CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Lecture 7 – Chapter 2
Spring Semester 2025

Course Lecturer:
Dr. Sara El-Deeb
Chapter 2:

External Influences:
Cross-Cultural
Variations in Consumer
Behavior
PART II: EXTERNAL INFLUENCES
Consumer Behavior In The News…
Changing Global Demographics
 Can you guess what percent of purchasing
power is held by Japanese consumers in the
50+ age category?
 25%
 45%
 65%
 80%
Consumer Behavior In The News…
Changing Global Demographics
 Percent of purchasing power held by Japanese
consumers in the 50+ age category?
 80%: If you said 80% you were correct!

Source: “In Asia, Markets Pay Heed to a Growing Older Population,” Advertising Age, October 17, 2011, p. 10.
 in China

I will not buy a dead fish. How will I know how he died? Maybe he had an illness. I want to see him alive first and
kill him myself
Marketing Across Cultural Boundaries is a
Difficult and Challenging Task
 Globalization

Globalization changing from

One-way influence from U.S. to other countries to…

Mutual influence
 Video Application

The following Video Clip demonstrates how Oreo adapts

globally to “be the number one cookie in the world.”

Oreo: Crafting a Truly Global Brand

[Link]
w0/[Link]
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.
 The Concept of Culture

Although pizza is eaten most everywhere,

what is on the pizza can be quite different!

Pepperoni Tuna & Corn

Black
Squid Bean
Sauce

BBQ
Eggs
Chicken
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.
 Variations in Cultural Values

The numerous values that differ across

cultures and affect consumption include:

Other-Oriented Values

Environment-Oriented Values

Self-Oriented Values
 Variations in Cultural Values

Other-Oriented Values

Reflect a society’s view

of the appropriate
relationships between
individuals and groups
within that society.
 Variations in Cultural Values

Environment-Oriented Values

Prescribe a society’s
relationship to its
economic and technical
as well as its physical
environment.
 Variations in Cultural Values

Self-Oriented Values

Reflect the objectives and approaches to life that

the individual members of society find desirable.
 Variations in Cultural Values

Other-Oriented Values

Individual/Collective
Youth/Age
Extended/Limited Family
Masculine/Feminine
Competitive/Cooperative
Diversity/Uniformity
 Other-Oriented Values

Individual/Collective
Are individual activity and initiative valued more highly than
collective activity and conformity?

Asian cultures more

Collective
(celebrity appeals)

U.S. culture more

Individualistic
(ad themes “be yourself”)
 Other-Oriented Values

Youth/Age

Is family life organized to

meet the needs of the
children or the adults?

Are younger or older people

viewed as leaders and
role models?
(ex. China – 1 child little emperor syndrome)
 Other-Oriented Values

Extended/Limited Family

To what extent does one

have a life-long obligation
to numerous family
members? (ex. Morocco)

Adolescents seek parental

advice on purchase?
 Other-Oriented Values

Masculine/Feminine

To what extent does social power automatically go to

males? (ex Increasing percentage of Japanese working women)
 Other-Oriented Values

Competitive/Cooperative

Does one obtain

success by excelling
over others or by
cooperating with them?

(ex. Comparative advertising)

 Other-Oriented Values

Diversity/Uniformity

Does the culture embrace variation in religious belief,

ethnic background, political views, and other important
behaviors and attitudes?
 Variations in Cultural Values
Environment-OrientedValues
Cleanliness
Performance/Status
Tradition/Change
Risk taking/Security
Problem solving/Fatalistic
Nature
 Environment-Oriented Values

Cleanliness

To what extent is cleanliness

pursued beyond the minimum
needed for health?
U.S. very high on personal
hygiene – some think to an
extreme!
 Environment-Oriented Values

Performance/Status

Is the culture’s reward system based on performance or on

inherited factors such as family or class? (ex. Germany –
brand name or lower price?)

Status-oriented society is
more likely to prefer
quality, established brand
names and high priced
items.
 Environment-Oriented Values

Tradition/Change
Is tradition valued simply for the sake of tradition? Is
change or “progress” an acceptable reason for altering
established patterns? (Ex. Britain and China more likely
to emphasize tradition and history in ads)
 Environment-Oriented Values

Risk taking/Security
Are those who risk their established positions to
overcome obstacles or achieve high goals admired more
than those who do not?

A society that does not admire risk taking is unlikely to

develop enough entrepreneurs to achieve economic
change and growth.

New-product introduction, new channels of distribution

advertising themes, reliance on brand name
 Environment-Oriented Values

Problem solving/Fatalistic

Are people encouraged to overcome all problems, or do

they take a “what will be, will be” attitude?

Is there an optimistic, “we can do it” orientation?

Mexico and Middle-East Countries tend to fall toward the

fatalistic end of the continuum.

“Good is the worst enemy of great”

 Environment-Oriented Values

Nature
Is nature regarded as something to be admired or
overcome? (packaging and environmental regulations -
Sweden)
 Variations in Cultural Values
Self-Oriented Values

Active/Passive
Sensual gratification/Abstinence
Material/Nonmaterial
Hard work/Leisure
Postponed gratification/Immediate gratification
Religious/Secular
 Self-Oriented Values

Active/Passive

Is a physically active approach to life valued more highly

than a less active orientation?

An exercise sports theme for bottled water would

not be appropriate in a country such as Japan,
where two-thirds of the men and three-fourths
of the women exercise less than twice a year
 Self-Oriented Values

Sensual gratification/Abstinence

To what extent is it acceptable to enjoy sensual pleasures

such as food, drink, and sex?
Cultures differ in their acceptance
of sensual gratification.

Ex. Polaroid’s instant cameras

gained rapid acceptance
Ex. MBC
 Self-Oriented Values

Material/Nonmaterial

How much importance is

attached to the acquisition
of material wealth?
 Self-Oriented Values

Hard work/Leisure

Is a person who works harder than economically necessary

admired more than one who does not?
Has consequences for lifestyle and demand for leisure
activities
 Self-Oriented Values

Postponed gratification/Immediate gratification

Are people encouraged to “save for a rainy day” or to “live

for today”? (credit card vs. debit card and cash)
 Self-Oriented Values

Religious/Secular

To what extent are behaviors and attitudes based on the

rules specified by a religious doctrine? (ex. India vegetarian)
 Cultural Variations in Verbal
Communications

General Motors released the Chevy Nova in South American

Markets they failed account for the fact that Nova means, " It
wont go" in Spanish
 Cultural Variations in Verbal
Communications

In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan

"Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" came
out as "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from
the dead."
Cultural Variations in Verbal
Communications
Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications
Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications

Time
Time perspective—the culture’s
overall orientation toward time
(monochronic vs. polychronic)
Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications

Space

• Overall use and meanings

assigned to space vary widely
among different cultures

• Personal space
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!
Cross-Cultural Marketing Strategy -
Symbols
 Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications

Symbols
PepsiCola lost it dominant market share to Coke in South
East Asia when Pepsi changed the color of its vending
machines and coolers from deep "Regal" blue to light
"Ice" blue as Light
blue is associated with
death and mourning
in SE Asia.
Cultural Variations in Nonverbal
Communications
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.
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.
(In Egypt bargain a lot)
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.

For example, what type of gift is

appropriate and when does receipt
of a gift “require” a gift in return?
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.
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. youth and brands no longer lead
the way.
Global Cultures
 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? (ex. Bicycles)
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?
 Failures
General Mills turned to Japan to market cakes from the
Betty Crocker brands, but there was one problem, there
were no ovens in the homes
 Failures
In 2007, Cartoon Network launched a guerilla marketing
campaign in which they set up LED signs in various places
throughout Boston to promote one of their cartoons
Dr. Sara El-Deeb
Consumer Behavior (MRKT602)
59