Culture and Consumer Behavior

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Societal Implications of Reference Group Influences
Role of Household in Decision Making and Marketing Strategies
Conclusion
Reference List

Introduction

Understanding of the consumer behavior forms the backbone of any successful marketing strategy. This is the case primarily because; through critical evaluation and study of desired market segments; which involves understanding of the consumer behavior, an organization not only acquires the ability to decide where to sale their products, but also the nature of marketing strategies to adopt for success in its business ventures.

Such studies on consumer behavior involves the understanding of the factors that influence the buying or demand patterns of individuals, through analyzing their social, situational, psychological , decision making, and marketing persuasions. Primarily, consumer behavior depends on a number of factors, which in most cases are either socially, psychologically, individually, or culturally determined.

Although all this factors have major influences on consumer conduct, culture has the greatest influence; primarily because, everything about the daily lifestyles of individual depend on culture. In addition, culture being the primary determinant of the nature of attitudes, values, and personality of individuals; it has many impacts on the nature of buying patterns adopted by individuals.

It is important for all marketers to always note that, cultures undergo a metamorphosis on a continuous basis, hence the need to adopt the concept of adaptability, which goes hand with continuous alteration of whichever marketing strategy adopted (Samli, 1995, pp. 9-27).

Societal Implications of Reference Group Influences

In any societal setting, identification with specific special groups is an endeavor every individual struggles to achieve. Considering this, majority of individuals will tend to adopt the nature of lifestyles embraced by members of that particular group, including adoption of particular spending habits.

This in most cases is the case, because majority of personal standards and self-appraisal methodologies embraced by individual from originate friends. Regardless of the reference groups; be they membership, associative or dissociative, primary or secondary, majority of spending patterns in those groups are similar.

Such influences on an individual are great to an extent that, most individuals will tend to forget their identities, primarily because they want to conform to standards embraced by such groups. A concerns individuals spending habits, most of such groups are major determinants of brand formulations hence, acting as a mechanism that determines the mental representation of ones spending or purchasing habits.

It is important to note that, there is a differentiation of such groups as ones moves from one culture to another hence, affecting the nature of marketing strategies effected in a specific locality. On the other hand, any consumption patterns adopted by individuals depend on lifestyles of such groups (Macinis & Hoyer, 2008, pp. 393-395).

Regardless of the influences form such groups; be it normative or comparative, the conformity concept always reigns hence, acting as the main determinant of the utilitarian and value-expressive habits embraced by individuals.

Primarily influences from aspiration groups involves in most cases character alteration primarily because, to conform to standards of such groups, majority of individuals will always endeavor to be like members of such groups by liking the same groups. Such is the case in individual who have great admiration on celebrities and their lifestyles.

The scenario is a little bit different when it comes to associative reference groups in that; the primary reason behind such groups is conformity of standards. In addition, majority of associative groups thrive from the same societal settings as their admirers hence, although most individual tend to avoid exactly coping such groups habits.

To some extent, majority of associative groups will have a particular liking habit on a specific brand whereby, because majority of those brands are appeasing to that specific group of individuals, in most cases they will always endeavor to be identified with such brands. Such identifications bring about the sharing of knowledge about that brand hence, to some extent acting as marketers of that specific type of good (Macinis & Hoyer, 2008, p. 393).

Contrary to associative and aspiration groups, the case is very different in disssociative groups, due to the avoidance concept. This the case primarily because, majority of individual have a disliking habit on brands they consider not appropriate for their consumption or use.

This is a culturally determined concept in that, depending on the cultural orientation of a specific society, there are likelihoods of some form of hatred on brands from specific societies. Such is the case, when it comes to group socialization; it being the primary determinant of the living habits embraced in a specific society.

It is important to note that, consumer socialization plays an important role when it comes to learning of concepts that relate to the value of money. Whereby, acquisition of such knowledge plays an important role, as concerns the consumption concept; which primarily depends on the nature of values adopted by a specific reference groups (Macinis & Hoyer, 2008, p. 397).

Role of Household in Decision Making and Marketing Strategies

The family as an important component of has many influences, as concerns the spending habits of its members. This is because; depending on a familys economic status that is, the net income from whoever are the breadwinners of that family, there is a great variation in the overall decision making process on the spending habits (Kanuk & Schiffman, 2004, p. 329).

Other family characteristics that have great influences on the nature of spending habits embraced my members of a specific family includes, the nature of relationships within a household, the size of the family, family socialization strategies into the money world, and above all patterns of decision-making adopted by a specific family; primarily on spending.

On the other hand, regardless of who makes spending decisions in a family, sometimes the exerted influence on the buyers, from family members plays a central role in determining the spending habits adopted by individuals.

That is to say, in a purchasing scenario, instances of impulse buying primarily occur due to external forces from accompanying members of the family in that shopping spree; a case that is common when the entire exercise is done in presence of young children (Spiro, 1983, pp. 393-394).

Six primary classes of decision makers exists in any family decision making process namely: disposers, buyer, gatekeepers, influencers, deciders, and users. Each of these members has a role to play, as concerns the purchasing of goods in a family. For example, deciders have the primary role of determining what is appropriate to purchase, whereas influencers are main contributors to most impulse purchases.

On the other hand, users and disposers play the role of ensuring such purchased stuff gets finished, depending on the family daily needs. Regardless of this duty segmentation, it is the buyer who bears the brunt of spending their incomes hence, in most cases they will act as the main decision makers in a household spending exercise; a function that most societies delegate to men due to the gender differentiation concept (Olson & Peter, 2007, pp. 352-364).

Therefore, for an organization to meet its target demands, it is necessary for marketers of specific organizations to have a proper understanding on the purchasing orientations of households. Such understanding should be from a specific cultural understanding, due to the fact that, the understanding of any marketing strategy depends on the community characteristics; where households are the main building blocks.

In the endeavor to formulate correct marketing strategies it is important for all marketers to ensure they understand family patterns; more so when it comes to decision-making on purchases.

This includes gathering of appropriate data on variation in product class, the nature of purchasing powers vested on either the mother or father of the family, the role played by children in the decision-making process, and the nature of conflicts, which may be prevalent in societies within that specific market segment.

After critically analyzing the collected data, it is important for marketers to understand the nature of socialization processes within families in that locality, for this will help in formulating marketing strategies that will lead to achievement of set sales standards. On the other hand, understanding of the family life cycle is important, for it is the main determinant of primary spending habits adopted by individuals.

Such knowledge is important in that, it acts as the main market segmentation determinant and determinant of the nature of marketing strategy adopted by organization to meet its sales targets (Spiro, 1983, pp.394-400).

Conclusion

In conclusion, before an organization adopts any marketing strategy, it is important for marketers to critically analyze the prevailing societal conditions of the market segment it may want to sell its products to. This is because; forces within the societies are primary determinants of any spending habits embraced in a specific society.

Reference List

Kanuk, L. L., & Schiffman, G. L. (2004). Consumer behavior(8^th e.d.). New Jersey Pearson Education Press. Web.

Macinnis, J. D., & Hoyer, D. W. (2008). Consumer behavior. Boulevard: South Western-Cengage Learning. Web.

Olson, J. C., & Peter, P. J. (2007). Consumer behavior (8^th e.d.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Samli, A. C. (1995). International consumer behavior: its impacts on market strategy development. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Company. Web.

Spiro, R. L. (1983). Persuasion in family decision-making. The journal of Consumer Research, 9(4), 393-402.

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