Cultural and subcultural influences on consumer behavior
How do Culture and Subculture Affect Consumer Behavior?
How does culture affect the needs we recognize, how we search, our evaluation of alternatives, our shopping habits, consumption habits, how we dispose of products?
Parts of Culture
Culture: norms, roles, beliefs, values, customs, rituals, artifacts
Culture classifies things into discontinuous units of value in society
Codes classified units, develops behaviors, specifies priorities, legitimizes and justifies the classifications
Consumer socialization - the process by which people develop their values, motivations, and habitual activity
Culture creates meanings for everyday products
We study how the use and/or collections of products and their meanings move through a society
Nature of Culture—Components
Norms: rules that designate forms of acceptable and unacceptable behavior
Customs: behaviors that lasted over time and passed down in the family setting
Mores: moral standards of behavior
Conventions: practices tied to the conduct of everyday life in various settings
Ethnocentrism: the tendency to view one’s own culture as better or superior to others
Key Points about Culture
It is learned: transmitted from generation to generation
It rewards acceptable behaviors
It stays the same, yet can change
Family, Religion, School and Peers: what is the relative influence of each?
Values Transfusion Model shows how these combine
Will any become more, less relevant?
Consumer socialization: the acquisition of consumption-related cognitions, attitudes, and behaviors.
What is similar about . . .
Marriage
Birth
Death
Shelter
Food
Age grading
Division of labour
Property rights
Family / kinship groups
Status differences
Magic / luck superstitions
Hospitality
Greetings
Joking
Cooking
Personal names
Language
Gestures
Body adornment
Courtship
Music and dance
Incest taboos
Cleanliness training
These are called “cultural universals”
One of the largest surveys of cultural life was undertaken by the Functionalist sociologist George Peter Murdock ("The Common Denominator of Culture", 1945)
He claimed to have identified approximately 70 cultural features that could be considered universal in human societies.
Cultural Generalizations
Culture is pervasive
It’s in most every corner of people’s lives
High-context style—it is where the communication has most of the information in either the physical way it’s presented or the person receiving it already knows the meaning
Low-context style—the knowledge of the ins and outs of the society is not as widespread
Culture is functional
The “Languages” of Culture
Colors
Color choice that signifies death varies across regions of the world
The color red
Bright colors
Colors and fashion
Time
Self-time, interaction time, institutional time
Time styles:
Approaches: economic, socio-cultural, psychological, measurement, physiological
Orientation: a person’s perception of the importance of the past, present, or future
Activity level: monochronic versus polychronic behavior – see PAI
Time processing: economic or linear, procedural, circular or cyclical
Other “Languages” of Culture
Space
What is the acceptable personal space across cultures?
Distance
Gestures, postures, or body positions
Symbols—signifiers
Friendship and agreements
Government and Laws
Certain Dimensions of Culture are Relevant to Consumer Behavior
Power distance: equality and informality vs. distance and formality
Uncertainty avoidance: comfort with not knowing
Masculine vs. feminine: are there rules of behavior related to being a man? Being a woman? Are their nurturing behaviors that are valued? Aggressive behaviors?
Individualism vs. collectivism: does country X emphasize the growth and rights of the individual or of the group?
What Myths and Old Wives Tales Do You Know?
Throw salt over your _____ shoulder when _____
Always eat ____________ on New Year’s Day
Always ______________for someone’s birthday
Always give _____________ for Valentine’s day
When sending wedding invitations, how many envelopes are used? __________
Eat __________ when you have a cold
How do these Myths relate to Consumer Behavior?
People may just use products because they think that they have to
People may not understand if there is a reason for such use - is chicken soup really good for a cold?
People may not accept your product if there is a better alternative, even if it’s not in the same product class – we find this in bringing innovations to new markets
There may be certain expected behavior for the giver and for the receiver
What About Things You Expect to Receive?
At graduation, you expect that you will get a ________________.
If you were planning a baby shower, you would expect people to bring __________
If you were consulting for a Party Store, what types of items would you recommend that they carry?
Balloons, streamers
Plates, napkins, cups
For instance. . .
What determines a “hot” lunch and why it is desirable
What determines holiday foods?
What is a breakfast food? Colors of foods?
Correct clothing for various events
Why do you turn around when entering an elevator?
Why do men wear ties and women do not?
Why do people shake hands, and not touch elbows?
Why do you know what constitutes “good” vs. “bad” manners?
Function, form, and meaning are defined by one’s culture
What does the product do for us? What are the benefits?
What should the product look like? What should it be made of?
When should it be used? By whom? Can it be given as a gift?
Who shops? Who is exposed to ads? Who traditionally uses the product?
Core Values in Marketing
What are the basic food groups? For Whites? Blacks? Hispanics? etc?
What about the aspects of consumer behavior? Consumer research?
EG - Is the decision process carried out the same way?
Are the structure of attributes the same? Compensatory vs. Noncompensatory?
Does someone’s membership in a cultural group affect their consumer behavior?
Let’s consider the “Core American Values
Do you agree with these?
Will they continue?
What do they mean for marketers?
What would they mean for food, clothing, entertainment?
Core values define how products are used in a society
Core values provide positive and negative valences for brands and communication programs
Core values define acceptable market relationships
Core values define ethical behavior
Suppose you were consulting with a greeting card company
Which holidays?
Which themes?
What is appropriate language?
What are appropriate pictures/graphics?
Who would send the card?
Does Hallmark really mean “the very best”?
Do you belong to any Subcultural Groups?
Subculture is a distinct cultural group which exists as an identifiable segment within a larger, more complex society
Ethnic subcultures – Blacks, Hispanics, Asian Americans, Euro Americans, Native Americans, etc
Religious subcultures
Disabilities subcultures
Age subcultures
Any others?
Some Hard Facts
It is difficult to discuss common needs and practices in subcultural groups without sounding stereotypical and biased.
Summaries just reflect commonly-held behaviors, practices, and norms
Oftentimes various ethnic minorities live in areas where there is low income, little shopping opportunities, and great inequality - look at Camden
Regardless, people who belong to a specific group are likely to have identifiable preferences and needs
Key Concepts
Acculturation: measures the degree to which a consumer has learned the ways of a different culture compared to how they were raised
“Consumer acculturation”- how people learn consumer behaviors in another culture
Black or African-American Subculture
A common heritage
More than 36 million consumers in US
Younger with very high numbers living in cities
1999 earnings: $491 billion
1999 purchases: $207 billion (ninth largest economy in the world)
Approximately 28% of families had an annual income of $50,000 or more in 1999
The group is very diverse
Marketing to African-Americans
African-American consumers expect respect within the marketplace and must feel a sense of acceptance, BUT
Under-representation and token appearances in advertising
Inappropriate product development: e.g. lag in toys, dolls, other role model icons, cosmetics
How to identify genuine needs and wants? Go back to cultural universals
Foods - based on learned cultural norms
Clothing - styles and colors that are preferred
Physiologically-relevant: cosmetics
Black Subculture
A high proportion of families are headed by women
Black women influence many purchases that might otherwise be purchased by men
Advertising often appeals to the strength black women portray in life
Often unavailability of shopping areas in neighborhoods causes great disparity in spending power
Differences in decision making patterns and in media usage
Asian American Subculture
Approaching 11.9 million – 2000 Census
High incomes, high education
Multicultural: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Indian are the largest sectors
Often mistakenly grouped into one segment
Asian- and Pacific Island-American Subculture
It consists of 29 distinct groups
Their nationalities range from Chinese to Filipino, Korean, and Pacific Island
The group earned $350 billion in 2000 with the median income per household at approximately $36,100
They tend to be conservative and family oriented
Distinct subcultures within Asian American group
A total of 2.7 million Asian American residents are Chinese (excluding Taiwanese) or Chinese (excluding Taiwanese) in combination with one or more other races or Asian groups, making Chinese the leading Asian group. Filipino (2.4 million) and Asian Indian (1.9 million) follow. The largest Pacific islander groups are native Hawaiian (401,000) and Samoan (133,000).
Over half (51 percent) of the Asian population lived in just three states: California, New York, and Hawaii, which accounted for 19 percent of the total population.
Asian Americans - similarities
They are cost conscious and very brand loyal
They shop mostly within their communities
Language barrier may be a challenge for marketers
The most effective advertising to Chinese-Americans reflects traditional family values
Asian Americans - differences
Differences in reasons for coming to, living in the US, desire to return to homeland
Significant differences in household decision making - male or female dominance
Difference in innovativeness
Differences in use of homeland media - English best for broadcast; Asian languages best for print
Similarities and differences in reactions to marketing stimuli, such as colors, themes in ads
Hispanic Subculture
Fastest growing ethnic market in US
37.4 million people, reported in March 2002 by the Census Bureau
2000 purchasing power: $340 billion
Median income is about two thirds of the average in the U.S.
In 2000, 9.6% percent of Hispanic families had incomes of more than $50,000
Hispanics (continued)
They think of themselves as Hispanic or Latino first and as Americans second
90% indicate that Spanish is the most important feature of their culture
Two-thirds of Hispanics prefer to speak Spanish at home
20% of Hispanics do not speak English at all
Key Ideas
Latinos are concentrated geographically
Latinos are generally brand loyal
Latinos emphasize the importance of the family
Latin identity - ethnic identity
Importance of religion
Marketing to Hispanic-Americans
They are a diverse group, bound together by a common language and cultural heritage
They are very brand loyal
90% use Spanish language media for product information
65% listen to Spanish-language radio, 80% watch Spanish-language TV, 40% read Spanish-language newspapers, and 20% read Spanish-language magazines
They have positive attitudes toward advertising
Stereotypes Regarding Language
Should all messages be in Spanish? Not always - it may depend on the purpose, product, context, level of learning, etc.
Which form of Spanish - various subcultural Spanish groups have specific idioms!
Which language in research? Maybe both - it may depend on the topic being discussed
Which language do people use to think about a topic? Which language do they use when they go shopping?
Religious Subcultures
What is the impact of Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, Islam, etc on the products the consumers buy and use?
The holidays they celebrate?
The foods they should and should not use?
The gifts they give?
What do people know about their religious heritage? If they are second or third-generation, do they need information?
Why Do We Study Cohorts?
A cohort is any group of individuals linked in a group in some way
Often they have gone through the same experiences
They are likely to affect specific cultures in unique ways
Where were you when . . .
World War II, Korean Conflict, Vietnam War took place?
President Kennedy was shot
Martin Luther King was shot, Bobby Kennedy was shot
The Challenger exploded
Desert Storm erupted
Princess Diana died
Timothy McVey was executed
Columbine
9-11?
3-11
How did _____________ affect the way you think?
Subculture Based on Age
Preteens
They influence purchases in approx. 60 product categories
They select the stores in which they spend their own money
By appealing to preteens, marketers build brand loyalty at an early stage
The medium of choice for them is television
Teens
They make up 6% of the population, but growth will be flat until 2010
They have been segmented into several lifestyle groups
Increasing influence on purchasing
Increasing spending power
Teens are preoccupied with their appearance
They are open to new ideas and new products
Teens are avid television viewers
Young Adults—Generation X
Those born between 1965 and 1977 (40 million people)
They are distrustful of marketing
They look for a balance between work and leisure
Gen X-ers are close to their parents and they tend to live at home
Generation X (continued)
They are not drawn to traditional forms of advertising (i.e., hyping up products)
Gen X-ers express their need to stay in control by purchasing communications equipment such as beepers, fax machines, e-mail, and mobile phones
They prefer products based on their practicality
Baby Boomers
Those born between 1946 and 1964 (78 million)
Total income is over $1 trillion, increasing at a rate of 10% per year (versus 5% for the rest of the population)
They have a high level of education
They have more discretionary income than other groups and they buy more and save less
Boomers are health conscious
Baby Boomers (continued)
They are becoming less materialistic in outlook and their product and service selections reflect their concern for the environment and quality of life
They use credit cards and buy expensive exercise equipment
Boomers keep up with fashions
The marketing of nostalgia works well with them (especially older baby boomers)
Seniors
There were approx. 35 million people over 65 in 2000—it is the fastest growing segment of the population
Households are small and their need for new purchases is limited
They enjoy convenience in the marketplace and appreciate their leisure time
http://www.seniorcitizensmagazine.com/
Their recent feature story:
ARE YOU PREPARED FOR YOUR DEATH?
Seniors (continued)
They spend more on themselves
They perceive themselves as younger than their years – cognitive age versus chronological age
Although brand loyal, they tend to try new products or brands if given good reasons to do so
The senior market can further be segmented on the basis of age, activity level, health, and mobility