Chapter 11 - Culture and Consumers

8/10/2019 Chapter 11 - Culture and Consumers

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Chapter 11

Cultural Influences onConsumer Behavior

CONSUMER

BEHAVIOR, 8eMichael Solomon


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Hoang Duc Binh, 2008

Understanding Culture

Culture: the accumulation of shared meanings,rituals, norms, and traditions among members

Culture is the lens through which we view products

Ones culture determines product priorities and

mandates a products success/failure

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Discussion

If your cul ture were a person , how wou ld youdescrib e its personali ty trai ts?

Now, select another culture youre familiar with. How

would those personal ity trai ts di f fer from you r own?

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Understanding Culture (cont.)

Products can reflect underlying cultural processesof a particular period:

The TV dinner for the United States

Cosmetics made of natural materials without animal

testing Pastel carrying cases for condoms

Cultural system function areas:

Ecology: the way a system adapts to its habitat

Social structure: the way in which social life ismaintained

Ideology: mental characteristics of a people and theway in which they relate to each other

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PowerDistance

UncertaintyAvoidance

Masculineversus

Feminine

IndividualismversusCollectivism

Way members perceive differences in powerwhen they form interpersonal relationships

Degree to which people feel threatened byambiguous situations

Degree to which sex roles are clearly delineated

Extent to which culture values the welfare of theindividual versus that of the group

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Norms: rules dictating what is right or wrong Enacted norms: explicitly decided on (e.g., green

light equals go)

Crescive norms: embedded in a culture and

include: Customs: norms handed down from the past that

control basic behavior

Mores: custom with a strong moral overtone

Conventions: norms regarding the conduct ofeveryday life

All three crescive norms combine to define aculturally appropriate behavior

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Discussion

When you go out on a f i rs t date, ident i fy the set ofcrescive no rms that are operat ing .

Descr ibe speci f ic behaviors each person performs

that make it clear he or she is on a first date.

What products and services are affected by these

norms?

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Myths

Myth: a story containing symbolic elements thatrepresent the shared emotions/ideals of a culture

Conflict between opposing forces

Outcome is moral guide for people

Reduces anxiety

Marketers create own myths:

McDonalds golden arches = sanctuary to

Americans around the world Startup myths for Nike, Apple Computer

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Functions and Structure of Myths

Myths serve four interrelated functions in a culture:

Metaphysical

Cosmological

Sociological

Psychological

Help explain origins of existence

Emphasize that all components of theuniverse are part of a single picture

Maintain social order by authorizing asocial code to be followed by members of aculture

Provide models for personal conduct

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Myths Abound in Modern Popular Culture

Myths are often found in comic books, movies,holidays, and commercials

Consumer fairy tales: Disney weddings

Monomyths: a myth that is common to manycultures (e.g., Spiderman and Superman)

Many movies/commercials present characters andplot structures that follow mythic patterns

Gone With the Wind E.T.: The Extraterr estr ial

Star Trek

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Rituals

Rituals: sets of multiple,symbolic behaviors that occurin a fixed sequence and thattend to be repeated periodically

Many consumer activities areritualistic

Trips to Starbucks

Pulling the perfect pint of

Guinness

College campus rituals

Tailgating at football games

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Rituals (cont.)

Businesses supply ritualartifacts (items needed toperform rituals) to consumers

Wedding rice, birthday

candles, diplomas, onlinegift registries

Consumers often employ aritual script

Graduation programs,etiquette books

Click photo for

Weddingchannel.com

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Types of Ritual Experience

Primary BehaviorSource

Ritual Type Examples

Cosmology Religious Baptism, meditation

Cultural Values Rites of passageCultural

Graduation, holidays, SuperBowl

Group Learning Civic Parades, elections

Group Fraternity initiation, officeluncheons

Family Mealtimes, bedtimes, ChristmasIndividual Aims andEmotions

Personal Grooming, household rituals

Table 16.1 14


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Grooming RitualsAll consumers have private

grooming rituals

Aid transition from private topublic self (or back again)

Inspires confidence, cleansesbody of dirt

Before-and-after phenomenon

Private/public and work/leisure

personal rituals

Beauty rituals reflecttransformation from natural stateto social world or vice versa

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Gift-Giving Rituals

Gift-giving ritual: consumers procure the perfectobject, meticulously remove price tag, carefully wrapit, then deliver it to recipient

Gift giving is a form of:

Economic exchange

Symbolic exchange

Social expression

Every culture prescribes certain occasions andceremonies for giving gifts

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Gift-Giving Rituals (cont.)

Japanese gift-giving rituals Symbolic meaning of gift:

duty to others in social group

Gir i: giving is moral

imperative Kosai: reciprocal gift-giving

obligations torelatives/friends

Self-gifts Socially acceptable way to

reward ourselves

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Discussion

Have you ever given yourself a gif t?

If so, why did you do i t and how did you dec ide what

to get?

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Holiday Rituals

Holidays are based on a myth with a character atcenter of story

Consumers perform rituals unique to thoseoccasions

Marketers find ways to encourage gift giving

Businesses invent new occasions to capitalize onneed for cards/ritual artifacts

Secretaries Day and Grandparents Day

Retailers elevate minor holidays to major ones toprovide merchandising opportunities

Cinco de Mayo

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Christmas

Myths/rituals: Santas adventures and mistletoe

Began as a publicly rowdy celebration

Santa = champion of materialism

Appears in stores and shopping malls

Socializes children to expect a reward when theyare good (we get what we deserve)

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Halloween

Its rituals are unusual: Involves nonfamily members

Celebrates evil and death

Encourages tricks for treats

Halloween is an antifestival: distorts symbolsassociated with other holidays

Witch = inverted mother figure; resurrection ofghosts; evil jack-o-lantern

We act out uncharacteristic behaviors and try onnew roles

Second most popular party night for adults

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Rites of Passage

Rites of passage: special times marked by a changein social status

Puberty, death, divorce, dating, bar/bat mitzvah

Practices vary across cultures but are rich in

symbolic value

Funeral rituals negotiate social identities ofdeceased through expression ofmaterial/symbolic wealth

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Rites of Passage (cont.)

Three phases:

Separation: individual is detached from his originalgroup

Example: college freshman leaves home

Liminality: person is literally between statuses

New freshman tries to figure out status duringorientation week

Aggregation: person re-enters society after rite ofpassage is complete

Student returns home for winter break as collegeveteran

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Discussion

Descr ibe the three stages o f the ri te of passageassociated with g raduat ing from col lege

Fraternity hazing is just a natural rite of passage

that should not be prohibited by universities. Do

you agree?

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Sacred and Profane Consumption

Sacred consumption: involvesobjects and events that are setapart from normal activities thatare treated with respect or awe

Profane consumption: involvesconsumer objects and eventsthat are ordinary and not special

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Sacred Places

Sacred places: religious/mystical and countryheritage, such as Stonehenge, Mecca, Ground Zeroin New York City

Property of contamination: something sacred

happened there, so it takes on sacred qualities Some profane (ordinary) places are imbued with

sacred qualities: Graumanns Chinese Theater in

Home is sacred in many cultures

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Sacred People and Sacred Events

Sacred people: we idolize certain people and setthem apart from masses

Movie stars, rock stars, royalty (Princess Diana)

Sacred events: public events, sports (Olympics),

tourism Souvenirs: local products, pictorial images, piece

of the rock, literal representations of the site,

markers

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Age Subcultures

CONSUMER

BEHAVIOR, 8eMichael Solomon


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Age and Consumer Identity

A consumers age exerts a significant influence onhis/her identity

We have things in common and speak in acommon language with others of our own age

Age cohort (my generation) Marketers target specific age cohorts

Feelings of nostalgia

Our possessions let us identify with others of a

certain age/life stage

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Household Income by Age

Figure 15.1 31


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Discussion

What are some possible market ing opportun i t iespresent at reunion s?

What effects m ight attending su ch an event have on

consumers self-esteem, body image, and so on?

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The Youth Market

Teenage first used to describe youth generation in1950s

Youth market often represents rebellion

Generation Y: people born between 1977 and 1994

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The U. S. Teen Population

Figure 15.1 35


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Teen Values, Conflicts, and Desires

Four basic conflicts common among all teens: Autonomy versus belonging: break from family but

attach to peers

Rebellion versus conformity: rebel against social

standards but want to be accepted by society

Idealism versus pragmatism: view adults ashypocrites and see themselves as sincere

Narcissism versus intimacy: obsessed with ownneeds but want to connect with others

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Tweens

Children aged 8 to 14 Spend $14 billion a year on clothes, CDs, movies

(feel good products)

Exhibit characteristics of both children and

adolescents

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen brand

Victoria Secrets Pinklingerie line for younger girls

(Team Pink)

Click photo to viewQuicktime video onWild Planet andMarketing to kids

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Getting to Know Gen Y

Echo Boomers =millennials = Gen Yers:members of the generationborn from about 1980

onward. Make up one-third of U.S.

population

Spend $170 billion a year

First to grow up withcomputers in their homes,in a 500-channel TVuniverse

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Getting to Know Gen Y (cont.)

Multitaskers with cell phones,music downloads, IM onInternet

Most diverse generation ever

Many raised by single parentand/or working mother

Gen Yers value fittingin/teamwork

Reject violence, tobacco, alcohol,teen pregnancy

Trust government and parents

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Discussion

Kids these days seem content to just hang out, surfthe Net, IM with their fr iend s, and watch m ind less TV

shows all day.

How accu rate is this statement?

This chapter descr ibes members o f Gen Y as muchmore tradit ional and team -oriented than their older

bro thers and s isters

Do you agree?

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Marketing to Gen Y

Most of $100 billion that global youth market spendsgoes toward feel good products

High birth rates = large proportion of young inpopulation

Gen Yers are much less brand loyal

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Marketing to Gen Y (cont.)

Percent of population that is age 14 or younger, by country:

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Youth Tribes

Products/trappings reinforce the notion of belongingand the group bond

French in-line roller skaters

And 1

Tribes in Japan

Technocultural suppleness

Click for And1.com

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http://www.and1.com/


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Researching the Youth Market

Research firms come up with innovative ways to tapteen desires

Coolhunters: kids in major markets who roam urbanstreets and report back on cutting-edge trends

P&Gs teen community Web sites

Teens as consumers-in-training

Brand loyalty develops during adolescence

Teen influence of family purchase decisions

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Discussion

If you were a marketing researcher assigned tostudy what products are cool, how would you do

th is?

Do you agree with the def in i t ions o f coo l provided by

the young people in this chapter?

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Big (Wo)Man on Campus

College market is attractive Many students have extra cash/free time

Undeveloped brand loyalty

College students are hard to reach via conventional

media Online advertising is very effective

Sampler boxes

Wall media

Spring break beach promotions

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Discussion

What are some of the posit ives and negatives oftarget ing col lege students?

Identi fy some specif ic marketing strategies that

you feel have either been su ccessfu l or

unsuccessful at appeal ing to this segment

What character is t ics d ist inguish the successes

from the fai lures?

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Baby Busters: Generation X

Consumers born between1966 and 1976

Todays Gen Xer is both

values-oriented and value-

oriented Desire stable families, save

portion of income, and viewhome as expression of

individuality

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The Gray Market

Traditionally neglected bymarketers

People are now livinglonger/healthier lives

Zoomers = active,interested in life,enthusiastic consumerswith buying power

Fastest growing group ofInternet users

Click photo forSeniornet.org

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Gray Power: Seniors Economic Clout

Impact of gray market on marketplace Most brand loyal of any age group

Economic health of gray market is good and gettingbetter

Exercise facilities, cruises/tourism, cosmeticsurgery/skin treatments, how-to books/classes

Most advertising campaigns dont recognize gray

market

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Talking to Seniors

Psyche of older people isimportant for marketers to probe

Key values of mature consumers

Autonomy: want to be self-sufficient

Connectedness: value bondswith friends and family

Altruism: want to givesomething back to the world

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Perceived Age:


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Perceived Age:Youre Only as Old as You Feel

Age is more a state of mind than of body Mental outlook/activity = longevity/quality of life

Perceived age: how old a person feels as opposed tohis or her chronological age

Feel age Look age

The older we get, the younger we feel relative toactual age

Marketers emphasize product benefits over age-appropriateness

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Segmenting Seniors

Segmented by: Specific ages (50s, 60s,

70s)

Marital status

Health and outlook on life

Social aging theories: try tounderstand how societyassigns people to differentroles across life span

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Gerontographics: Selected


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Gerontographics: SelectedCharacteristics

Gerontographics: segmentation approach that divides themature market by level of physical well-being and socialconditions

Segment

% of 55+

Population Profile

Marketing

Ramifications

HealthyIndulgers

18% Focus on enjoying life; actlike younger consumers

Good customers fordiscretionary services

HealthyHermits

36% Resent expectation tobehave like old people

Emphasize conformityand well-known brands

Ailing

Outgoers

29% Accept limitations but

maintain positive self-esteem

Health problems:

special diet/needs

FrailRecluses

17% Adjusted lifestyle to acceptold age; spiritually strong

Stay in home:remodeling andemergency response

Table 15.2 56


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Selling to Seniors

Most older people lead more active,multidimensional lives than we assume

Older consumers are finished with many financialobligations

Most own their own homes Child-rearing costs are over

Were Spending Our Childrens Inheritance

Marketers must provide more welcomingadvertising for mature market

Packaging sensitive to physical limitations

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Mature Marketing Messages

Basic guidelines for effective advertising Abundance of information

Simple language

Clear, bright pictures

Use action to attract attention

Speak clearly, and keep word count low

Single sales message, emphasize brand extensions(familiarity)

Avoid extraneous stimuli (excessive pictures)

Documents

Chapter 11 - Culture and Consumers