Chapter 12

Cultural and CrossCultural Influences

McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Copyright 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

What is Culture?
The meanings that are shared by most people in a social group A societys view of the world Common affective reactions Typical cognitions Characteristic patterns of behavior
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What is Culture? cont.

Cultural meanings can be analyzed at different levels Macro Subcultures Social classes Reference groups Family influences

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What is Culture? cont.

Cultural meaning Social group shares the same basic meaning Created by people Constantly in motion, subject to rapid changes Social groups differ in the amount of freedom people have to adopt and use cultural meanings

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The Content of Culture

Beliefs, attitudes, goals, and values Behaviors, rules, customs, and norms Social and physical environment Major social institutions Physical objects

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The Content of Culture cont.

Cultural analysis Goal: understand the cultural meanings of the content of culture from the point of view of the consumers Cultural meaning of the companys products and brands Methods Content analysis Ethnographic fieldwork Measures of values
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The Content of Culture cont.

Values Core values Abstract end goals Changing values Problems for marketers New marketing opportunities Accompanied by changes in behavior

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Culture as a Process
Cultural meaning in social and physical environment
Marketing Strategies Fashion System Other Institutions

Cultural meaning in products and services

Rituals: Acquisition, Possession, Exchange, Grooming Rituals: Nurturing, Personalization, Divestment

Cultural meaning in consumers

Social interactions Intentional actions

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Culture as a Process cont.

Moving cultural meanings into products Marketing strategies Advertising Symbols Pricing strategies Design strategies Distribution strategies Fashion system Other institutions
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Culture as a Process cont.

Cultural meanings in products Products Stores Brands Vary across different societies Obvious or hidden Personal meaning

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Culture as a Process cont.

Moving cultural meanings from products into consumers Rituals are symbolic actions performed by consumers to create, affirm, evoke, or revise certain cultural meanings Acquisition Bargaining Possession Product nurturing Personalizing
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Exchange Grooming Divestment

Culture as a Process cont.

Cultural meanings in consumers Buy products to acquire cultural meanings to use in establishing selfidentities Favorite possessions

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Culture as a Process cont.

Moving meanings to the cultural environment Meanings in consumers transferred to the broad cultural environment through social behavior Cultural process is a continuous and reciprocal movement of meaning between the overall cultural environment, organizations, and individuals in the society

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Culture as a Process cont.

Marketing implications Managing cultural meaning Using celebrity endorsers in ads Helping consumers obtain cultural meanings

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Cross-Cultural Influences
Cross-cultural differences Dont always follow borders Consumption culture Self-concept Similar cross-cultural changes Materialism

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Cross-Cultural Influences cont.

Developing international marketing strategies Adapting strategy to culture Standardizing strategy across cultures Global marketing Changing the culture European Union

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Summary
Culture Content of culture Model of the cultural process for moving cultural meaning Influences of cross-cultural differences on consumers International marketing strategies

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