Environmental Influences on Consumer Behavior

Culture

Complexity of learned meanings, values, norms, and customs shared by members of a society

Analytic thinking style

Westerners more likely to focus on an object within the context

Holistic thinking style

East Asians more likely to attend to the context

Thinking Styles: Categorization

Westerners categorize based on formal logic and shared attributes (e.g., “barnyard animals”).

Easterners categorize based on relationships between objects (e.g., “cow eats grass”).

INDIVIDUALISTIC cultures

Self as separate, unique, distinct from others

Own goals are more important than others’

Life goals: Become independent, self-reliant, pursue happiness, choose based on your preferences

COLLECTIVISTIC cultures

Self as interconnected, socially embedded, obligated

Subordinate own goals to those of others

Life goals: Fulfill your obligations and duties, connect with others, help the group, overcome selfish preferences, let others choose for you

Subcultures 

Smaller segments within a culture (fan based community), whose beliefs, values, norms, and patterns of behavior set them apart front he larger culture mainstream

Social class

Homogeneous division in a society into which people sharing similar lifestyles, values, norms, interests, and behavior can be grouped 

Reach out to people of the value you are creating

Reference group 

Group whose presumed perspective or values are being used by an individual as the basis for his or her judgements, opinions,and actions 

Don’t care about strangers beliefs rather your friends

Situational Determinants 

Specific situation in which consumers plan to use the product or brand directly affect their perception, preferences, and purchase behavior 

Typers: usage, purchase

New Methodologies 

Quantitative methods 

Linguistic or historical perspective of communication 

Examining the symbolic meanings of advertising and the facets of consumption

New Insights 

Leads to better understanding of: Cultural significance of advertising messages & Influence of advertising images on society