By Gaurav Singh

By Schiffman and Kanuk

A subculture is a distinct cultural group that exists as an identifiable segment within a larger, more complex society.

Commonly, consumer behavior is directly affected by religion in terms of products that are symbolically and ritualistically associated with the celebration of various religious holidays

There are geographic differences on the consumption of staple food such as roti, bread and rice.

Each major age subgrouping of the population might be thought of as a separate subculture.

You listen to different music than your parents and grandparents, dress differently, read different magazines and enjoy different TV shows.

These are those born between 1977 and 1994.

These are the children of the baby boomers.

They have grown up in a media saturated environment and tend to be aware of `marketing hype’

This age has shifted some of its Tv viewing time to the internet and are less likely to read the newspapers.

They are high in the usage of text messaging.

These are the 8-14 year olds.

For households with tweens, food purchases account for almost 50% of the total household spending (in the U.S)

They may influence upto 80% of the family brand choices.

Globally, 24% of tweens use the Internet as their primary communication tool

Spanning the Gen Y and Gen X merkets is a group of 21-29 year olds who continue to live with their parents.

Many have decent jobs but they are not moving out to get married.

They tend to trust their parent s and established institutions and often do not marry before 30.

Mostly purchase gadgets and clothes ( not assets).

These are slackers born between 1965 and 1979 ie 25-40 year olds.

Baby boomers live to work whereas the gen X works to live.

For them , it is more important to enjoy life and have a lifestyle that provides freedom and flexibility.

They pride themselves on their sophistication.

Baby boomers were born between 1946 to 1964. ( broad age category from 40-60).

They comprise of 50% of those in managerial and professional occupations.

They do not like aging and try hard to keep their health good and their lifestyle active

Most important, they have money and they want to spend it on what enhances the quality of their life.

All consumers are simultaneously members of more than one subcultural segment (e.g. A consumer may be a young, Bihari, Catholic homemaker living in Mumbai)

Marketers should try and understand how multiple subcultural memberships interact to influence target consumers’ relevant consumption behavior.

A recent study also found that men and women exhibit different reactions to identical print advertisements.

Women prefer ads that are verbal , harmonious, complex and category oriented.

Men respond better to ads that are comparative, simple and attribute oriented.

So , it may be better to advertise differently to men and women.

Men primarily buy shaving equipment, cigars, cigarettes, pants , ties, and work clothing.

Women would buy bracelets, hair spray, hair dryers and sweet smelling collognes.

There is a lower incidence of women purchasing online due to their heightened concerns about online security and privacy.

There are women who work ` on just a job’ iefor the money

There are others who work for the satisfaction of working – these are the managerial or professional women.

Working women spend less time shopping and they accomplish time economy by being brand and store loyal.

An International Perspective

Chap 14

To succeed international marketers must understand the nature and extent of diffeerences between the consumers of different societies- cross- cultural differences

And the marketing implications of cultural differences and similarities that exist between the people of tow or more nations.

Multinational marketers have to tailor their marketing mixes to the specific customs of each nation that they want to target.

Firms are selling their products worldwide because:

General attractiveness of multinational markets

Overseas markets provide the single most important opportunity for their future growth when their home markets reach maturity.

Consumers all over the world are increasingly eager to try `foreign’ products that are popular elsewhere.

Brands Brand value in $ Billions

Coca Cola

Microsoft

IBM

GE

Intel

Disney

McDonald’s

Nokia

Toyota

Marlboro

67.4 61.4 53.8 44.1 33.5 27.1 25.0 24.0 22.7 22.1

A part of consumers’ exposure to different cultures tends to come through their own initiative-travel, living and working in foreign countries, opening their immigration to a different country.

Also they get a taste through foreign movies, theater, art and exposure to different products.

Within this , international marketing provides a form of `culture transfer’.

Generally, countries with a weak sense of national identity couple with low ethnocentric tendencies ( ie only those products not made in our country should be imported) are suitable for use as places to launch new products because foreign firms are not viewed as threats.

Eg. Good to launch in Singapore

Bad to launch in France.

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.

The greater the similarity between nations , the more feasible it is to use relatively similar marketing strategies in each nation.

Chinese Cultural traits American Cultural traits

Centered on a set of relationships defined by Confucian doctrine

Submissive to authority

Passive acceptance of fate-harmony with nature

A closed worldview, prizing stability and harmony

Values a person’s duties to family, clan, and state

Centered on the individual

Greater emphasis on self reliance

Active mastery in the person-nature relationship

An open view of the world, emphasizing change and movement

Values the individual personality.