Influence of culture on consumer

Behavior
PREPARED BY:
Indravijaysinh Jadeja
Hitesh Parmar
SEM-3 (SFI)
SUBMITTED TO :
DEPATMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
M K BHAVNAGAR UNIVERSITY
BHAVNAGAR-364001

GUIDANCE BY:
Dr. Jay Badiyani

 Culture is the sum total of learned beliefs, Values, and

Customs that serve to direct the consumer behavior of
members of a particular society

It is the examination of characteristics of total society.

INVISIBLE HAND OF CULTURE

Impact of culture is so natural and automatic.

To know invisible influence of culture on our own
behavior we have to know the custom, value of
other society.

Ex: Food Habit

CONTINUE
Three Levels of Subjective Culture:
Supranational

CULTURE SATISFIES NEEDS

Culture exist to satisfies the physiological, personal

and social needs and it provide the order, direction
and guideline in all phase of human problem
solving.

Ex. Tell us about food habits, dress code.

What to consider under Necessity and luxury.

CULTURE IS LEARNED
Culture learned from childhood itself from the social environment.
Three distinct forms of culture learning.
Formal Learning

MARKETING INFLUENCES CULTURAL

LEARNING
The Firm or the Marketing Communication
influences all type of cultural learning.
The repetition marketing messages creates and
reinforces cultural beliefs and Values.
Many times we think the cultural meaning from the
TV advertise and social media.

ENCULTURATION AND ACCULTURATION

Learning of ones own culture is known as enculturation.
Learning of a new or foreign culture is known as
Acculturation.
It is important for markers who is planning to sell their
product in foreign.

LANGUAGE AND SYMBOL

Marketers must use the appropriate language
that the target consumer can under stand the
meaning.
Use appropriate symbols to convey desired
products characteristics.
Symbols can be verbal or non-verbal.
Humans has the capacity to understand the
symbols naturally.

LANGUAGE AND SYMBOL

Ex: The Word Earthquake.
A symbols may have some contradictory meaning so
marketers should know what exactly the symbol is
communicating to audience.

RITUALS
A Ritual is a type of Symbolic activity consisting of a
series od step occurring in a fixed sequence and
reputed over time.
Rituals extends over the human life cycle from birth to
death including a host of intermediate events like
graduation, marriage etc
From the standpoint of marketers is the fact that rituals
tend to be replete with ritual products that are
associated with or somehow enhance the performance
of the ritual

RITUALS
Ex: food and jewelry are linked to the ritual of
Diwali, Id and other calibrations.
Special Occasions such as wedding anniversaries,
some type of artifacts(Products) are perceived as
more appropriate gift than other.

CULTURAL CUSTOMS AND BELIEFS ARE

SHARED
Language is the most important cultural
component that make it possible for people to
share Values, experience and customs.
Various social institutions within a society
transmit the elements of culture.
Ex: Family , Educational institutions, mass
media etc

CULTURE IS DYNAMIC
Marketers must carefully monitor the cultural
environment to market their product.
Many factors are affect to cultural change.
Marketers have to consistently consider the changes.
Ex:-services of life insurance, clothing, toy, financial
investments etc

MEASUREMENT OF CULTURE
A wide range of measurement techniques are
used in the study of culture.
Research approaches that are frequently used
to examine culture and to spot cultural trend
1) Content Analysis
2) Consumer Fieldwork
3) Value measurement instruments

MEASUREMENT OF CULTURE

1) Content Analysis
)Content Analysis focus on the content of verbal, written, and pictorial
communications.
)Shows social and cultural changes in society.

MEASUREMENT OF CULTURE
2) Consumer Fieldwork
)A culture measurement technique that takes place within a natural
environment that focuses on observing behavior.
)EX:- how women select jeans

MEASUREMENT OF CULTURE
2) Consumer Fieldwork
)Sometimes researchers become participant observers.
)EX:-How consumers select Washing machine.

MEASUREMENT OF CULTURE
3) Value measurement instruments
)

Researchers use data collection instruments.

)A variety of value measurement instruments have been used in

consumer behavior studies.
)Ex:- Rockech Value Survey

INDIAN CORE VALUES.

CULTURE & INDIAN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

INTRODUCTION TO CULTURE & INDIAN CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR

The study of culture is the study of all aspects of a society. It is the language,
knowledge, laws, and customs that give society its distinctive character and
personality. In the context of consumer behavior, culture is defined as the
sum total of learned beliefs, values, and customs that serve to regulate the
consumer behavior of members of a particular society. Beliefs and values are
guides for consumer behavior; customs are unusual and accepted ways of
behaving.
The impact of culture is so natural and ingrained that its influence on
behavior is rarely noted. Yet, culture offers order, direction, and guidance to
members of society in all phases of human problem solving. Culture is
dynamic, and gradually and continually evolves to meet the needs of society.
Culture is learned as part of social experience. Children acquire from their
environment a set of beliefs, values, and customs that constitute culture.
These are acquired through formal learning, informal learning, and technical
learning. Advertising enhances formal learning by reinforcing desired modes
of behavior and expectations; it enhances informal learning by providing

INTRODUCTION
Indian consumers are culture-oriented in the sense that they conform to the cultural
expectations of society. Core values of a society are adopted by a significant number
of people; are enduring or followed by people for a long time; and enables marketers
to understand the behaviour of consumers. The following are some of the core values
of Indians:-

Family orientation Not only includes ones own family but also extended family- siblings, parents,
grandparents etc.
In such type of familys male is a wage earner as the chief of the family.
Value- based brands at low- price
The brand at the lower end of the market in a number of product categories like tea,
soap, toothpaste, and shampoo typically cater to these kinds of consumers.

 This type of consumers also mixes the brands and products from unorganized
sector to balance his/ her expenditure on such consumption needs.
Unilever India Limited and Colgate has a number of price points in almost all
its product line.

Savings Orientation
Saving a good portion of money and spend the little for basic needs only
(earlier)
Now, people are buying , above their basic needs. Like bicycles, bikes, cars,
TVs, computers etc (installment basis for convenient living)
Investing money in gold is a key factor. People use to buy jeweler from their
family jewelers rather from brands like Tanishq (2% market capturing)

Festivities
A number of companies step up their advertisement campaigns
during festive months. A number of consumers also postpone their
purchases, specially durables in hope of getting various types of
deals.
Even a niche jewelry brands like Tanishq came out with rakhis in
gold on raksha bandhan. Gold coins with images of god and
goddess for the festival like dhanteras (sign- prosperity, and
money).

SHOPPING AS A RITUAL
Buying commodities and vegetables from routine shops or near by
shops and hawkers even if the concept of BIG BAZAAR,
SHOPERS STOP etc spreader out everywhere (urban areas)
BIG BAZAAR- promise to give ambience, service, and variety.
Bargaining, especially in the case of commodities and vegetables, is
an unwritten rule in the transaction.

Diversity by Indian Railways

Emerging Culture

Indian village by Amul

Ritual & Tradition

 Food Habits
Changing cultural trends in Indian Urban Market
(a) Achievement Orientation- membership prestigious club, holidaying in a foreign resort,
possessing a middle- end car (Opel or Honda)
(b) Work Ethic- convenience products (one-stop shop, fast foods chains like Mc Donald's
etc )
(c) Material Success- Young highly qualified professional (25-30). The education,
aspirations, and intelligence of these consumers have resulted in their acquiring
substantial wealth. The wealth is spent on essential products and services like- health,
entertainment, and convenience. There is a great demand for quality- oriented, branded
services like laundry services, in- home delivery of food,, baby- sitters, pet-care
people, and in small way, online marketing of essentials.

(a)Use of hi-tech products:high profile consumers use

products like iPods, phones, iPods, computers & hi tech
products in the categories of household appliances &
entertainment systems. This lifestyle aspect may be of interest
to marketers of high end products like fuzzy-logic washing
machines, plasma television sets & perhaps, products using
Bluetooth technology.(which essentially deals with getting the
consumer involved in the brands message that suits her
interests rather than bombard the consumer with a barrage of
direct mailing.

A RECENT STUDY PUBLISHED BY S.RAMESH KUMAR WITH HIS

CO-AUTHORS IDENTIFIED INDIAN VALUES THAT ARE
RELEVANT TO MARKETING. THESE VALUE INCLUDE
TRADITIONAL & CONTEMPORARY ONCE.

1. power distance (social hierarchy emerging from different

aspects of living)
2. uncertainty avoidance (dealing with the unfamiliar )
3. forward- looking ( futuristic orientation of he individual)

4. conservatism (not wanting to lead a fashionable lifestyle)

5. need for affiliation ( a sense of belongingness with
others)

 6. family bonding ( a close & a bonded relationship with

family)
7. utilitarianism (buying products that have sheer utility
value)
8. nuclear family (ones immediate family consisting of
spouse & children without ones parents or a joint family
with other relatives)
9. hospitality ( being cordial with friends & relatives)
10. honor ( not overspending as a matter of honor &
prestige to ensure that one does not get into debt)

 CULTURE ASPECTS OF MERGING

MARKETS.

Hofstede defined

Culture as the mental programming of people in an

environment. He called culture a combination of symbols( women
wearing abundant 22 karat gold jewelry are perceived as prosperous in
several parts of India.

several facts of culture are overtly & covertly used

in marketing communications. In addition to culture overtones finding
a place in advertising ,there are some product categories that are
culturally oriented ( meaning that these product categories are a part of
the Indian culture in terms of the habits & lifestyles of consumers).
Advertising appeals for these product categories too need to be
formulated with the culture factors & target segment of consumers
taken into consideration.

FREQUENTLY USED PRODUCT CATEGORIES IN

INDIA
Some products consumer are using in frequently
1. Hamam (soap)
2. lux (soap)
3.sunrise (coffee)
4.coke (cola)
5.pepsi (cola)

6.Colgate (toothpaste)
7. close up (toothpaste)
8. Gillette (razors & blades)
9. red label (tea)
10. surf excel (detergent bar )

 11. Dettol (floor cleaner)

12. Cadbury (chocolates)
13. horlicks (milk additive)
14.head & shoulder (shampoo)
15. parrys (sugar)

 INFERENCE WITH REGARD TO

CULTURAL VALUES IN ADVERTISEMENT

1. In

an emerging market like India, integrated marketing

communications (imc) should be formulated taking into
consideration the values that are associated with the culture,
especially when they have been an important part of the
advertising scenario for several decades.

2. the ritual setting adds meaning to the perception of the

advertisements containing cultural values. The ritual setting can
vary from brand to brand & category to category. It needs to be
formulated based on type of target segment for the respective
brand.

Thank You
(.)