CONSUMER BEHAVIORCONSUMER BEHAVIORCONSUMER BEHAVIORCONSUMER BEHAVIOR

culture and consumer behaviorculture and consumer behavior

CULTURE• Examination of the character of the

total society including factors such as language,knowledge, laws,relgions,food customs,music, rituals, art, technology, work patterns, products and other artifacts that give society its flavor

• “sum total of learned beliefs, values and customs that serve to direct consumer behavior of members in a particular society”

CULTURE• Beliefs

- Very large number of mental or verbal statements that reflect our particular knowledge and assessment of something

• Values differ from beliefs as they are- Relatively few in number- Serve as guide for culturally

appropriate behavior- Enduring and difficult to change- Not tied to specific objects or situations- Widely accepted by members of

society

CULTURE SATISFIES NEEDS

• Offers order, direction and guidance in all phases of human problems

• Providing `tried and true’ methods of satisfying physiological, personal and social needs

• Standards and rules• Culture evolves within a society

CULTURE IS LEARNED• Lessons learned as we are growing up are

taken into adult life• Three distinct forms of cultural learning

1. Formal Learning- adults, older siblings teaching `how

to behave’2. Informal learning

- Child learns by imitating or modelling behavior of selected others

3. Technical learning- Teachers instruct child in educational

environment

CULTURE IS LEARNED• Product advertisements enhance

informal cultural learning by providing the audience with model of behavior to imitate

• Repetition of advertising messages creates and reinforces cultural beliefs and values (benefits of products) are taken into adult life

• Enculturation and acculturation• Language and symbols• Ritual

CULTURE IS SHARED• Group customs link members of a

society• Passing along basic cultural beliefs,

customs and values• Consumer socialization of the young• Educational institutions are to impart

basic learning skills, history, patriotism etc.

• Mass media• Advertising

CULTURE IS DYNAMIC

• Culture evolves if its to function in best interests of a society

• Marketers that monitor cultural changes often find new opportunities to increase profitability

• “What’s Hot What’s Not”

THE MEASUREMENT OF CULTURE

• Content analysis- determines whether social or cultural changes have occurred in a specific

society- Explore trends in the style and

layout in various advertising

• Consumer fieldwork-field observation-shadow shopping- in-depth interviews and focus groups

CORE VALUES

• Core values must be understood by marketers to understand when and with whom they are relevant- Value must be pervasive- Values must be enduring- Consumer-related

CORE VALUES

• Achievement• Efficiency & Practicality• Material comfort• Individualism• freedom• External conformity• humanitarianism• youthfulness• Fitness & health

CORE VALUE FOR SERVICES

• To understand what consumers are seeking from services that they use

• Service providers especially recognize core instrumental values to meet consumer needs

CORE VALUE FOR SERVICES

• Consistency- Predictability and reliability

• Timeliness- Consumers expect service when they

need them

• Effectiveness-Consumers want the service or product

to do the job

CORE VALUE FOR SERVICES

• Ease- Convenience

• Responsiveness- Consumers want services that

respond to their situation