McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2010 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER
2
CROSSCULTURAL
VARIATIONS IN
CONSUMER
BEHAVIOR
2-2
Culture is the complex whole that includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs,
and any other capabilities and habits acquired by humans as members of society.
Marketing Across
Cultural Boundaries
Other-Oriented Values






Nonverbal Communications
Individual/Collective
Youth/Age
Extended/Limited Family
Masculine/Feminine
Competitive/Cooperative
Diversity/Uniformity
Environment-Oriented Values






Cleanliness
Performance/Status
Tradition/Change
Risk taking/Security
Problem solving/Fatalistic
Nature
Self-Oriented Values
 Active/Passive
 Sensual
gratification/Abstinence
 Material/Nonmaterial
 Hard work/Leisure
 Postponed
gratification/Immediate
gratification
 Religious/Secular
 Global Cultures
 Global Demographics
 Cross-Cultural
Marketing Strategy
Consumer Behavior In The News…
 Can You Guess what Motives Underlie Men’s
Clothing Purchases in Different Countries?
 Europe
 China
 Japan
 U.S.
 How Might Fashion Retailers Respond?
Source: G. Deeny, “The Men Who Spend it Like Beckham,” Financial Times, February 23, 2008, p. 8
2-4
Consumer Behavior In The News…
 Can You Guess what Motives Underlie Men’s
Clothing Purchases in Different Countries?
 Europe – look and feel successful
 China – social harmony
 Japan – look strong
 U.S. – reinvent themselves to seduce
 How Might Fashion Retailers Respond?
Source: G. Deeny, “The Men Who Spend it Like Beckham,” Financial Times, February 23, 2008, p. 8
2-5
Marketing Across Cultural Boundaries is
a Difficult and Challenging Task
2-6
Globalization
Globalization changing from
One-way influence from U.S. to other countries to…
Mutual influence
Four major world citizens
Global citizens
Global dreamers
Antiglobals
Global agnostics
Although globalization can
influence cultural values, it
would be a mistake to think that
all cultures are becoming
homogenized.
2-7
The Concept of Culture
Culture is the complex whole that includes knowledge,
belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities
and habits acquired by humans as members of society.
• a comprehensive concept
• is acquired
• is seldom provides detailed
prescription
• We are seldom aware of
them
2-8
The Concept of Culture
Cultural values give
rise to norms and
associated sanctions,
which in turn influence
consumption patterns.
Cultures are not static.
They typically evolve
and change slowly over
time.
2-9
Variations in Cultural Values
The numerous values that differ across
cultures and affect consumption include:
Other-Oriented Values
Environment-Oriented Values
Self-Oriented Values
2-10
Variations in Cultural Values
Other-Oriented Values
Individual/Collective
Youth/Age
Extended/Limited Family
Masculine/Feminine
Competitive/Cooperative
Diversity/Uniformity
2-11
Variations in Cultural Values
Environment-Oriented Values
Cleanliness
Performance/Status
Tradition/Change
Risk taking/Security
Problem solving/Fatalistic
Nature
2-12
Variations in Cultural Values
Environment-Oriented Values
Tradition/Change
A focus on technology as an indicator of change illustrates
some dramatic differences across cultures that show the
following:
2-13
Variations in Cultural Values
Self-Oriented Values
Active/Passive
Sensual gratification/Abstinence
Material/Nonmaterial
Hard work/Leisure
Postponed gratification/Immediate gratification
Religious/Secular
2-14
Applications in Consumer Behavior
Sensual Gratification/Abstinence
Ad for Calvin Klein
underwear:
OK in U.S. and
France.
Not appropriate in
cultures that place a
high value on
abstinence.
2-15
Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications
2-16
Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications
Time
The meaning of time varies
between cultures in two major
ways:
•
Time perspective
• monochronic
• polychronic
•
Meanings in the use of time
2-17
Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications
Space
•
Overall use and meanings
assigned to space vary widely
among different cultures
2-18
Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications
Symbols
Colors, animals, shapes,
numbers, and music have
varying meanings across
cultures.
Failure to recognize the
meaning assigned to a symbol
can cause serious problems!
2-19
Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications
2-20
Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications
Relationships
How quickly and easily do cultures
form relationships and make friends?
•Americans tend to form relationships
and friends quickly and easily.
•Chinese relationships are much more
complex and characterized by guanxi.
2-21
Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications
Agreements
How does a culture ensure
business obligations are honored?
How are disagreements resolved?
Some cultures rely on a legal
system; others rely on
relationships, friendships, etc.
2-22
Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications
Things
The cultural meaning of things leads
to purchase patterns that one would
not otherwise predict.
The differing meanings that cultures
attach to things, including products,
make gift-giving a particularly difficult
task.
2-23
Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications
Etiquette
The generally accepted ways of behaving in
social situations.
Behaviors considered rude or obnoxious in one
culture may be quite acceptable in another!
Normal voice tone, pitch, and speed of speech
differ between cultures and languages, as do the
use of gestures.
2-24
Global Cultures
A Global Youth Culture?
•Mass media and the Internet have had an
impact of uniformity among teens around the
world.
•They tend to watch many of the same shows,
movies and videos, listen to the same music,
and dress alike.
•Technology is important factor but U.S. teens
and brands no longer lead the way.
2-25
Global Demographics
Demographics describe a population in terms of its size,
structure, and distribution.
• Disposable income is one aspect of
demographics--the rapid growth in
personal income in parts of China has
led to an overall market explosion!
• Demographics are both a result and a
cause of cultural values.
• For example, densely populated
societies, such as China, are likely to
have more of a collective orientation
than an individualistic one.
2-26
Global Demographics
Marketers increasingly use Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)
rather than average or median income to evaluate markets.
PPP is based on the cost of a standard market basket of
products bought in each country.
The following shows four countries in terms of PPP (in 2005):
Country
Per Capita
Income
% of Total income
(to top 10%)
Per Capita
PPP
Brazil
$4,791
45%
$8,596
China
$1,721
35%
$4,091
United Kingdom
$37,266
29%
$31,580
United States
$41,674
30%
$41,674
2-27
Cross-Cultural Marketing Strategy
Considerations in Approaching a Foreign Market
1. Homogeneous versus Heterogeneous with Respect to
Culture?
2. What Needs Can the Product Fill in this Culture?
3. Can Enough People Afford the Product?
4. What Values are Relevant to the Purchase and Use of the
Product?
5. What are the Distribution, Political and Legal Structures for
the Product?
6. In What Ways Can We Communicate About the Product?
7. What are the Ethical Implications of Marketing This Product
in This Country?
2-28
Applications in Consumer Behavior
This Western
Union sign shows
how marketers
provide a local
and/or regional
flavor both in
signage layout
and through use
of appropriate
symbols and color.
© Lars Niki
2-29
Discussion Questions
21. Are the cultures of the world becoming more
similar or more distinct?
29. What are the marketing implications of the
differences in the masculine/feminine orientation
across countries?
39. What are the major ethical issues in introducing
prepared foods such as fast foods to developing
countries?