Transcript marketing - Pennsylvania State University

Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
Environmental
influences on
consumer behavior
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
Environmental influences
• physical environment: collection of nonhuman
elements that comprise the field in which consumer
behavior occurs (spatial and nonspatial elements);
• social environment: all human activities and
interactions;
– culture
– subculture
– social class
– reference groups
– family
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
In-class exercise:
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions
Go to http://www.geert-hofstede.com/index.shtml
and read the descriptions of the four primary
dimensions of cultural variation (power distance,
individualism, masculinity, and uncertainty
avoidance). How does the U.S. rate on the four
dimensions? Which countries are highest and
lowest on each dimension? What are the
marketing implications of a country’s standing on
each dimension?
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
Dimensions of cultural variation
(Hofstede 1980)
• power distance:
• uncertainty avoidance:
• individualism/collectivism:
• masculinity/femininity:
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
use of status symbols
showing people alone or as part of a group
long copy and testimonials by experts
respect for old age
nonconforming lifestyles
men or women in nontraditional roles
importance of being well-groomed
nuclear vs. extended family
“It’s so good, you want to keep it for yourself” vs. “It’s so
good, you want to share it with others”
• “Be the best” or “Big is beautiful” vs. “Brilliant in its
simpleness”
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
Globalization vs. adaptation
• globalization: argument that companies should
ignore superficial cultural differences, learn to
operate as if the world were one large market,
and pursue this market with standardized
marketing mixes (Levitt);
• adaptation: argument that companies should
emphasize local cultural differences, segment
markets on the basis of these differences, and
adapt their marketing mixes to the local culture;
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
Subculture
culture of a segment of society that differs in
significant ways from the culture as a whole;
• ethnic groups
• geographic areas
• age groups
• religious affiliations
• socio-economic groups
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
Social class
• a hierarchy of social status in a society
leading to interactions of people as equals,
superiors, or inferiors;
• influenced most heavily by educational
credentials, occupation prestige level,
income, and area of residence;
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
Reference groups
A group of people that serves as a standard of
reference in guiding an individual’s thoughts,
feelings, and actions.
Types of reference group influence:
– informational:
– normative (utilitarian):
– comparative (value-expressive):
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
• To satisfy the expectations of fellow work associates, the
individual’s decision to purchase a particular brand is
influenced by their preferences.
• The individual seeks information from those who work
with the product as a profession.
• The individual sometimes feels that it would be nice to be
like the type of person which advertisements show using a
particular brand.
• The brand which the individual selects is influenced by
observing a seal of approval of an independent testing
agency (such as Good Housekeeping).
• The individual feels that the purchase of a particular brand
helps him show others what he is, or would like to be (such
as an athlete, successful businessman, good mother, etc.).
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
Reference group influence on product and brand
choice (Bearden and Etzel 1982)
public
product
choice
brand
choice
weak reference
group influence
strong reference
group influence
strong
reference
group
influence
PuNe
(e.g., wristwatch,
automobile,
man’s suit)
PuLu
(e.g., golf club,
snow skis,
sailboat)
necessity
luxury
weak
reference
group
influence
PrNe
(e.g., mattress,
floor lamp,
refrigerator)
PrLu
(e.g., TV game,
trash compactor,
icemaker)
private
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
Families
• families vs. households:
– a family is two or more persons residing together who
are related by blood, adoption, or marriage;
– a household is one or more persons sharing the same
housing unit;
• many decision are made by families or
households, not individuals;
• consumer behavior varies over the family
life cycle (based on age, marital status, and
number and ages of children);
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
Parental Roles in Family Decision Making
3
wife dominant
2.5
syncratic
autonomic
2
1.5
husband dominant
Percentage of families engaging in joint decision making
1
0%
50%
100%
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
Parental Influence by Product Category
3
cleaning
products
wife
dominant
wife's clothing
2.5
food
cosmetics
children's toys
appliances
husband's clothing
2
housing
vacation
alcoholic beverages
television
car
1.5
other insurance
life insurance
husband
dominant
Percentage of families engaging in joint decision making
1
0%
50%
100%
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
Parental Influence by Stage of Decision
3
wife
dominant
1 problem recognition
2 search for information
3 final decision
2.5
1
2
appliances
3
husband's
clothing
2
car
1.5
husband
dominant
life insurance
Percentage of families engaging in joint decision making
1
0%
50%
100%
Consumer Behavior
Environmental influences
The family life cycle
• young single
• young married without children
• other young
– married with children
– divorced with kids
– divorced with no kids
• middle-aged (35-65)
– married with children
– married with no dependent children
– married with no children
– divorced with no kids
– divorced with kids
• older (65+)
– married, spouse present
– unmarried, no spouse present
• all others
8.2 %
2.9 %
17.1 %
1.9 %
0.1 %
33.0 %
5.5 %
4.7 %
0.3 %
1.9 %
5.2 %
2.0 %
17.2 %