Culture:

We define culture as the sum total of learned beliefs, values, and customs that serve to direct the
consumer behavior of members of a particular society.
E.g. - Consumers routine behavior, such as adding a diet sweetener to coffee, putting ketchup on
scrambled eggs etc..

Cultures impact on Consumer Behavior

Following are the points that prove that culture lays an impact on the buying behavior of a
consumer:

Culture Satisfies Needs
Culture exists to satisfy the needs of the people within a society. It
offers order, direction and guidance in all phases of human problem solving by providing
tried and true methods of satisfying physiological, personal, and social needs.
e.g.:- Culture provides standards and rules about when to eat, where to
eat, what is appropriate to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner etc...


Culture Is Learned
Unlike innate biological characteristics, culture is learned. The three
distinct forms of cultural learning are formal learning, informal learning and technical
learning.
Although a firms advertising and marketing communications can
influence all three types of cultural learning, it is likely that many product marketing
messages enhance informal learning by providing the audience with a model of behavior
to imitate.

Usage of Language and Symbols
To communicate effectively with their audiences, marketers must use
appropriate symbols to convey desired product images or characteristics. These symbols
can be verbal or nonverbal.
A symbol may have several, even contradictory meanings, so the
advertiser must ascertain exactly what the symbol is communicating to its intended
audience.

Facilitates Rituals
Most important from the standpoint of marketers is the fact that rituals
tend to be replete with ritual artifacts that are associated with or somehow enhance the
performance of the ritual.

Culture Is Shared
Various social institutions within a society transmit the elements of
culture and make the sharing of culture a reality. Such institutions are family, educational
institutions, houses of worship and most importantly mass media. Because consumers
receive important cultural information from advertising.


Culture Is Dynamic
To fulfill its need gratifying role, culture continually must evolve if it is
to function in the best interests of a society. For this reason, the marketer must carefully
monitor the socio-cultural environment in order to market an existing product more
effectively.