1. THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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:
They are relatively few in number
They serve as a guide for culturally appropriate behaviour
They are enduring or difficult to change
They are not tied to specific objects or situations
They are widely accepted by the members of a society.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Element of Culture
A. Language
Spoken Language
Written Language
Official Language
Body Language: eye contact, posture, gesture, distance, dressing,
Movement, facial expression:
International Language
B. Religion
Beliefs and Norms
Sacred Objects
Philosophical Systems
Prayer/ Rituals
Leading Religious of the World

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. DETERMINANTS OF CULTURE:
Social structure
Religion
Language
Education
Economic philosophy
Political philosophy

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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

18. HOW IS CULTURE LEARNED
Anthropologists have identified three distinct forms of cultural learning:
Formal learning in which adults and other siblings teach a young family member how to behave
Informal learning, in which a child learns primarily by imitating the behaviour of selected others, such as family, friends or TV heroes
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.

19. HOW CULTURE IS LEARNED We learn to do the following from childhood:
Speak our language
Write
Eat
Sing
Play
Drink
Talk
Dress
Cook
Drive
Do politics
Acquire knowledge
Produce goods and services
Serve customers
These are examples of aspects of culture which we all have learned to perform
especially from childhood.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. RITUAL
WHAT IS RITUAL?
Ritual is a type of symbolic activity consisting of a
series of steps occurring in a fixed sequence and
repeated 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)

23. Examples of RITUALS The way religious and other festivities are
celebrated
Confirmation
Baptism
Christmas
Easter
Marriage
Birthday
New year
Graduation

24. 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
In the UK the language shared by its people is English
In France it is French
In US it is English
In China it is Chinese
In Japan it is Japanese.
This is important to marketers because when considering production, and
advertisement of products, they should consider that culture is shared by so
many people. If the company decides to advertise its products, then the
language shared by the people should be used because it can be understood
by a vast majority of people.

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. THE MEASUREMENT OF CULTURE.
A wide range of measurement techniques are used in the study of culture.
Projective techniques
Attitude measurement methods
Field observation
Participant observation
Content analysis
Value measurement survey instruments (technique).
Consumer fieldwork

28. 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

29. SUBCULTURE AND
CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

30. 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.

31. Examples of Subcultures
NATIONALITY SUBCULTURE
MAIN CULTURE
SUBCULTURE
BRITISH
African, Chinese, Indian, Jamaicans, etc
AMERICAN
African, Jamaican, Malaysian, etc

32. RELIGIOUS SUBCULTURES
MAIN RELIGION AND DENOMINATION
OTHER RELIGIONS & DENOMINATIONS
CHRISTAINITY - Anglican
Catholics, protestants, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism

33. GEOGRAPHIC AND REGIONAL SUBCULTURES.
MAIN CULTURE
SUBCULTURE
USA
Washington DC
Newyork
Chicago
Los Angeles
Detroit
Philadelphia
San Francisco
Cleveland
Minnesota
Arizona

34. RACIAL SUBCULTURES. MAIN RACIAL CULTURE: THE WHITE AMERICAN CONSUMER
SUBRATIAL CULTURE
THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CONSUMERS
ASIAN AMERICAN CONSUMERS

35. AGE SUBCULTURE

36. Sex as a subculture: SEX ROLES AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND SEX ROLES
THE WORKING WOMAN