CULTURE, SUB – CULTURE,

RITUALS
Environmental influences
on Consumer Behavior
Globalization – cultural overlap

 Globalization influences cultural values

 But cultures can’t be homogenized

Global Global
citizens Dreamers

Global
Antiglobals
Agnostics
Cultural Factors
Concept of culture

 What is Culture?
 Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law,
morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by humans as
members of society

 Culture …
… is comprehensive.
… is acquired.
… supplies boundaries within which most individuals think and act.
… influences us in such a way that we are seldom aware of it.
… is not static.
 Culture influences everything

USA: Hot side dish Japan: Canned corn as

after school treat

French: Salad and eat it

India: Chat
cold

Britain: Sandwich and

Korea: Sprinkled over ice
pizza topping
cream
LEVELS OF SUBJECTIVE
CULTURE

 SUPRANATIONAL- reflects the underlying

dimensions of culture that impact multiple
cultures or different societies.

 NATIONAL- shared cultural characters that

uniquely or specifically define the citizens of a
particular country

 GROUP- cultural divisions or groupings

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Values, Norms, and Sanctions
Not understanding culture can cause
problems
Variations in Cultural Values

Other- Society’s view

oriented of relationships
values between people

Society’s view Consumption

Environment-
of relationships Purchase
oriented
with environment Communications
values

Objectives/
Self-
approaches
oriented
to life society
values
finds desirable
 Other-oriented Values

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd-_SyYl1ko

 Individual/Collective
 Extended/Limited Family
 Adult/Child
 Masculine/Feminine
 Competitive/Cooperative
 Diversity/Uniformity
Environment-oriented Values

 Cleanliness
 Performance/Status
 Tradition/Change
 Risk taking/Security
 Problem-solving/Fatalistic
 Nature
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Self-oriented Values

 Active/Passive
 Material/Nonmaterial –
 Instrumental – buying Audi to commute
 Terminal – Buying Audi to own it
 Hard work/Leisure
 Postponed gratification/Immediate gratification
 Sensual gratification/Abstinence
 Humor/Serious
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Factors Influencing Nonverbal
Communication
Differences in time perceptions

Time saving Luxury, experience. Hang out

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A Theoretical Model of Cultures’
Influence on Behavior
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Culture Is Learned

Issues
 Enculturation and Enculturation
 Thelearning of one’s
acculturation
own culture
 Language and Acculturation
symbols  The learning of a new or
 Ritual foreign culture
 Sharing of culture
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Culture Is Learned

Issues

 Enculturation and Without a common

acculturation language shared meaning
 Language and could not exist
symbols Marketers must choose

 Ritual appropriate symbols in

advertising
 Sharing of culture
Marketers can use
“known” symbols for
associations
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Culture Is Learned

Issues

 Enculturation A ritual is a type of

and
acculturation symbolic activity consisting
 Language
of a series of steps
and
Ritualsextend over the
symbols
 Ritual
human life cycle
Marketers realize that
 Sharing of culture
rituals often involve
products (artifacts)
Subculture

 A distinct cultural group that exists as an

identifiable segment within a larger,
more complex society.
 Nationality and Ethnicity Subcultures
 Religious Affiliation Subcultures
 Geographic Subcultures
 Generational Subcultures
Identification Produces Unique
Market Behaviors
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