1. Chapter 9
The Influence of Culture on
Consumer Behaviour
Consumer Behaviour
Canadian Edition
Schiffman/Kanuk/Das
Copyright © 2006
Pearson Education Canada Inc.

2. Opening Vignette
 Canadians and Minivans
 Is there a unique Canadian Culture?
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3. Culture
 Thesum total of learned beliefs, values, and
customs that serve to regulate the consumer
behaviour of members of a particular
society.
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4. Key Characteristics of Culture
 The Impact of culture is hard to identify
 Culture is dynamic
 Culture is shared
 Culture is learned through enculturation and
acculturation
 Culture offers order, direction, and guidance
in all phases of human problem solving
- e.g. When to eat, Where to eat
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5. Forms of Cultural Learning
Formal Learning
Informal Learning
Technical Learning
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6. Copyright © 2006 Pearson 9-6

7. How Culture is Communicated
 Language and symbols
 Ritual
 Sharing of Culture
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8. Culture and Advertising
 Is it the role of advertising to socialize
readers on how to dress, decorate their
homes, choose wines and food for parties,
etc?
– Vanity Fair
– Martha Stewart Living
– Wine Spectator
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9. Criteria for Value Selection
 The value must be pervasive.
 The value must be enduring.
 The value must be consumer-related.
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10. Canadian Core Values
 Achievement and  Individualism
success  Freedom
 Activity  External
 Efficiency and conformity
practicality  Humanitarianism
 Progress  Youthfulness
 Material comfort  Fitness and health
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11. Canadian Versus American Core
Values
 Core values are not a Canadian
phenomenon
 Differences between Canadian and
American values stem from differences in
founding values, experiences and
institutions
 Are Canadian and American values
diverging?
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12. Comparison of Canadian and
American Values
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13. Copyright © 2006 Pearson 9-13

14. Copyright © 2006 Pearson 9-14

15. Comparison of Canadian and
American Values – cont’d
 Canadians are less likely to say that religion is
important to them
 There are more agnostics, atheists and secular
humanists in Canada than in the US
 Canadians value the influence of immigrants more
than Americans
 Canadians are more ‘liberal’ in their values at
every age than Americans
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16. The Measurement of Culture
 ContentAnalysis
 Consumer Fieldwork
 Value Measurement Instruments
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17. Content Analysis
A method for systematically analyzing the
content of verbal and/or pictorial
communication.
 Frequently used to determine prevailing
social values of a society.
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18. Field Observation
A measurement technique that takes place
within a natural environment that focuses
on observing behaviour (sometimes without
the subjects’ awareness).
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19. Field Observation
 Takes place within a natural environment
 Performed sometimes without the subject’s
awareness
 Focuses on observation of behaviour
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20. Participant-Observers
 Researchers who participate in the
environment that they are studying without
notifying those who are being observed
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21. Value Measurement Survey
Instruments
 Rokeach Value Survey (RVS)
– A self-administered inventory consisting of
eighteen “terminal” values (i.e., personal goals) and
eighteen “instrumental” values (i.e., ways of
reaching personal goals).
 List of Values (LOV)
– A value measurement instrument that asks
consumers to identify their two most important
values from a nine-value list that is based on the
terminal values of the Rokeach Value Survey
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22. (continued)
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23. Figure 9-8 (continued)
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24. Culture and Marketing Strategy
 Identify key cultural values that affect the
consumption of the product
 Ensure the marketing mix appeals to these values
 Examine changes in cultural values and adapt the
marketing mix if needed
 Modify marketing mix to subcultures if the culture
is heterogeneous
 Be aware of symbols and ritual
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