quickly.

Using a combination of direct observations, interviews, and video and audio recordings, researchers have examined consumer behavior at markets and swap meets. example : To understand what brands and products kids were using, toy company Mattel once commissioned a global study in a dozen countries, including the United States and China, in which it recorded everything kids had hanging on their bedroom walls.

Rokeach value surveys 18 terminal values (ends) Personal Interpersonal 18 instrumental values (means) Competence Moral The Rokeach Value Survey is a self-administered, two-part values inventory: 1. Eighteen terminal values that reflect goals and desirable states of existence and are defined as ends (e.g., happiness, pleasure, freedom, self-respect). 2. Eighteen instrumental values, defined as the means to achieve the ends (e.g., ambitious, honest, polite, responsible). Respondents are asked how important each value is to them as “a guiding principle” in their lives. Within each set of values, there are also two subsets: Some terminal values focus on personal aspects (e.g., a comfortable or exciting life, happiness, inner harmony) and the others on interpersonal ones (e.g., a world of peace and beauty, national security). The instrumental values are composed of competence (e.g., ambitious, intellectual, responsible) and moral values (e.g., forgiving, helpful, polite). According to the Rokeach typology, in terms of cultural orientation, individuals can belong to one of four types. Table 11.3 describes the characteristics of each type and also lists applicable, illustrative promotional themes.

Gordon’s survey Gordon’s Survey of Personal and Interpersonal Values measures values that determine how people cope with their daily lives. There are two surveys—one for personal values and one for interpersonal values—

American cultural values Achievement and Success Time and Activity Efficiency and Practicality Progress Materialism Individualism and Conformity Freedom of Choice Humanitarianism Youthfulness Fitness and Health

To which Core Value does the ad appeal? Eficiency and practically / time and activity Eficiency and practically Achievement and sucses Achievement and sucses

Time and activity / materialism 4. Materialism / freedom of choice Materialism / freedom of choice

humanitarianism humanitarianism youthfulness Humanitarianism

A Model of the Cultural Process

Green Marketing Green marketing is producing and promoting reusable and eco-friendly products. Envormental friendly  climate change, eco

Ecologically Responsible Consumption Many Americans consider buying environmentally sound products to be part of their duties as consumers and a societal and cultural priority. Although many consumers claim to be “green” and support ecological causes, studies indicate that such attitudes do not always result in pro-environmental behavior. The figures show consumer responses to a poll about their attitudes and behaviors.

Ecologically Responsible Consumption

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