BehaviorLearning Objectives

culture’s lnfluence on consumer BehaviorLearning Objectives1To understand culture’s role, dYnamics, evolution, and imPact onconsumers’ Prioritiesand behaviors.2 fo understand language,sYmbols,and rituals as exPressions ofalearned culture.3To understand how to measure the influence of culture onconsumer behavior’4To understand Americans’core5To understand green marketing and ecologicallY resPonsibleconsumPtion.values and how to aPPIY them topersuasive communications’UlfUnE is the collective values, customs’ norms’ arts’ socla,institutions, and intellectual achievements of a particular scI.iety. Cultural values exPress the collective principles’ stardaris, and priorities of a community’ Most of the promotion"target, auc messages across the world reflect, to some degree’ theachieveences,"cultural values. For instance, Americans value personallike to demonstrate their accomplishments c-‘ment and success andDodge ad showing off prosperity and material possessions’ Theth1t,th3V vrFigure i 1.1 r.".ognizes this desire. By telling consumers,,bold stalement,,to other drivers by driving a Dodge, the a:.Ik" uwealth. Ame-reflects and reinforces the eagerness to show off one’sespeci-ally when it corns:cans also greatly value efficienly and Progress,’lLio t..nnotgical innovations. Dell’s ad in Figure 1’2 promotes,anTr:yet strong, powerful’.and.durable’trabook, which is small and thin,belie’:uJl ,rgfin"-"Everything’ And More"’-appeals to Americans’ ways ::advanies provide them with more productiveinut t"Jnnotogical*ork.ndnru,iug" their lives. As illustrated later in this chapter, achiev=pen’=ment, succerr, !ffi.i"n.y, and progress are Amerlcans’ enduring’values, which oftesive, and consumption-r"lutud prio-rities and are coredetermine what we buy and also explain why’-cultur=ini, chapter d"sciib", the societal role and dynamics of they aneeds, and investigates howexplains how cultural values satisfycc-:Lurn"a, expressed, and measured’ Lastly, we discuss ten Americanwith ads and promotional themes’ and cc-values, which we illustrateclude with a discussion of green marketing’CHAPTER11 O CULTURE’S INFLUENCE ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR 267)’A2FlG U R E 1 1 .1 An Appeal Based on Personal Achievement and prestigea:lt..:S€q4FIGURE’l1.3Discouraging DistractedDriving270PARTlV.CONSUMERS lN THEIR SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SETTINGSLearning Objective2To understand language,symbols, and rituals asexpressions of a learnedculture.–:.To be considered a cultural value, a belief or custom must be shared by a significant portion oisociety, because cul,ture is essentially a series of norms that guide personal and group conduct — link individuals into a largely cohesive group. Generally, members of a society share their value,s . :customs through a common language, although some cultures include more than one language.F-*rc’$g*f K-*arrrieagWe learn cultural norms and customs mostly from family and peers, and begin to understand :: very young age that some behaviors are appropriate and others are not. Anthropologists have ide:.: ‘fied three forms of cultural learning. Formal learning takes place when parents, older siblings. .::other family members teach younger members "how to behave." Informal learning takes p1.::when children imitate the behaviors of selected others, such as family, friends, or TV and m.’" .heroes and characters. Technical learning happens when teachers instruct children, in educatio:environments, about what should be done, how it should be done, and why it should be done. -social as well as personal settings. Our ethical values (e.g., the importance ofkindness, honestl. . responsibility) are also formed during childhood as we learn them from parents, teachers, and oi:.=significant adults.lKat*eelt{"i::*ci*xa *md JL*cw.9?xr*ti*:stAnthropologists distinguish between the learning of one’s own (or native) culture and the learning .new cultures. Enculturation is learning one’s own culture. Acculturation is learning new or fore-::cultures. In Chapter 13, we demonstrate that acculturation is important fbr marketers that sell pr.’-ucts in multinational markets. When selling products overseas, marketers must study the culture .of their potential customers so as to determine whether their products will be acceptable and hou :communicate the characteristics of their products effectively and persuade consumers to buy them.Sometimes, consumers can be "fbreigners" in their own countries. For example, one study trac.:a group of provincial women in Thailand as they enrolled at a university in Bangkok (Thailan; ‘capital city). As their first semester began, the women quickly formed their own group; they k.:’to themselves and did not mix with students from Bangkok or participate in the city’s social scer=Ironically, the longer the provincial women lived in Bangkok, the more they resisted adopti;.-:Bangkok’s culture and strongly expressed their provincial values.5Key components of one’s enculturation are the family and the process of consumer socialization(see Chapter 10). This process consists of teaching children and young adults consumption-relat;:values and skills, such as the meaning of money and value, how to judge product quality, styles a:-:preferences, product usage, and the meaning and objectives of promotional messages.6 In addition ::the family unit, educational and religious institutions also convey cultural values to younger mei:-bers. Educational institutions impaft the knowledge of arts, sciences, civics, and professional a:-:specialized skills. Religious institutions provide spiritual and moral guidance and values, which oii;-have a substantial impact on behavior.h{arksticlg3nf iLlenfle:$firt il*ltuvarl J-eurningThe contents of media, adverlising, and marketing reflect cultural values and convey them to a-members of society very effectively. Given Americans’ extensive exposure to print, broadcast, an:online media, promotional messages are powerful vehicles for imparting cultural values. Every da1at almost any time, we are exposed to hundreds of promotional cues and messages, many of whic:.we hear and see more than once. The repetition of marketing messages both conveys and reinforce.cultural beliefs and values. For example, in the highly competitive environment of cellular communications, providers have aggressively promoted such features as low rates of dropped calls, hig:extent of coverage, and flexible pricing plans. After years of seeing such ads, wireless phone user’learned to expect extensive benefits from cellular gadgets, and their expectation levels have beergoing up steadily-further reinforced by the frequent introductions of more sophisticated mobil.communications.In advertisements, cultural values are not only depicted in the advertising copy, but are also codecin the visual imagery, colors, movements, music, and other nonverbal elements of an advertisement.CHAPTER11.CULTURE’S INFLUENCE ON CONSUMERBEHAVIOR 271Many products became American icons and tangible expressions of thenation,s cultural values.For example, the ever-popular baseball cap provides wearers with a culturalidentity. Baseball capsfunction as trophies (as proof of pmticipation in sports or travel to particulardestinations), and manybrands serve as self-proclaimed labels of belonging to a cultural category (e.g.,Harley-Davidsonowner) or even means of self-expression (e.g., highly customized Harleybaviclsonmotor"ycles). Thestatuses of Coca-Cola and Disney as the most recognized commercialAmerican icons are illustratedby the millions of people wearing their logos (and their counterfeits) in virtuallyevery location onour planet.Marketers also transmit a lot of information that enables consumers to expressshared culturalvalues. For example’ advertising in sophisticated magazines such as Vogue,Bon Appetit, and Architectural Digest instructs readers how to dress, how to decorate their homes,and what foods andwines to serve guests. Online, people form virtual communities that arefocused on products andenable consumers to exchange and learn product-related customs. Socialmedia ls rapiaty becoming a key factor in conveying and sharing cultural values. People followtweets of influential peopleand peers and write in blogs that are focused on their activities, interests,and opinions. As a result,for example, more people may get involved in civic groups and humanitariancauses. Their actions,respectively’ express the importance of personal achievement and successand humanitarianism,which are two of our core values (discussed later in this chapter).Lexxgexmg* e*1* Syaarb*3mCultural values are reflected in the languages, symbols, communications,and artifacts of a society.A symbol is anything that represents something else, and symbols can be eitheru..Uuf o. nonu.Juf.Words are verbal symbols, so the text of any ad is a composition of symbols.Nonverbal symbols,such as figures, colors, shapes, and even textures, are cultural cues thatappear within advertisements,trademarks, packaging’ and product designs. Many symbols have linguisiicas well as psychologicalmeanings’ For example, the word "hurricane" is defrned as a particulartype of severe weather condition, but often stirs feelings of danger and thoughts of finding protectilnand safety. Similarly, theword "Cadillac" has symbolic meaning: To some it suggests a fine luxuryautomobile; to others itimplies wealth and status (e.g., the phrase "the Cadillac of refrigerators"indicates that a refrigeratoris the best in its product category).Symbols can have contradictory meanings. For example, the advertiserthat uses a trademarkdepicting an old craftsman to symbolize careful workmanship may insteadbe communicating animage of outmoded methods and lack of style. Marketers who usestang in advertisements directedat teenagers must do so with great care; slang that is misusedor outdated will symbolically date themarketer’s firm and product, and may also be offensive to some.Prices and channels of distribution are symbols and reflect culturalmeanings of products. Forinstance, the stores where clothes are sold (and also the pricesof the items) symbolize their quality. Infact, all the elements of the marketing mix-the produci, its promotion,pii.e, und the stores at whichit is available-are symbors that communicate the item’s quarity, value,and image.R*ccaxlsIn addition to language and symbols, cultures include ritualizedbehaviors. A ritual is a type of symbolic activity consisting of a series of steps occurring in a fixed sequenceand repeated p..ioai.uity.tRituals can be public, elaborate, or ceremonial (e.g., weddings),or mundane routines 1e.g., dailygrooming)’ Typically, ritualized behavior is formal and oftenlcripted(e.g., a-religious service orproper conduct in a court oflaw), and occurs repeatedly (e.g.,singing thenational anthem before thestart of a sports event).Many rituals include artifacts, and some products are marketed specificallyforcertain rituals.For instance, turkey, stuffing, and cranberries are part ofthe ritualofThanksgiving Day. Rituals suchas graduations, weekly card games, or visits to beautysalons include artifacts. Table 1 l.l lists culturally appropriate artifacts for various occasions.Ritualistic behavior is an action or series of steps that have becomea ritual. For example,golfers who take a few practice swings before actually hittingthe ball display a ritualistic behavior’ Personal-care activities are often ritualized; Table 11.2 describesthe daily ritual of a woman,sfacial care,iI.j{272PARTlV .CONSUMERS lN THEIR SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SETTINGSSrbdding’White gown (something old, something new, something borrowed,something blue)Birth of childU.S. savings bond, silver baby spoonBirthdayCard, present, cake with candlesFiftieth wedding anniversaryCatered party, card and gift, display of photos of the couple’stogetherGraduationPen, U.S. savings bond, card, wristwatchValentine’s DayCandy, card, flowersNew Year’s EveChampagne, party, elegant formal dressThanksgivingA turkey dinner served to family and friendsGoing to the gymTowel, exercise clothes, water, iPodSunday footballBeer. potato chips, pretzelsSuper Bowl partySame as Sunday football (but more)Starting a new joblifeGet a haircut and buy new clothesGettingajob promotionTaken out to lunch by coworkers and receive tokengiftRetirementCompany party, a watch, and a plaqueDeathSend a card, send flowers, donate money to charity in honor of thedeceasedLI pull my hair back with a headband.2. I take off my makeup with LOrdal makeup remover.3. Next, I gently rub a Qtip with some moisturizer around my eyes to make sure all of my eye makeupis removed.4. I wash my face with Noxzema facial wash.5. I apply Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion to my face and neck.6. If I have a blemish, I dry it out with Clearasil Treatment.7. Once a week, using a wet and warm cloth, I apply Clinique ClarifyingLotion 2 to my face and neck toremove dead skin cells.8.Learning Objective3To understand how tomeasure the influenceof culture on consumerbehavior.Every three months, I get a professional salon facial to clean my pores deeply.Culture reflects a society’s values, customs, and rituals, which in turn reflect how we live and cornmunicate. The most widely used measurements of cultural values are content analysis, consumer fiel;observation. and value measurement instruments.**ssqextq Ama3yslsContent analysis, as the name implies, focuses on the content of societies’ verbal, written, and piclcrrial communications, including promotional messages. Content analysis can be applied to marketinggender and age issues, sociology and political science, psychological studies, and many other fields.Among other concepts, content analysis can:1. Identify the intentions, focus, or communication trends of an individual, group, or institutions.2. Describe attitudinal and behavioral responses to communications.3. Determine psychological or emotional state of persons or groups.eCHAPTER11.CULTURE’S INFLUENCE ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR273Content analysis can determine what social and cllltural changes have occurred in a specificsociety or compare different cultures. Content analysis of more than 250 ads appearing in 8 issues ofSeventeen Magazine-4 Japanese issues and 4 American issues-found that teenage girls are portrayed quite differently. Portrayals of American teen girls often reflected images of independenceand determination, whereas those of Japanese teen girls portrayed happy, playful, childlike girlishimages.rt)Another content analysis study compared American and Chinese television commercialstargeted to children and revealed that 82Vo of the Chinese ads aimed at children were for food products, whereas 567o of the ads directed at American children were for toys. I Ii;"" : .i*.r:..- ,.:i’,:-,..fa specific society, anthropologists frequently study cultures through freldobservation, which consists of observing the daily behavior of selected members of a society. Basedon their observations, researchers draw conclusions about the values, beliefs, and customs ofthe society under investigation. For example, if researchers were interested in how women select jeans, theymight position trained observers in department and clothing stores and note how many and whichtypes ofjeans buyers pick up, look at, and try on.When examiningField observation:1. Takes place within a natural environment.2. Generally, the subjects are not aware that they are being watched.3. Focuses on observation ofbehavior.Because the emphasis is on a natural environment and observable behavior, field observation of buying and consumption activities occurs in stores. and, less fiequently, during in-homeproduct usage.’In some cases, researchers become participant-observers; t…