The notion of such a causal relationship seems to be based on intuitive assumptions not supported to any great extent by empirical evidence. The anthropological relationship between an individual’s cultural background and his consumption habits is not well conceptualised, possibly because anthropologists themselves lack unanimity as to a common or operational definition of the concept of culture.
By Freedom Mukanga
Definitions presented usually involve the central themes of learned beliefs or patterns of behaviour for coping with recurring experiences, which are passed on from generation to generation, and which are shared by aggregates of people living in organised societies. These learned behaviour patterns are said to permeate an individual’s day-to-day interpersonal experiences and therefore by necessity affect his or her behaviour as a consumer.
The values implicit in a culture are said to affect consumption motives which in turn partially set the choice criteria used by individual consumers. Attitudes with respect to choice alternatives also are assumed to be affected by values, as is brand comprehension. Culture also may act as an intention inhibitor for specific products.
Used with other exogenous variables of consumer behaviour, specific value sets could prove to be effective descriptive market segmentation variables. A more important application, however, could be the development of specific leading indicators to predict long-term changes in aggregate consumption of selected products.
The aim of marketing is to meet and satisfy target customers’ needs and wants. The field of consumer behaviour studies how individuals, groups, and organisations select, buy, use, and dispose of goods, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy their needs and desires. Understanding consumer behaviour is never simple, because customers may say one thing, but do another. They may not be in touch with their deeper motivations, and they may respond to influences and change their minds at the last minute. Consumer buying behaviour refers to the buying behaviour of the ultimate consumer. A firm needs to analyse buying behaviour for:
Buyers’ reactions to a firms marketing strategy has a great impact on the firm’s success.
The marketing concept stresses that a firm should create a Marketing Mix (MM) that satisfies (gives utility to) customers, therefore need to analyse the what, where, when and how consumers buy.
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Marketers can better predict how consumers will respond to marketing strategies.
The first stage of understanding buyer behaviour is to focus on the factors that determine “buyer characteristics” in the “black box”. Marketing management must try to work out what goes on in the mind of the customer — the “black box”. The buyer’s characteristics influence how he or she perceives the stimuli; the decision-making process determines what buying behaviour is undertaken.
In turn, the buyer’s characteristics and decision process lead to certain purchase decisions. The marketer’s task is to understand what happens in the buyer’s consciousness between the arrival of outside stimuli and the buyer’s purchase decisions. A consumer’s buying behaviour is influenced by cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors.
Cultural factors influencing buyer behaviour
Culture, subculture and social class are particularly important influences on consumer behaviour.
Culture is the most fundamental determinant of a person’s wants and behaviour. A child growing up in the USA is exposed to these broad cultural values: achievement and success, activity, efficiency and practicality, progress, material comfort, individualism, freedom, external comfort, humanitariasm and youthfulness.
Each culture consists of smaller subcultures that provide more specific identification and socialisation for other members. Subcultures include nationalities, religions, racial groups, and geographic regions. Many subcultures make up important market segments, leading marketers to tailor products and marketing programmes to their needs. Social classes are relatively homogenous and enduring division in society. They are hierarchically ordered and their members share similar values, interests and behaviour.
Social classes reflect income as well as occupation, education and other indicator. Those in the same social class tend to behave more alike than do persons from different social classes. Also, within the culture, persons are perceived as occupying inferior or superior positions according to social class. Social class is indicated by cluster of variables rather than by a single variable. Still, individuals can move from one school class to another — up or down — during their lifetime. Because social classes often show distinct product and brand preferences, some marketers focus their efforts on one social class, eg, Neiman Marcus focus on the upper social class offering top-quality merchandise in upscale stores. Thus, company presidents often drive Mercedes, wear expensive suits, and drink Chivas Regal scotch. Savvy marketers are aware of the status symbol potential of products and brands.
Social factors influencing buyer behaviour
In addition to cultural factors, a consumer’s behaviour is influenced by such factors as reference groups, family and social roles and statuses.
Reference groups consists of all of the groups that have a direct (face-to-face) or indirect influence on a person’s attitudes or behaviour. Groups that have a direct influence on a person are called membership groups for example family, friends, co-workers with whom individuals interact fairly continuously and formally. Reference groups expose people to new behaviours and lifestyles, influences attitudes and self concept and create pressures for conformity that may affect product and brand choices. People are also influenced by groups to which they do not belong. Apparitional groups are those the person hopes to join, dissociate groups are those whose values or behaviour an individual rejects.
The level of reference groups’ influence varies among products and brands. Manufacturers of products and brands with strong group influence must reach and influence the opinion leaders in these reference groups. An opinion leader is the person in informal product related communications who offers advice or information about a product or product category. Marketers reach opinion leaders by identifying demographic and psychographic characteristics associated with opinion leadership, identifying the preferred media of opinion leaders and directing messages at the opinion leaders. For example, the hottest trends in teenage music and fashion start in, for example, Harare then spread to other cities and towns, hence manufacturers target opinion leaders in Harare.
The family is also an important consumer-buying organisation in society, and it has been researched extensively. The family of orientation consists of one’s parents and siblings. From parents, a person acquires an orientation toward religion, politics and economics as well as a sense of personal ambition, self-worth, and love. A more direct influence on the everyday buying behaviour of adults is the family of procreation— namely, one’s spouse and children.
Marketers are interested in the roles and relative influence of the husband, wife and children in the purchase of a large variety of products and services. These roles only vary widely in different cultures and social classes. In some cultures man make the large purchasing decisions. Husband-wife involvement has traditionally varied widely by product category, so marketers need to determine which member has the greater influence in choosing particular products. Today traditionally household purchasing patterns are changing, with baby-boomer husbands and wives shopping jointly for products traditionally though to be under the separate control of one spouse or the other. For this reason, marketers of products traditionally purchased by one spouse may need to start thinking of the other as a possible purchaser.
Another shift in buying patterns is an increase in the amount of money spent and influence wielded by children and teens. Indirect influence means that parents know the brands, product choices and preferences of their children without hints or outright requests.
In addition to examining buying roles and Behaviour, smart companies research the buying decision process involved in their product category. They ask consumers when they first became acquainted with the product category and brands, what their brand beliefs are, how involved they are with the product, how they make their brand choices, and how satisfied they are after purchase.
l Freedom Mukanga is skilled in developing strong relationships with customers, connecting with key business executives and stakeholders. He has excellent research, interpersonal and communication skills as well as a strong sense of leadership and social responsibility. He can be reached on [email protected] *This article was contributed on behalf the Marketers’ Association of Zimbabwe, a leading body of marketing professionals promoting professionalism to the highest standards for the benefit of the industry and the economy at large. For any further information visit the website on www.maz.co.zw or contact [email protected]
