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27525800-Culture-Consumer-Behavior

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    The main vehicles of culture are the family and the religious institutions where the individual

    is taught much of the ideas, beliefs etc., that from the culture. This teaching is reinforced as

    moderated by two other vehicles namely the educational institution and the mass media.

    Characteristics of Culture:

    Culture is invented: It cannot be viewed as something that just exists and waiting

    to be discovered. People are responsible for inventing their culture and this invention

    consists of three interdependent components:

    1. Ideological component refers to ideas, beliefs, values, and approaches to defining

    what is right and wrong, or desirable and undesirable.

    2. Technological component is concerned with the skill, arts, and crafts that provide

    human with the means to produce goods by using what is available to them in

    their environment.

    3. Consumer component enables humans to live in the family systems and market it

    possible to coordinate their behavior effectively with others actions.

    Culture is leaned: It is not like biological features or instinctive. The process of

    learning cultural blues begins early in life largely through social interactions among

    families, friends, in settings in such as educational and religious institutions; growing

    children are firmly indoctrinated with ways of behaving, thinking and feeling. Some

    of the core cultural values that have been passed down through generations in India

    are belief in god, respecting elders, husband domination, being polite to ladies,

    accepting arranged marriage, viewing marriage as a union between two families and

    living in joint families etc.

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    Culture is Shared by a firmly large group of human beings living in organized

    societies and works as a linking force. Generally, common religion and language are

    the critical elements that the American pop culture is being shared by a large number

    of other countries through the availability of several products such as coca cola,

    McDonalds burgers, Levis jeans, movies and music etc.

    Culture satisfies needs: Its components are passed down through generations

    because they are gratifying. Culture offers order, direction and guides societies in all

    phases of life by providing tried and trusted ways of meeting the physiological,

    personal and social needs and due to these reasons people feel comfortable in doing

    things in the customary way. Cultural values and customs etc. are followed as long as

    they keep on offering satisfaction, even when we are exposed to other culture.

    Though advertising is considered an important agent in bringing about social change,

    from the marketers point of view an important mission of advertising is to reinforce

    established cultural t and aiding in the development of new tasted, habits and customs.

    Culture is not static: some cultures are relatively more resistant to change than

    others but they do change gradually and continuously. These changes, however, may

    be very slow in some cultures while others may be more dynamic and receptive to

    changes. Since cultures are not static and change rapidly or slowly in different

    societies, this becomes quit an important consideration from the marketers point of

    view. For example, traditionally the role of women in India was confined within the

    household. As a rule, they were married at an early age, looked after household duties

    and bore children. In urban India, at least, the role of women is gradually getting

    redefined. More and more women are acquiring higher and technical education and

    entering several professions, which earlier were the sole domain of men. As a result of

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    this, dual income households are emerging, with smaller families and increased

    buying power. This has thrown up several, and important, opportunities to marketers.

    Such cultural changes in India can be directly attributed to the influence of western

    cultures and media influence, which emphasize freedom and equality to women.

    Culture can divided into two distinct components.

    Influence of Culture on consumer behavior

    While there are a large number of areas where the individual is conditioned by his culture, for

    our study we will focus on certain areas where his consumer behavior comes influence. There

    are:

    Consumption of food, clothing and housing

    Perception on messages and media, and

    Receptivity to new ideas and change

    Internal mental culture

    (Ideas, knowledge, concepts)

    External material culture

    (Things that can be seen touchedand used in our day to day living,e.g. art, music, theatre, clothing, etc.

    Cognitive components belief of after life, etc.Ideas, knowledge, god,

    supernatural power, etc.

    Normative componentsvalues, conduct, normsthat regulate behaviour

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    Food: Food perhaps is the area where preferences are any way very individual and very

    marked. Additionally, culture introduces certain preferences. The examples of preference

    induced by cultures are

    Kosher foods for persons of Jewish subculture

    Avoidance of beef by Hindus and Sikhs

    Avoidance of pork by Muslims

    Vegetarian food large subcultures in India

    Sea foods for subcultures in the Far East

    Clothing By sheer logic, clothing preference should depend on climate and weather.

    However, one can observe many peculiar preferences exhibited by consumers who can be

    identified as belonging to a subculture. The preferences in these cases appear to be culturally

    inherited. Otherwise there is no other explanation why Italian gentry in Toronto or Indian

    ladies in San Francisco are shopping for silks and why custom dictated elaborate dresses

    unsuitable for the local and prevailing climate are purchased all the year round, by ethnic

    groups.

    Housing people of a certain class brought up in the western culture may view the house as a

    caste to protect their privacy whereas persons in the same class brought up in Eastern culture

    want to treat the house as a showpiece as well as a place for interacting with kith and kin.

    Such cultural influences affect the choice of location, material, construction and dcor of the

    houses the consumer buys and this has to be kept in mind by the marketers.

    Marketers also hold varying conception of culture. A traditional marketing view in this

    perspective, culture is viewed as a relatively unchanging background for behavior, consisting

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    primarily of values and norms. Values are enduring beliefs about desirable outcomes that

    transcend specific situations and shape ones behavior. If asked, people can usually state

    important values: honesty, dependability, and so forth, for example. Cultures vary in the

    strength of members beliefs in a limited number of universal values. Norms are informal,

    usually unspoken rules that govern behavior.

    Two views of Culture and Consumer Behavior

    Traditional Marketing View

    Consumption

    Pattern

    Antecedentsto culture

    Culture

    (Collective )

    Perceptual

    Categorization

    Perceptual

    Inference

    Information

    Processing

    StrategiesMotives

    Self-concept

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    Emerging Marketing View:-

    Material goods

    Cultural templates

    Action (blueprint)

    Consumption patterns

    Cultural templates

    For interpretation (lens)

    Cultural fields (scapes)

    Values and norms help to determine perceptual and cognitive principles that, in turn,

    influence peoples attitudes to marketing offerings and consumption practice. In perspective,

    the key questions for marketers are to what extent should they adapt market offerings to other

    culture context, and how should they do it.

    Some anthropologists (scientists who study human culture), we define a societys culture as

    frameworks for action and understanding that enable one to operate in a manner acceptable to

    other members. The frameworks vary between cultures, but they always incorporate

    language, norms, values, and objects, as well as the myths, symbols, and rituals that we

    discuss later in the chapter. Both individuals and firms that wish to operate successfully in a

    culture require these kinds of knowledge. In this view, values, norms, and other cultural

    elements differ in kind, not merely in strength, between different cultures.

    To complicate matters, culture cannot be reduced to a list of language, things, people,

    behavior, or values, although all of these are important in a culture. Our list of facts about the

    Danes did not lead us to correctly predict the popularity of baby joggers, for example. The

    above figure indicates culture can be through of as a set of dynamic models. Members of a

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    culture use these models to perceive, relate to, and interpret their world. Thus, culture

    consists of shared frameworks or blueprints both for action and for understanding.

    Blueprints for action and interpretation are constructed by culture from two basic elements.

    First is through cultural categories, which organize time, space, nature, and the human

    community. For example, class, occupation, ethnicity, gender, and age are examples of

    cultural categories.

    In addition to cultural categories, blueprints for action and interpretation are also shaped by

    cultural principles , the values, norms, and beliefs that allow things to be grouped into

    cultural categories, ranked, and interrelated. For example, cultural principles enable us to

    classify products into categories and identify new brands as belonging to particular

    categories. Some culture principles are expressed in sayings and folk wisdom such as hard

    work pays. There is virtue in loyalty to the state, you get what you pay for, seeing

    believes, possession is nine-tenths of the law, or the nail that sticks up gets hammered

    down.

    Variation in cultural values

    There are three broad forms of cultural values as show in following fig.

    Other Orientedvalues Environmentoriented values

    Self oriented

    Societies view of relationship

    between people

    Societies view of relationship withenvironment

    Objective/approaches to life, societyfinds desirable

    Consumption purchasecommunications

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    Cultural values

    Values include instrumental values , shared beliefs about how people should behave, and

    terminal values, or desirable life goals. Examples of instrumental values include

    competence, compassion, sociality, and integrity.

    Ambition is an instrumental value that might help one attains a comfortable life, which is a

    terminal value.

    Cultural values are shared broadly across a society. They are learned, reinforced, and

    modified within subcultures, ethnic groups, social classes, and families, values are organized

    into systems that differ in their importance to consumers. They transcend particular

    situations. Some believe that behaviors develop from attitudes, which in turn derive from

    more general or abstract cultural values. This is referred to as the value-attitude behavior

    hierarchy.

    The Rokeach value survey (RVS) identifies a set of 18 terminal values, or desired end

    states, and instrumental values, or desirable actions. A comparison between Brazil and the

    united states on a few of Rokeachs terminal values shows substantial differences. The most

    import values in the united states-family security, a world at peace, freedom (independence),

    and self-respect-are ranked substantially lower in Brazil (seventh, fifth, sixth, and ninth,

    respective). The highest-ranking Brazilian values-true friendship, mature love, happiness, and

    inner harmony were ranked lower in the United States (tenth, fourteenth, fifth, and

    thirteenth, respectively). The U.S. terminal value rankings on the RVS have remained

    remarkably stable over time.

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    Hofstede proposed another approach of value measurement, and it has been applied more

    extensively. It is based on five dimensions of cultural values, sometimes called value

    orientations. These values are as follows:

    1. Individualism vs. Collectivism Cultures,

    2. Masculinity vs. femininity,

    3. High vs. low power distance,

    4. High vs. low uncertainly avoidance, and

    5. Abstract vs. associative thinking.

    1. Individualism vs. Collectivism Cultures:-

    Individualism Culture is a society in which members put their personal advancement and

    welfare ahead of that for other groups, institutions, and the culture as a whole. In such

    societies, people are personally focused, have loose connection with others and place their

    interest and goals above those of other individuals and the groups to which they belong. The

    development of the private self is encouraged.

    In this culture, consumers are less likely to be influenced by their peers or reference group. In

    this culture, choosing a product that focus on their personal self image, that will give personal

    pleasure and allow them to express themselves freely will be on target.

    Collectivism Culture is a culture in which people put the goods of others, the groups they

    belong to, and the society as a whole above their own. Self discipline is important, and

    individuals basically accept where they are in life. Competition on group basis is acceptable

    but not encouraged. Here, the development of the collective self is fostered.

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    In collectivist society, fitting in is important, so products and services that reference group

    demand are needed. Pleasure, skill development, and knowledge acquisition in group setting

    are also to be focus for offerings.

    2. Masculinity vs. femininity

    Masculine culture is a society in which male roles are considered superior to female. In

    this, high value is placed on such things as monetary gain, material possessions, competition,

    being successful, and being assertive and aggressive.

    Femininity culture is a society in which female roles are considered superior to male role.

    It sets values on nurturing, the family, quality of life, social responsibility, environment

    quality and the like over attaining wealth, possessions etc

    3. High vs. Low Power Distance

    Power distance is a level of social inequality that exists in a society and how willing

    members are to accept authority at all levels.

    High power distance means high social inequality. In this includes accepting authority at

    the family level, in social settings, at work, from government agencies and the like. Countries

    with higher power distance include Venezuela, Guatemala, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, India,

    Malaysia, Japan etc

    Low Power distance relationships are more informal across social levels, more equality is

    found among all people, and authority is more shared. Countries with low power distance

    include Australia, New Zealand, England, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada etc

    4. High vs. Low Uncertainty Avoidance

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    Uncertainty avoidance is a willingness of the member of a society to accept ambiguity and

    uncertainty.

    High uncertainty avoidance (a certainty culture) is found in societies that have

    routinized behavior patterns, many rules and regulation, low tolerance for new ideas or new

    ways to do things. Persons in such societies tend to go to their families and other important

    to them to obtain advice, security, guidance, and comfort. They are more prone to stress,

    emotional, anxious, aggressive, and are hard workers.

    Low uncertainty avoidance (an uncertainly culture) exists in cultures where people go

    with the flow. They dont have a strong desire to control their destiny and have a sense that

    what is to come will be. They are said to be relieved, confident, rational, and retired, behavior

    patterns as individuals and consumers are more fluid and reactive, and new ideas and new

    ways are more easily accepted, partly because they are more willing to accept personal risks.

    5. Abstract vs. Associative Thinking Culture

    Abstract thinking those societies whose members are logical thinkers, interested in the

    principle of cause and effect. Products and services are seen as good benefits-deliverers

    purely because their inherent characteristics. Face to face communication is preferred.

    Member of such societies are willing and eager to make changes and to try new things,

    including new products and services.

    Associative thinking is those societies in which connections or associations with people,

    celebrities, and events impact on the importance of things. Consumer products or services

    tied to such acquire value. Thinking that a baseball bat that matches that of home run hitters

    Mark McGuire or Barry Bonds is better than one not tied to a special player whether its the

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    correct length and weight for you or not. Associative thinking societies also see connections

    with God or gods, supernatural or mystic beings, events or places to various life events.

    6. The Confucian Dynamic Impact on Cultures

    The Confucian dynamic, at the positive end of the Confucian Dynamic scale are such

    values as persistence, hard work, thrift, shame, and regard for relationships that indicate a

    future-oriented, dynamic mentality. At the negative end are values indicating a static

    mentality. They are tied to the present and the past and include face, reciprocity, and

    tradition. Such values encourage people to stay within known and accepted societal

    boundaries. This dimension is not only fund in cultures with a history of Confucian influence.

    Brazil is one of the highest scoring countries, and Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden are

    in the middle. The Confucian Dynamic is referred to as long-term vs. short-term

    orientation.

    Cultural Myths and Symbols

    Myths and symbols are an example of what we have called a template or cultural blueprint

    for interpretation because they help us understand what we observe in social life. Myths are

    stories containing symbolic elements that express shared emotions and cultural values. In

    traditional cultures, people conveyed culture knowledge to their children through myths,

    legends, and fairy tales. Today, many popular culture media like television programs,

    advertisements, movies, comics, cartoons, and novels build on mythic themes and convey

    cultural knowledge to consumers. Knowledge of myths and how they work is useful to

    marketers. Myths serve several important fictions in culture. First, they emphasize how things

    are interconnected.

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    Second, myths maintain social order by authorizing a social code. The European Cinderella

    myth teaches us how a miserable but deserving person can be blessed with wealth and

    happiness. This rags-to-riches story resonates with the U.S. immigrant experience. Therefore,

    variants of the Cinderella myth reappear in many media products, including recent films like

    pretty Woman and Working Girl.

    Third, myths provide psychological models for individual behavior and identify. Many myths

    teach models of heroic or right action. Disney films such as The Lion King, Mulan, and

    Tarzan are examples of films whose heroes act out models where individual- ism and

    personal integrity are promoted.

    Important behaviors in any society in any society can be better understood by reference to

    shared Cultural symbols, objects that represent beliefs and values. Culture is well reflected in

    core symbols, symbols that are emotionally powerful and that contain multiple meanings. In

    the United symbols, symbols include George Washington and the Wild West. In finance, core

    symbols include the Louvre museum, the tricolour French flag, and Marianne, a mythical

    figure whose face adorns French coins, money, and buildings.

    People use core symbols in different ways. The U.S. flag is a public symbol, typically used to

    mark official places and events. Danes use their flag as an intimate, domestic symbol.

    Marketers can use cultural symbols to help position products and services. Example is the TajMahal, a famous Indian building, is a popular name for Indian restaurants all over the world.

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    Cultural Rituals

    Cultural rituals are a good example of activities that combine blueprints for action and

    understanding. They consist of behaviors that occur in a relatively fixed sequence and that

    tend to be repeated periodically. Knowledge of rituals simplifies behavioral choices such as

    how to behave at a wedding, for example.

    Rituals organize peoples feeling and facilitate and simplify group communications. That is,

    rituals organize life experience and give it meaning. They are particularly useful in handling

    situations involving risk, whether the risk is social, emotional, or physical.

    From important types of consumer rituals are those relating to possession, grooming,

    divestment and exchange. People undertake possession rituals when products move from the

    marketplace to the home or workplace where they are consumed. Possession rituals also

    occur when people move into a new home or take possession of pre owned goods, which may

    involve cleaning, customization, or making offerings such as the Jewish custom of tacking amezuzah to the door frame.

    Grooming rituals tend to be private behaviors that aid in the transition from private to public

    self and back again. Clean/dirty, public/ private, work/ leisure are three of the symbolic

    transformations that are often involved in grooming rituals. Numerous beauty products and

    personal services are marketed on their contribution to making grooming rituals successful.

    Divestment rituals occur when consumers relinquish possession of objects.

    Exchange rituals, like holiday gift giving, are an extremely important ritual type. An

    important class of exchange rituals involves rites of passage. In rites of passage like college

    graduation, participants mark events that symbolize changes in their social status.

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    membership in each different subculture would provide its own set of specific beliefs, values,

    attitudes, and customs.

    Subcultural analysis enables the marketing manager to focus on sizable and natural market

    segments. When carrying out such analyses, the marketer must determine whether the beliefs,

    values, and customs shared by members of a specific subgroup make them desirable

    candidates for special marketing attention. Subcultures, therefore, are relevant units of

    analysis for market research. Important subcultural categories are nationality, religion,

    geographic, location, race, age, and sex.

    NATIONALITY SUBCULTURES

    Although most U.S. citizens, especially those in the United States, see themselves as

    American, they frequently retain a sense of identification and pride in the language and

    custom of their ancestors. When it comes to consumer behavior, this ancestral pride is

    manifested most strongly in the consumption of ethic food, in the purchase of numerous

    cultural artifacts (ethic clothing, art, music, foreign-language newspapers). Interest in these

    goods and services has expanded rapidly as younger Americans attempt to better understand

    DominantCulturalTraits of United -StatesCitizens

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    and more closely associate with their ethnic roots. The importance of ethnic origin as a

    subcultural market segment, the following section examines Hispanic-American subculture.

    Hispanic Subcultures

    Hispanic Americans represent about 9 percent of the United States population. In American

    population segments, Hispanic-Americans are younger, they are members of larger families

    and they are more likely to live an extended family household, with members consisting of

    several generations.

    Hispanic-Americans are projected to supplant African-American within 20 years as the

    largest American minority group. Hispanic has already become the dominant minority in

    New York, San Diego, San Francisco and they represent the majority in San Antonio, Texas.

    This subcultural group can be considered as a single market, based on a common language

    and culture, or as separate subcultural markets that correspond to different Hispanic countries

    of origin. There are twelve Hispanic subcultural groups now identified in the United States.

    Understanding Hispanic Consumer Behavior

    Available evidence indicates that Hispanic and Anglo consumers differ in terms of a variety

    of important buyer behavior variables. Hispanic consumers prefer well-established brands

    and traditionally prefer to shop at smaller store. Similarly, other research indicates that when

    it comes to clothes shopping, Hispanic youths are more fashion-conscious and are more likely

    to seek out and be loyal to well-known brands and to generally like the act of shopping more

    than their non-Hispanic counterparts.

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    Defining and Segmenting the Hispanic Market

    Marketers who are targeting the diverse Hispanic subcultural groupings are concerned with

    finding the best ways to define and segment this market. Of these measures, the combination

    of self-identification and degree of identification are particularly appealing, because they

    permit consumers to define or label themselves. Research shows that those who strongly

    identify with being Hispanic are more frequent users of Spanish-language media, are more

    brand loyal, are more likely to buy prestige brands, are more likely to seek the advice of

    another and to more often be influenced by friends or family, and are more likely to buy

    brands advertised to Hispanics than Weak Hispanic Identifiers. This pattern suggests that the

    degree of Hispanic identification is a useful segmentation variable when one is targeting

    Hispanic market.

    RELIGIOUS SUBCULTURES

    The United States reportedly has more than 200 different organized religious groups. Themembers of all these religious groups at time are likely to make purchase decisions that are

    influenced by their religious identity. Consumer behavior is directly affected by religion in

    term of products that are symbolically and ritualistically associated with the celebration of

    various religious holidays. For example, Christmas has become the major gift purchasing

    season of the year.

    In our earlier discussion of the family we indicate that husband and wife decision making

    also was related to religious orientation. It was reported that husbands in proreligious and

    catholic families were the major influence in making specific purchase decisions, husband

    and wives shared equally in most decisions. Religious requirements or practices sometimes

    take on an expanded meaning beyond their original purpose.

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    RACIAL SUBCULTURES

    The major racial subcultures in the United States are Caucasian, African-American, Asian-

    American, and American Indian. Although differences in lifestyles and consumer spending

    patterns exist among these groups, the vast majority of racially oriented consume research has

    focused on consumer differences between African-Americans and Caucasians. Only recently

    has particular research attention been given to Asian-American consumers.

    Asian-American Consumers

    The Asian-American population is currently more than seven million in size and is the fastest

    growing American minority. For example, between 1980 and 1990, the white, African-

    American, and Hispanic populations in the United States grew 6, 13 and 53%, respectively;

    during this same time period, the Asian population grew by 108%. Asian- Americans are

    largely family-oriented, highly industrious and strongly driven to achieve a middle-class

    lifestyle, they are an attractive market for increasing numbers of marketers.

    Where Are the Asian-American?

    Asian-Americans are largely urban people, who are presently concentrated in a small number

    of large American cities. Most Chinese, as well as most Asian-Americans, do not live in

    downtown urban areas; they live in the suburbs.

    Understanding the Asian-American Consumer

    Local newspapers and weekly newsmagazines frequently portray the accomplishments of

    Asian-Americans, who have shown they to be hardworking, very family-oriented and strivers

    for excellence in educational pursuits. Asian-American children have consistently won a

    substantial share of academic awards and scholarships.

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    Consumer products and sex roles

    Within every society, it is quite common to find products that are either exclusively or

    strongly associated with the members of one sex. In the United States, for example, shaving

    equipment, cigars, pants, ties, and work clothing were historically male products; bracelets,

    hair spray, etc generally were considered feminine products.

    Despite the fact the line between male only and 1female only products has become

    blurred in recent years, consumers tend to impute a sex, or gender, to products. For this

    reason, advertising executives should consider not only the sex of their target market but also

    the perceived sex of the product category in the development of their advertising campaigns.

    CROSS CULTURAL CONSUMER ANALYSIS

    Cross cultural consumer analysis is defined as the effort to determine to what extent the

    consumers of two or more nations are similar or different. Such analyses can provide

    marketers with an understanding of the psychological, social, and cultural characteristics of

    the foreign consumers they wish to target, so that they can design effective marketing

    strategies for each of the specific national markets involved. Cross cultural analysis might

    also include a comparison of subcultural groups within a single country.

    Acculturation is a Needed Marketing Viewpoint

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    Too many marketers make the strategic error of believing that if it is liked by local or

    domestic consumers, then everyone will like it. It reflects a lack of appreciation of the

    unique psychological, social, cultural, and environmental characteristics of distinctly different

    cultures.

    Cross cultural acculturation is a dual process for marketers.

    First , marketers must thoroughly orient themselves to the values, beliefs, and customs of the

    new society to appropriately position and market their products.

    Second , to gain acceptance for a culturally new product in a foreign society, they must

    develop a strategy that encourages members of that society to modify or even break with their

    own traditions.

    Distinctive Characteristics of Cross Cultural Analysis

    It is often difficult for a company planning to do business in foreign country to undertake

    cross-cultural consumer research. In Saudi Arabia it is illegal to stop people on the streets,

    and focus groups are impractical, because most gatherings of four or more people are

    outlawed.

    Applying Research techniques

    Although the same research techniques used to study domestic consumers are useful in

    studying consumers in foreign lands, in cross cultural analysis an additional burden exists,

    because language and word usage often differ from nation to nation. Another issue in

    international marketing research concerns scales of measurement.

    Globalization and cultural consumer behavior

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    With so much diversity present among the members of just one nation, it is easy to appreciate

    that numerous larger differences may exist between citizens of different nations having

    different cultures, values, beliefs and languages. If international marketers are to satisfy the

    needs of consumers in potentially very distinct markets effectively, they must understand the

    relevant similarities and differences that exist between the peoples of the countries they

    decide to target.

    As increasing in no. of consumers from all over the world come in contact with the material

    goods and lifestyle of people living in other countries, and as the no. of middle class

    consumers grows in developing countries, marketers are eager to locate these new customers

    and to offer them their products.

    Some of the problems involved in cross cultural analysis include differences in language,

    consumption patterns, needs, product usage, economic and social conditions, marketing

    conditions, and market research opportunities. There is urgent need for more systematic and

    conceptual cross cultural characteristics concerning the consumption habits of foreign

    consumers. Such analyses would identify increased marketing opportunities that would

    benefit both international marketers and their targeted consumers.

    Summary:

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    A culture is a shared template for behavior and interpretation. Although people hardly ever

    notice their own culture, culture supplies important boundaries on behavior. Culture is

    adaptive, dynamic, and patterned. Although there is substantial intra cultural variability, it is

    possible to identify core values that seem to define a culture. Many different approaches to

    measuring cultural values have been developed.

    In addition to values, myths, symbols, and rituals also help to define culture. Important

    consumer behavior in any society can be better understood by referencing shared myths and

    symbolic meanings. Consumer goods often become core blueprints for actions and

    interpretation. Among different type of rituals are those that relate to possessions, grooming,

    divestment and exchange. The uses of ritual objects, often consumer product accompany

    these rituals.

    Bibliography

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    Books:

    Eric Arnould, Linda Price and George Zinkhan, Consumers, Publisher:Mc Graw

    Hill Publication, 1 st edition.

    Leon G. Schiffman & Leslie Lazar Kanuk , Consumer Behavior, Publisher:

    Prentice-hall India, 6 th edition.

    M.S.Raju & Dominique Xardel, Consumer Behavior.

    Material Given by Mr. Vipul Patel.

    Neeran Gautam & Kokil Jain, Consumer Behavior, Wisdom Publications.

    Matin Khan, Consumer Behavior, New Age International Publishers, 2 nd edition.