Chapter Objectives

3 1. A culture is a societys personality; it

Cultural Influences
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Buying, Having, and
Being
ELEVENTH EDITION
Michael R. Solomon
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shapes our identities as individuals.
2. Our deeply held cultural values dictate
the types of products and services we
seek out or avoid.
3. We distinguish between high culture and
low culture.
4. Many modern marketers are reality
engineers.
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3-1 3-2

Chapter Objectives (Cont.) Chapter Objectives (Cont.)

5. Myths are stories that express a cultures
values, and in modern times marketing
messages convey these values.
6. Many of our consumption activities
including holiday observances, grooming,
and gift giving are rituals.
7. We describe products as either sacred or
profane.
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3-3
8. Products that succeed in one culture may
fail in another if marketers fail to
understand the differences among
consumers in each place.
9. Western (and particularly American)
culture has a huge impact around the
world, although people in other countries
dont necessarily ascribe the same
meanings to products as we do.
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3-4

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 Learning Objective 1 What is Culture?
A culture is a societys personality; it Culture is the accumulation of shared
shapes our identities as individuals. meanings, rituals, norms, and traditions
Culture is a societys personality

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Understanding Culture Functional Areas in a Cultural System

Products can reflect underlying cultural
processes of a particular period: Ecology
The TV dinner for the United States
Cosmetics made of natural materials Social structure
without animal testing
Pastel carrying cases for condoms
Ideology

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 For Reflection Learning Objective 2
If your culture were a person, how would Our deeply held
you describe its personality traits? cultural values
Now, select another culture youre familiar dictate the types of
with. How would those personality traits products and
differ from your own? services we seek
out or avoid.

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Value Concepts Table 3.1 Terminal & Instrumental Values

Core values Crescive norms
Value systems Custom
Enculturation More
Acculturation Conventions

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 Other Value Concepts Learning Objective 3
The List of Values (LOV) We distinguish between high and low
The Means-End Chain Model culture.

Syndicated Surveys of Values (e.g.,

VALS)

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Figure 3.1 The Movement of Meaning Figure 3.2 Culture Production Process

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 Where Does Culture Come From?
Influence of inner-city teens
Hip-hop/black urban culture
Outsider heroes, anti-oppression
messages, and alienation of blacks
Flavor on the streets
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High Culture and Popular Culture
An art product is an object we admire for
its beauty and our emotional response
A craft product is admired because of the
beauty with which it forms a function
Mass culture creates products for a mass
market
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Culture Production System
A culture production system is the set of
individuals and organizations that create
and market a cultural product
It has three major subsystems
Creative
Managerial
Communications
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For Reflection
How have cultural values influenced the
items that you feel have value?
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 Cultural Formula Learning Objective 4
This ad Many modern marketers are reality
follows the engineers.
cultural
formula of a
horror movie
poster.

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Product Placement
and Branded Entertainment Advergaming

Insertion of specific products and use of Advergaming refers to online games

brand names in movie/TV scripts merged with interactive advertisements

Directors incorporate branded props for Advertisers gain many benefits with
realism advergames

Is product placement a positive or Plinking is the act of embedding a product

negative when it comes to consumer in a video
decision-making?

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 Learning Objective 5 Myths
Myths are stories Myths are stories with symbolic elements
that express a that represent the shared emotions/ideals
cultures values, of a culture
and in modern Story characteristics
times marketing
messages convey Conflict between opposing forces
these values. Outcome is moral guide for people
Myth reduces anxiety by providing
guidelines
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Functions of Myths Myths Abound in Modern Popular Culture

Myths are often found in comic books,
Metaphysical Help explain origins of existence
movies, holidays, and commercials

Emphasize that all components of the

Monomyths: a myth that is common to
Cosmological universe are part of a single picture many cultures (e.g., Spiderman and
Maintain social order by authorizing a Superman)
Sociological social code to be followed by members of a
culture Many movies/commercials present
characters and plot structures that follow
Psychological Provide models for personal conduct
mythic patterns

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 For Reflection Learning Objective 6
Identify modern day myths that Many of our consumption activities
corporations create. including holiday observances, grooming,
How do they communicate these stories to and gift giving are rituals.
consumers?

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Rituals Common Rituals

Rituals are sets of multiple, symbolic Grooming
behaviors that occur in a fixed sequence Gift-giving
and that tend to be repeated periodically
Holiday
Many consumer activities are ritualistic
Trips to Starbucks Rites of passage
Sunday brunch

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 Gift-Giving Stages For Reflection
Gestation Explain some of your own family holiday
Presentation traditions. How do they affect your
behavior as consumers?
Reformulation

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Rites of Passage Learning Objective 7

We describe products as either sacred or
Separation profane, and its not unusual for some
products to move back and forth between
the two categories.
Liminality

Aggregation

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 Sacred and Profane Consumption
Sacred consumption:
involves objects and
events that are set apart
from normal activities that
are treated with respect or
awe
Profane consumption:
involves consumer objects
and events that are
ordinary and not special
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Domains of Sacred Consumption
Sacred places: religious/mystical and
country heritage, such as Stonehenge,
Mecca, Ground Zero in New York City
Sacred people: celebrities, royalty
Sacred events: athletic events, religious
ceremonies
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Sacralization
Sacralization occurs when ordinary
objects, events, and even people take on
sacred meaning
Objectification occurs when we attribute
sacred qualities to mundane items,
through processes like contamination
Collecting is the systematic acquisition of
a particular object or set of objects
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Sacred Souvenir Icons
Local products (e.g., regional wine)
Pictorial images (e.g., postcards, photos)
Piece of the rock (e.g., seashells)
Literal representations (e.g., mini icons)
Markers (e.g., logo-oriented t-shirts)
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 Desacralization
Desacralization: when a sacred
item/symbol is removed from its special
place or is duplicated in mass quantities
(becomes profane)
Religion has somewhat become
desacralized
Christmas and Ramadan as secular,
materialistic occasions
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Learning Objective 8
Products that succeed in one culture may
fail in another if marketers fail to
understand the differences among
consumers in each place.
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For Reflection
Give examples of items that were once
sacred but are now materialized and
marketed. What are the implications in the
shift in reverence to the items in question?
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Taking a Global Approach
Should marketers use a standardized
strategy around the world or adopt a
localized strategy?
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 Learning Objective 9
Western (and particularly American)
culture has a huge impact around the
world, although people in other countries
dont necessarily ascribe the same
meanings to products as we do.
Copyright 2015 Pearson Education 3-45
For Review
1. A culture is a societys personality; it
shapes our identities as individuals.
2. Our deeply held cultural values dictate
the types of products and services we
seek out or avoid.
3. We distinguish between high culture and
low culture.
4. Many modern marketers are reality
engineers.
Copyright 2015 Pearson Education
3-47
Hofstede Dimensions of National Culture
Power distance
Individualism
Masculinity
Uncertainty avoidance
Long-term orientation
Indulgence versus restraint
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For Review
5. Myths are stories that express a cultures
values, and in modern times marketing
messages convey these values.
6. Many of our consumption activities
including holiday observances, grooming,
and gift giving are rituals.
7. We describe products as either sacred or
profane.
Copyright 2015 Pearson Education
3-48
12
 For Review
8. Products that succeed in one culture may
fail in another if marketers fail to
understand the differences among
consumers in each place.
9. Western culture has a huge impact
around the world, although people in
other countries dont necessarily ascribe
the same meanings to products as we do.

Copyright 2015 Pearson Education

3-49

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