Cultural and

1
Chapter 12 Cultural and Cross-Cultural
Influences
2
Culture
The complex of learned meanings, values, and
behavioral patterns that are shared by a society
Issues in Analyzing Culture

• Can be analyzed at different levels
• Concept of shared or common meaning

Cultural meanings are the shared or similar
knowledge, meanings, and beliefs by which people
in a social system represent significant aspects
of their environments

• Created by people
• Cultural meanings are constantly in motion
• Social groups differ in the amount of freedom
  people have to adopt and use certain cultural
  meanings

3
Core Cultural Values in America
Relevance to Consumer Behavior
General Feature
Value
Acts as a justification for acquisition of
goods (You deserve it)
Achievement and success
Hard work is good success flows from hard work
Keeping busy is healthy and natural
Stimulates interest in products that save time
and enhance leisure-time
Activity
Admiration of things that solve problems (e.g.,
save time and effort)
Stimulates purchase of products that function
well and save time
Efficiency and practicality
4
Core Cultural Values in America
Relevance to Consumer Behavior
General Feature
Value
Progress
People can improve themselves tomorrow
should be better
Stimulates desire for new products that
fulfill un- satisfied needs
acceptance of products that claim to be new
or improved
Material comfort
The good life
Fosters acceptance of convenience and luxury
products that make life more enjoyable
5
Core Cultural Values in America
Relevance to Consumer Behavior
General Feature
Value
Being ones self (e.g., self-reliance,
self-interest, and self-esteem
Individualism
Stimulates acceptance of customized or unique
products that enable a person to express his or
her own personality
Freedom of choice
Freedom
Fosters interest in wide product lines and
differentiated products
6
Core Cultural Values in America
Relevance to Consumer Behavior
General Feature
Value
Uniformity of observable behavior desire to be
accepted
External Conformity
Stimulates interest in products that are used or
owned by others in the same social group
Humanitarianism
Caring for others, particularly the underdog
Stimulates patronage of firms that compete with
market leaders
7
Core Cultural Values in America
Relevance to Consumer Behavior
General Feature
Value
Youthfulness
A state of mind that stresses being young at
heart or appearing young
Stimulates acceptance of products that provide
the illusion of maintaining or fostering youth
Fitness and Health
Caring about ones body, including the desire to
be physically fit and healthy
Stimulates acceptance of food products,
activities, and equipment perceived to maintain
or increase physical fitness
8
Rituals
Symbolic actions performed by consumers to
create, affirm, evoke, or revise certain cultural
meanings
Consumption-related rituals 1. Acquisition
rituals 2. Possession rituals 3. Exchange
rituals 4. Grooming rituals 5. Divestment
rituals
9
Cross-Cultural Issues
Differences across cultures 1. Differences in
consumption culture 2. Self-concept 3. Similar
cross-cultural changes 4. Materialism
10
International Strategies
1. Adaptation Approach modifying the product,
promotion, or other aspects of the local
marketing strategies
2. Global Approach maintaining the local
marketing strategies