Chapter 12 Cultural and Cross-Cultural Influences

Culture
Mental frames and meanings shared by most people in a social group
Common perspectives Typical cognitions (beliefs) Affective reactions Patterns of behavior

Each society = Cultural Distinctions

Analyzing Culture
Analyzed at different levels
Can be shared among people in any size Subculture = meanings shared by smaller groups

Concept of shared/common meaning = important

Cultural meaning = close enough meanings treated as shared/common

Cultural meanings created by people

Government, religious groups, educational groups, business firms

Analyzing Culture
Cultural meanings are constantly in motion Social groups differ in amount of freedom to adopt cultural meanings
North American and European societies China, India, Saudi Arabia

Two Perspectives for Understanding Culture

Content of culture Culture as process

Content of Culture
Consists of beliefs, attitudes, goals, values, behavior, rules, customs and norms Social and physical environment, major social institutions, and typical physical objects

Goal = understand the shared meanings in POV

of consumers
Example: affective responses for raising of flag (patriotic feelings), 50% off sale (interest/excitement), being late for appointment (anxiety or guilt), shaking of hands (friendliness)/ bow or kiss,

Social environment can have rich cultural meanings - cultural meanings of shopping (self-service discount store/ upscale dept. attentive sales service) Physical and material environment - Cultural meaning = landscape, buildings, weather, specific products - ex. Wedding rings, cars

Marketing strategies must be sensitive to cultural meanings

Understand cultural meanings of products and brands
Downs Syndrome U.S. Mcdonalds ad
Americans = tear-jerker Booed at in Intl. Adv. Film Festival in Cannes

British = self-deprecating humor French = stylish & indirect appeal Japanese = affective > cognition not understood by foreigners Pricing/ distribution = sale negative response

Measuring Content of Culture

Surveys, interviews, focus groups = not enough to show how consumers perceive
Content analysis = historical record of print advertisements Ethnographic fieldwork = records everything | direct observations, interviews and audio/video recordings Measures of values = dominant cultural values of society Means-end Chain = connection between consumer and product Attributes, Consequences, Core Values (abstract end goals people try to achieve)

Changes in cultural values can be good or bad

BMW 80s early 90s late 90s Healthy food = opportunity Change in culture = change in behavior

Culture as a Process

 First, marketing strategies are designed to move cultural meanings from the physical and social environments into products and services in an attempt to make them attractive to consumers. Second, consumers actively seek to acquire these cultural meanings in products to establish a desirable personal identity or selfconcept.

Pricing Advertising Distribution Symbol Product Design

Reporters, Opinion leaders, celebrities, leaders

Govt agencies: BFAD, ISO

Products, stores and brands

Makes cultural meaning tangible/visible and communicates to others Personal meanings self-relevance w/ product

Purchase, search, bargaining, bidding

Possessing ritual, Product nurturing ritual, Personalizing ritual
Giving gifts Personal care and beauty products Removing meaning from products

Establish self-identities and communicating to others Consumer-product relationship

Continuous and reciprocal movement of meaning between the overall cultural environment, organizations and individuals of society

Automatic from daily activities Intentionally create new cultural meanings

Marketing Implications
Managing Cultural Meaning
Identify brand meanings Monitor changes in meanings
Means-end analysis ZMET interviews

Maintain positive/create new brand meanings

Follow cultural process

Marketing strategies influence overall cultural environment

Billboards, media ads, signs

Celebrity Endorsers in Ads

Celebrities = cultural objects with specific cultural meanings Lebron James = Nike Philippines Sara Jessica Parker = SM Aura

Helping Consumers Obtain Cultural Meanings

Devise rituals to transfer cultural meanings Louis Vuitton Fine dining restaurant

Cross-Cultural Influences
U.S. Film = 50% revenue from foreign market

Cross-cultural differences
Differences in Consumption Culture
First world = strong consumption activity Third world = growing for middle class

Self-Concept American VS Japanese Similar Cross-Cultural Changes

Women (social role)

Cross-Cultural Influences
Cross-Cultural Differences
Materialism
importance a consumer attaches to worldly possessions Possessiveness, envy, non-generosity Possessions = symbol of success | source of happiness Americans & Europeans

Marketing Implications
Sensitivity and high tolerance Have similar consumer-product relationships World = Americanized culture

Developing International Marketing Strategies

Cross-cultural difference: language
Coca-Cola American Motors Matador Ford Motor Company Caliente Chinese: bite the wax tadpole Spanish: killer Spanish: streetwalker German: manure wand

Sunbeam Corporation Mist-Stick

Developing International Marketing Strategies

Approach 1: Adapt marketing strategy to culture Approach 2: Standardize marketing strategy across variety of culture (aka Global Marketing) Approach 3: Use a marketing strategy to change the culture

End

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