ENVIRONMENTAL DETEMINANTS

OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
DEFN- FAMILY
• A group of two or more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption and
residing together as a household
• is a social group characterized by common residence, economic cooperation
& reproduction.
TYPES OF FAMILY-
A. Traditional households-
i. Nuclear family (Children and parents) ( family of procreation)
ii. Joint family ( Grandparents, parents, children, uncles, aunts cousins )etc
(family of orientation)

B. Non-traditional households-
i. Married couple without children
ii. Single parent household
iii. Unmarried couples
iv. Individuals living with others.
 FAMILY INFLUENCES ON BUYER BEHAVIOUR
A. Husband-wife influence-
i. Nature of product- expensive items, daily products, expensive home appliances

ii. Nature of purchase- budgets, timing, product specifics, emotional support

iii. Family characteristics- Patriarchy, education, income, job status, age of family, no of children

B. Child influences-
i. Consumer socialisation of children-
– direct/ indirect relevant consumption behaviour,

– observation, requests, selections, assisted & independent purchases

– parents may be authoritative, neglecting, democratic, permissive

ii. Influence of children in purchasing process-

– depends upon age, product category
– chocolates, fast foods, clothing, music CD’s etc. Elder children contribute regarding cars, TV
sets, computers, family vacations etc.

•
• builds an environment of socialization in which a person shapes his
personality & acquire value.
• Members usually share their view & opinions on present buying patterns &
future behaviour
• individual takes opinions of his family members. They may encourage/
discourage to buy or recommend another product.
• Family of an individual consists of variety of relations

• individual’s buying habit & lifestyle depends upon his family members
• married man’s buying behaviour will be different from a bachelor
• buying behaviour of men & women also differs
• buying behaviour of family with children differs from a family without
children
ROLES OF DIFFERENT MEMBERS
Family members play following role for different decisions-

1. Instrumental role- HOF, basic needs satisfaction, task oriented, authoritative, monetary

2. Expressive role- mothers lend emotional support, reduce tensions, focus on aesthetic aspects, sometimes
are instrumental

3. Initiator- any member, identifies the need, ex . wife

4. Influencer- any member who convinces/ persuades others, has info & negotiation skills

5. Opinion leader –collects full info of product, attains expertise on features and adv after analysis, exerts
influence over family members.

6. Information gatherer- one or more members collect info about product/ place, more educated about
product categories

7. Decision maker– have authority, seek info from influencer/ gatherer, not necessarily will take the same
decision

8. Purchase- person who actually places an order, purchases the product, decision maker & purchaser may
be different. Ex. Teenager son/daughter

9. Gate keeper- who is able to control the flow of products in family. Allow or halt the purchase. Ex mother
for children
Factors affecting the needs of the family
• f
 EVALUATION RULES TO BUY A PRODUCT
Evaluation rule is the stds & specifications used by consumer to
evaluate the products/ brands
1. Appropriate alternative-
• consumer recalls the brands from internal memory
2. Attributes of alternatives-
• collect info about each relevant criteria in each brand
3. Market evaluation-
• no. of alternatives, price range, distribution outlets & other.
info
4. Product characteristics-
• in case of major differentiation. evaluation of characteristics,
categorize and brand shift
5. Consumer characteristics-
• influence perception of benefit, cost& need. Ex. Satisfying
experience leads to repeat purchase
• Situational factors evaluation-
1. urgency, emotional factors will influence buying decision.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE NEED OF THE FAMILY
• Various factors influencing a family’s needs & wants
1. Social class-defines std of products
2. Lifestyle- brand consciousselected brands ,
irrespective of cost
3. Income of family- quality, branded products
4. Size of Family- physical, biological & social needs
5. Nature of family- values, attributes, education,
culture, background, traditions
6. Educational standards- highly educated more
knowledge, innovative products, more analysis and
evaluation
7. Occupation of the members of family- blue/ white
collared jobs, increase in level of needs/ wants.
 SOCIAL CLASS
• Social class is a relative standing of members of the society
• a higher position means a higher status then the members in
the lower class.
• According to Schiffman,-

• ” Social class is –

– the division of members of a society into a hierarchy of

distinct status classes,
– members of each class have relatively the same status .
 FEATURES OF SOCIAL CLASS
1. Hierarchical form
2. Homogeneity (same values, status, norms, commitments,
attitude)

3. Class mobility( tendency to move either up/down)

4. Relatively permanent nature( social status)

5. More than one variable

6. Stratification is in diverse structure(class, caste, estate)

7. Stratification is momentous
-
1. Social class influences products purchased :-
– buys products based on lifestyle & social class (social approval)
• Upper class- luxurious, branded, prestigious quality products
• Middle class- Quality goods at moderate prices
• lower class- goods satisfying their needs
– People belonging to particular social class desire to live the lifestyle
of upper class by purchasing a copy of upper class products
– lower class individuals get a chance to improve their self image and
personality
– also prefer buying from the same place

– marketers use different advertising/ promotion strategies for

different classes
2. Social class influences hobbies and interests:-

– Upper class- prefer fashion, style and sophistication

• join clubs, play golf, tennis, chess, basketball

• read books, concerts, events, museum's, art galleries

• holiday’s in foreign countries, expensive resorts, charities.

– Middle and lower class-

• Watch TV serials, sports.

• women are involved in cooking & looking after their families.

3. Spending and Credit patterns-

– Upper class being future oriented & confident of their financial status, invest more
in insurance, shares , real estate, make payments using cards
– middle class make cash purchases, purchase through credit cards using EMI
facilities
– lower class buy according to their needs, savings for safety & security of family
4. Influence of social class on savings:

• Higher class individuals having more resources so go for detailed

financial planning

• Lower class individuals hardly have any resources for savings &

investments, whatever little money is earned is used for need

satisfaction.
GROUP DYNAMICS
• Is the study of forces operating within the group.

• The social process by which people interact face to face in small groups is called “Group
dynamics”.

Features:-
• Consists of two or more persons

• is a formal social structure run by rules and regulations

• face the same consequences

• face to face interaction amongst members
• are emotionally connected having common goals
• Mutually dependent on one another
• members get recognition on belonging to the group
• Can clarify doubts, confusion and misconception
• members assume roles to help each other
DEFINITION OF REFERENCE GROUP:
• Individuals use reference groups as a guide for behaviour in a specific situation.
• Reference group is a person or a group of persons who significantly influences an
individual's behaviours.“

• serves as a point of comparison for an individual in forming either general or specific

values, attitudes or behaviour.“
•Reference groups exhibits some features (values, roles, norms, status, socialization
and power) that exerts some amount of influence on the consumers

•An individual's buying behaviour ,buying decisions , kinds of product is greatly influenced
by reference group.
•The consumers have a number of reference groups

•While purchasing a specific product he may refer to a particular group and he may
refer to another group for purchasing another product.
•Marketers are aware that they can easily influence a consumer's buying behaviour
through his reference groups
TYPES OF REFERENCE GROUPS
Groups can be classified depending upon many criteria, such as affiliation , type of contact , attraction
• 1. Primary Reference Group

•individual has face-to-face contact with the group and he gets influenced directly.

•This group is generally coherent(think alike and have similar interest) and longlasting .

For instance Family, friends, colleagues, peers, neighbours, etc.

•2. Secondary Reference Group

•formed by individuals who meet occasionally have some interest with the group and gets indirectly influenced.

•For instance Movie stars, professional associations, religious leaders, trade unions, sportsmen, etc.

•3. Normative Reference Group

•Groups that directly influence the values or behaviour of the individuals are called normative reference group.

•For example .The family imparts norms of behaviour, good values and belief to the children to behave in an appropriate manner , which

helps in moulding the child's behaviour as a consumer in future,

•This demonstrates how an individual decides the type of food to eat, clothes to wear, outlets for shopping.
4. Comparative Reference Group

•is a group which is used to compare and evaluate an individual's status.

•For example: In college, students consider their peer group for trendy clothes, branded mobile, drive stylish

cars as their comparative group whose style appears to be inclined and worthy of imitation.

5. Contractual reference Group

•The groups with which an individual interacts and has regular contact are called contractual groups.

• individual must be a member of the group and must have regular face-to-face contact.

• approves the values, attitudes, behaviour ,standards of the group influencing his behaviour.

•6. Aspirational Group

• group where an individual may not be a member of a group or may not be having face-to-face contact

•he aspires to become member of the group.

•The values and norms of the group have a positive influence on the individual's attitude, behaviour

•For example

•A young player may have a dream to play some day for the country. his beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviour

will be such so as to match his aspirational group ,even though there is no face- contact.

• 
7. Disclaimant Group
•This is a group, whose values and behaviour does not fascinate the
individual.

• An individual may be a member or may have face-to-face contact but he

disapproves group's values, attitudes and behaviour.
•Thus, he behaves in opposite to the group norms

8. Avoidance Group
•In case of such groups, where an individual may not hold membership or
have face-to-face contact with the group and also of whose values,
attitudes and behaviour the individual totally disapprove.

•Thus, an individual is likely to avoid the group and adopt values,

attitudes and behaviour which will be in opposition to the group.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT REFERENCE GROUP INFLUENCE:

1 Information and Experience

Knowledge and experience plays a crucial role in a person's buying decision .If A person is
experienced ,well-informed and self-supportive there are lesser chances that the individual
will take advice from reference group.

On the other hand, if the individual has insufficient information or experience about a
product, there are greater chances that the individual will take advice and opinion from the
reference group about the product.

2 Reliability and Credibility

When a reference group is reliable and credible it greatly influences an individual. An

individual who looks up to reference group for gathering information about a particular
product or service, before taking advice and opinion, he makes sure that the reference group
is credible and reliable

For example:

An individual seeking for legal advice will approach a lawyer who has high credibility in this
• 3. Power Groups

3. Power groups constitutes of individual with dominating personality. As these individual are
successful in their life so that others are attracted to follow their lifestyle. Sometimes the
consumers follow them though their attitudes will not change. Ex.
4. Attractiveness

• Those persons, whose personality is perceived to be dynamic, often influence others who
find them attractive and wish to copy their dressing sense, speech, manners, their
grooming, etc.
• For example:
• Airhostess, those working in hospitality industry.etc.

5. Conspicuous of the product

• An individual gets influenced by reference group depending upon the public display and
visibility of expensive product that reveals their status
• A visually conspicuous product is one that stands out and has a lasting impression in the
minds of the consumers. On the other hand a verbally conspicuous product is one that may
be highly fascinating to narrate to others.
REFERENCE GROUP APPEALS
•When marketers create advertisements, they make use of many kinds of
appeals to communicate to their target consumers to buy their product.
•They make use of different types of appeals so that the consumers can identify
themselves with the spokesperson from reference group, in the advertisement,
•The commonly used reference group appeals are:
• 1) Appeals by celebrity,
•2) Appeals by experts,
•3) Appeals by common man;
•4) Appeals by executive trade or spokesperson
1. Appeals by celebrity -
•These are commonly used on media in the present times.
•The public admires film stars, TV personalities, sportspersons, and other celebrities.
• They represent a lifestyle that people aspire to be in.
•Usually, marketers use celebrities for FMCG products and products of daily use.
•Celebrities in advertisements are used in a variety of forms;
– (i) a sportsperson (educating the consumers about the company and the brand);
– (ii) as a celebrity giving a testimonial and endorsement (statement in support of claim or a fact about the
brand);
– (iii) as an actor / model, generally, commercials with celebrity appeals have a great impact on the
consumers' minds.
•When a celebrity advertises one or few brands, he / she is accepted with credibility as compared to another
who advertises for many brands because of the monetary factors associated with the ads.
•Marketers believe that the image of the celebrity passes on to the product or service that they are advertising.
This phenomenon is called "prototypical bonding".
– Here, spokesperson's traits, personality, image etc. becomes associated with a specified service or
product.
2. Appeals by Experts -

• This is one more reference group appeal used by marketers

• Because of the persons or individuals Knowledge, expertise and experience they possess in that field.

• They are shown in a position of advice that helps potential consumers to evaluate the various product
alternatives, and finally decide.

• For example, a health nutritionist or a dietician advertising for food products. 

3. Appeals by Common man -

• a) A common man appeal relates to individuals, who find parity in these advertisements with real life situation.

• With this, they are able to identify better with the situation shown in the advertisement, as they relate to
realities of life and real-life problems. This is called as "slice - of – the life commercials."

• b) A common man appeal includes –

– testimonials from a satisfied customer.

– Advertisements show how day to day problems are solved through purchase of products or brands.
Common examples are Amrutanjan balm for relief from agony and pain, Close up for relief from bad breath,
LIC for reliable Insurance and timely payments, etc.
4. Appeals by Executive trade or spokes - character :
•a) Marketers sometimes use spokespersons or their top executives in their
advertisements. These persons are used at product launch and also for a publicity
exercise,
•b) These spokespersons address the consumers by providing information about the
product
•c) Their popularity influences people and their consumption behaviour. For example,
Ratan Tata for promoting Nano, Nita Ambani for promoting Reliance Fresh stores etc.

Other Appeals
•Impacting consumption behaviour includes print media and editorial content,
promotional strategies from dealers and retailers and seals of approval from recognised
and reputed agencies and organisations
SOCIAL INFLUENCE OF REFERENCE GROUPS AND OPINION LEADERS :
• While making purchase decisions an individual refers to the behaviour of reference groups, opinion leaders and other persons
and tries to follow them.
• The Influence of reference group and opinion leaders on an individual's buying behaviour is as follows:

A. The Reference group Influence -

• There are mainly three kinds of groups in society which influence the buying behaviour of an individual they are as follows:
• Group which serve as comparison Points :
– some groups serve as points of comparison and are used by an individual to evaluate his status.
– Consumer gets influenced by individuals having similar characteristics, traits, behaviour, attitudes and psychological
make-up ,start relating to their buying behaviour.
– So, marketers are helping consumer in making decision by providing relative groups for making comparisons with
them.
– These move strengthen the familiarity of the brand and individuals don’t have any risk in purchasing the product.
• For Ex. film stars endorse the brand, consumers easily get associated to the brand.
– Consumers imitate their lifestyle by purchasing the products endorsed by them.
• The middle and lower class consumers being price conscious, look for value for money along with discounts on the product.
• They generally purchase from supermarkets, wholesale outlets, big bazaar, etc.
• these outlets serve as a point of comparison by providing necessary products at reasonable prices
• Groups of which an individual aspires or wishes to be a member :

– Consumers copy the behaviour of the group the wish to belong .

– Marketers are making use of actors, sportspersons etc to influence positive consumer behaviour towards the product,

even though there is no face to face contact with the groups.

• Example: Some health drink marketers use sportsmen to endorse brands for young children who want to achieve and excel

at school;

• the children aspire for these qualities, that sportsman have. So, they associate with the product.

• Assumption of perspective of group by an individual (respective of whether he wants to be its member or not) -

• a) Due to hardly any movement in markets in urban areas, marketers have realised that big rural market potential should be

looked into.

• b) A rural consumer always looks out for quality and value of products,wants to improve his standard of living

• leading marketers in order to attract consumers of lower class or lower income group have started offering products in small

packs at a very reasonable price.

• For Example: Hajmola offers small packs, many shampoo companies offer small size pack at Rs. 1 or Rs. 2, etc. These are

called reference groups –

• they act as reference for the consumer may influence a consumer's purchase decision.
b. Opinion leaders -
•Opinion leaders are individuals to whom consumers turn for advice while making purchase decisions.

• There is a two - way exchange of information, both the opinion leader and opinion seeker interact with each other.

•Opinion leaders provide-

– the seekers with information about product, advise and their own experiences.

– can be someone with whom the information seeker has personal contacts like friend, relative, member of social group, etc
they are trusted and informed people.
– exist in all primary groups.

– Marketers believe that word - of - mouth advertising has more influence on the success of a product than investing money in
advertising the product.
•they provide consumers with latest information about product after finding out details from various sources

•They obtain this information to maintain their status of being an "expert", in a particular category:

•The recommendations are valuable for consumers because they believe that opinion leaders do not get any personal gain by
recommending a particular product.
•Opinion leadership is a process by which the opinion leader informally influences the actions or attitudes of other individuals.

•The beliefs, attitudes, references and actions of the opinion leader creates a trend for others to follow in a particular situation,
opinion leaders are reference individuals.
•Opinion leaders are involved in social activities,

•They like to be the centre - of - attraction, opinion leaders are self confident, and they always like to be surrounded by others.
• They like to collect more and more information about the product.

• People look up to opinion leaders for information about products So they have to live up to desired level of expectations.

• It is believed that opinion leaders can influence consumers within a particular product category. Readers may appreciate that it is impossible to

identify opinion leaders for all product categories. Some of the common traits of opinion leaders are as follows:

– Knowledgeable about a particular product category

– More involved in product category

– Active in receiving communication from various sources relating to the product

– Interested in new products.

– Constantly updating their information by reading magazines, newspapers, and other media about the product.

– Self-confident in their appraisal about the product category.

– More socially active which shows their willingness of communicating with others.

• An opinion leader could be any person a housewife a professional a businessman, an individual's friends.

• Ex. for household products, an experienced housewife who has used a particular product may be an opinion leader.

• It is believed that opinion leaders and the persons with whom they interact are in a position to influence family, friends, close relatives,

colleagues and have a common social background.

• The opinion leader views are heard with a lot of respect

• The opinion leaders directly do not influence the day - to – day purchase decisions but they indirectly influence the members of the group , this

motivates them to purchase a particular product.

• Opinion leaders are open to new ideas and new products on being convinced, act as propagators of new product. So marketing managers are on

the lookout for opinion leaders, who do canvassing and advertising by words of mouth, this helps in pushing the product in the market with the

proper motivation provided by the opinion leader. 

ROLE OF OPINION LEADER IN DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION AND IN PURCHASE PROCESS
•Opinion leaders are an important link between the consumer and marketer

•They communicate informally about product or brands, give news about product, advice, and tell their
personal experience to consumer.
• Opinion leaders are trend setters. They are innovative and are interested in new products and by purchasing
new products they set a trend. So, opinion leaders provide both favourable and unfavourable information
about product.
•Since, opinion leaders have great influence on people, their opinions affect the purchasing decisions of others.
People copy them. They act as reference group for others who want to use same product.
•Diffusion of innovation means spread of a new product or innovation from its source to consumers, it is
related to acceptance or rejection of an innovation.
• To become successful innovation (new products) require acceptance from consumers, this also needs
consumers to change their existing habits and behaviour
•Opinion leaders play an important role in diffusion of innovations and changing the behaviour of people
relating to a new product.
• Opinion leaders have positive attitude towards change but only if they like the product.
• They do word-of-mouth marketing about the new product.

• It is believed that consumers are more influenced by opinion leaders when buying a new innovative product as

compared to other marketing efforts

• a product that is not liked or recommended cant be successful in the market.

• Consumers look for reliability in the information obtained by word of mouth communication

• A large number of people ask their families, friends, colleagues, advice before purchasing a product. People who like

the product, recommend the product they purchased to their friends and families.

• Opinion leaders collect information on a continuous basis so they are powerful source of information to consumers.

• The advice given by the opinion leader has a great influence and affects the acceptance or rejection of the new

product.

• So, marketers design products by considering that the product satisfies the opinion leader. If he is satisfied with the

innovation, then the product gets a favourable response from him and leads to faster acceptance by people.

• The ability of marketers to identify and satisfy the opinion leaders plays an important role in success of a new

product.

• So, targeting opinion leaders remains a valuable marketing strategy.

DEFINITION OF CULTURE
•Culture is the sum total of learned beliefs, values and customs that serve to direct the consumer behaviour of members of a particular
society." Schiffman and Kanuk

MEANING OF CULTURE
• is one of the essential environmental factor which influences consumer behaviour.

• regarded as a complex system of laws, values, knowledge, morals, belief, customs and other capabilities and habits which is integrated with
a range of acceptable behaviour.
• is a set of socially obtained values that society accepts all together and imparts it to its members through language and symbols.

•customs and traditions of India distinguish it from the rest of the world.

•traditional aspects like joint family system, customs, the caste system rituals, etc are very unique.

•if these values are disrupted it attracts social condemn.

•norms are learned since childhood ,its effect is deep rooted in the life of people, is transferred from one generation to another

•trait and knowledge of specific group of persons elucidated by everything from language, religion, cuisine, music, arts, customs, social
habits, etc
•It is an external influence which fascinates the consumers

•Culture constitutes influences which are forced on the consumers by other persons. 
UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Culture is learned
•attained by learning, about what is agreeable and not agreeable with reference to beliefs, values, morals, etc.

•A marketer to be a successful businessman needs to carefully understand the culture of that particular country,

Culture is shared
• followed by all the members of the society in the form of beliefs, values or practices.

•connects together the members of the society. The family, religious entities, educational institutions and mass media have made the sharing of culture a
reality.
• important cultural messages are :example : Buy Indian, Be Indian

Culture is transferred from one generation to another

• traditional values and beliefs are demonstrated in the behaviour and consumption pattern of the individual by sharing from one to other generation.

• For example :Attire of people in different states

Culture is dynamic
• changing cultural trends provide opportunities and threats , the marketer requires to appropriately study the socio cultural environment, amend their
existing product or develop new ones.
Culture satisfies needs
•Culture provides guidance to people in satisfying their social physiological and personal needs, provides guidelines and norms about
behaviour, eating habits and things to avoid.
•For ex : Nowadays, people are more concerned about good physique and well-toned body, this new culture has created opportunities for
gyms
Culture are similar and differential
•Culture varies & is unique in every country and in every society & dissimilarity exists because of the various practices followed in different
countries. Hence, the marketer must understand these dissimilarities to succeed in business,
Culture is symbolic
•Some symbols have conflicting meaning which might hurt the sentiments and feeling of people. Marketer should know precisely what
message the symbol is conveying to the people
Culture helps in adaptation
• to succeed, marketers have to match the cultural standards of the particular society,
•For ex, in India McDonald's have a variety of veg burgers whereas they sell variety of non-veg burgers all around the world.
• The analysis of the specific culture of the target market helps marketer regarding demand 
SUB-CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON INDIVIDUAL
• Sub cultures are cultural groups that have values and norms which are distinct from those of the majority and are held by a group within a
wider society, example nationality, language, social class, etc.
•is a set of learned beliefs, values, attitudes, habits, and behaviour which is shared by subsets of society and is passed on from one
generation to another within each subset.
•In India, there are various sub-cultures.

• Each state and region has its own attire of dressing preferences, reading habits, festivals, etc.

• Depending on the religion some people are vegetarian while others are non-vegetarian.

•The following are the components of culture :

i) Demographic : This is one of the component through which one can determine the influence of sub culture on marketing. Using this
measure, the marketer can find out:
•market size of the probable consumers

•composition of the consumers

•location of the consumers/buyers

•future market trends

ii) Social class system: Social class as sub culture is the hierarchical division of society into three
classes lower, middle, upper.
– The upper class spends more on luxury items in comparison to necessary items
– lower classes that have little purchasing power spend on basic necessities of life.
– middle class, who create more demand for products are of interest to marketers.
follows a common pattern of buying behaviour and lifestyle irrespective of the regional, linguistic and
cultural diversities in India

iii) Age : Age is a reliable factor which helps to the find out the impact of sub culture on mktg
– Teens mostly buys dresses, gadgets and cosmetics to enhance their appearances,
– influenced by tv, ready to accept new ideas and products,
– dependent on their parents to buy the product
– inclined towards latest communication techniques and
– they opt for products which have practical utility.
• Elderly people have limited income and needs,
– spend mostly on medical treatment.
– They retain brand loyalty.
iv) Regional sub culture : Regional sub culture emerges from climatic conditions, languages, natural
environment, resources, social and cultural factors
• In India, the consumption habits of people differ considerably in relation to food items, drinks
and clothing
• For ex: In south India, people prefer rice and coffee and prepare food in coconut oil.
in North India, people prefer wheat and wheat products and prefer food cooked in mustard or
groundnut oil.
• Important to understand the behavioural pattern of people depending upon sub culture
disparity which enables the marketer to transform marketing programmes as per the stability of
each sub culture group of consumers
NORMS AND THEIR ROLE:
•Norms refer to accustomed behaviour.

•Norms are unwritten rules and guidelines which prescribe specific behaviour of how to behave in particular circumstances.

• Norms are applicable only to behaviour and not to any personal thoughts or feelings.

•Norms are society's collective expectations about what kind of behaviour an individual should possess and

• plays a crucial role in social control and Social order by making an effort on the individual to adhere to it

•When groups are formed, there is a set of rules or standards generated which the members follow

•The consumer's purchase decision is often influenced by other group members, hence makes similar choices as his friends, relatives, etc. when they go
for shopping.
•influence the consumer's preferences and behaviour. Hence,

•determine an appropriate behaviour for each and every social group

• For example: Neighbours, students and patients in a hospital are all familiar with the norms governing behaviour.

•norms and attitudes are closely related and it affects an individual's attitude.

• For example: Cigarette smoking is injurious to health, therefore the individual possess a negative attitude about it.

•when norms come from authoritative body and when the behaviour is public , Enforcement on behaviour are intense and forceful,

•described in a descriptive form, accompanied by expectation that people will behave according to pattern, has wider repercussions on consumer
behaviour.  
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS :

CUSTOMS:also known as tradition, is a law or usual way, that is not written and in practice since long time.
•Generally, the people come from the same culture, country and religion.

•Customs connects together the members of society.

•Family imparts customs to its members.

•India has diverse culture customs and religions which includes festivals that are celebrated throughout the year

•The rich customs and traditions keep Indian people united

•As per Mark Twain "India is the cradle of the human race, the birth place of human speech the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the
great grandmother of tradition

TRADITIONS:
• A tradition is a belief or behaviour or way of acting that people in a particular society or group have continued to follow for a long time from one
generation to another.
• In India, consumer emphasis is more on traditions and various communities having different practices.

•Women are considered superior than man in making buying decision.

• Tradition focuses on the key values of a society which are adopted and followed by the individuals.

• It helps the marketers to interpret the consumer behaviour and accordingly formulate the marketing strategies
Key Traditional Values:
•Family Orientation :
•Indian family consists of his own family spouse, children, and also extended family which include parents,
grandparents, brothers, sister etc.
•Male members support the entire family and he is the prime earner.
•Nowadays, most of the women have started working and are supporting their family
•While purchasing products for family an individual prefers value-bas brands at reasonable prices.
•The consumers may buy low-price branded as well as non-bran items.
•Savings Orientation

•Saving is an inherent part of Indian family

•The expenses of basic needs are fulfilled first and the remaining part of money goes for compulsory savings.

•Due to the availability of installment schemes it has become easier for the consumer to purchase durable products
like bikes, home theatres, cars, music system, laptops, etc.
•In India, as a tradition, families invest in gold jewellery and property
c) Festivities:
•In Indian culture all festivals are celebrated with great zeal and rituals

•During festivals marketers have a golden opportunity to sell their products as the consumers

•spend lavishly on items of necessity and luxury.

•Marketers carry out advertising campaign during festivals and offer heavy discounts and free gifts.

•Most of the consumers delay their purchases and wait for festival period avail the best offers
d) Shopping as a ritual:
•The concept of shopping malls have come up in all the metro cities.

•Nowadays consumers prefer to buy from shopping malls and supermarkets.

•The lower and middle class consumers desire to purchase from departmental stores as they provide good
deals, offers and discounts products throughout the year.
•In rural areas still the housewives believes in purchasing from local kirana shops, road side vendors, mandis,
flee markets, etc.
e) Achievement Orientation :
•There are remarkable changes in the cultural trends taking place in urban areas.
•Due to the increase in the purchasing power of the middle class people they are able to purchase car, take
club membership and go for holiday with family.
• The new food joints like fast food chains, coffee shops have become successful.
• In case of food habit there is a shift from Indian cuisine to international cuisine such as Chinese, Italian,
Mexican and Thai.
f) Shift in focus:
•Due to both the spouses working they have more income at their disposal.
•They spend on requisite products and services such as entertainment, health and gadgets
•As husband and wife both are professionals, there is need for services like laundry, creche facility, home
delivery food, etc.
VALUE SYSTEM:
•A value system is regarded as a comparatively permanent perceptual framework which has an impact on an individual's behaviour. Values are the attributes procured by an
individual and are similar to attitudes but are more enduring and well built.
•Value refers to an inception of what a person or group considers as beneficial

•Personal values are acquired from teachers, parents, elders and friends.

•As a person grows values are embraced and polished as he gains new knowledge and experience.

•Values are beliefs and they relate to achievable goals.

•Values lead to advancement of behaviour.

•They wish to provide outstanding products and services, new sophisticated technology which is a value that leads to enhanced customer satisfaction

•Marketers are aware that the value system transforms promptly as per the situation

•Value system is usually absorbed from various consumers and groups and it is transferred from generation to generation.

•Communication which is passed on since generations is rarely accurate as they are verbally transmitted.

•Earlier the youth was conservative and reserve, but the youth today has drastically changed, they are daring, impatient and follow a value system where they have an attitude of
getting things on the spot. Thus, they are only concerned about the present.
•Values are deep rooted in people that they are generally not aware of them and have problem in identifying them.

•Hence, marketers have to understand the values underlying the behaviour of the consumers because only than they will realize why the consumers behave in strange and different
ways sometime.
•Thus, values are normally influenced with moral flavour and they comprise of a judgemental trait, which involves an individual's conception as to what is right, good or desirable.