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

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Opening Vignette
 Canadians and Minivans
 Is there a unique Canadian Culture?

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CultureCulture
 The sum total of learned beliefs, values, and
customs that serve to regulate the consumer
behaviour of members of a particular
society.

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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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Forms of Cultural Learning
Formal Learning
Informal Learning
Technical Learning

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How Culture is Communicated
 Language and symbols
 Ritual
 Sharing of Culture

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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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Criteria for Value Selection
 The value must be pervasive.
 The value must be enduring.
 The value must be consumer-related.

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Canadian Core Values
 Achievement and
success
 Activity
 Efficiency and
practicality
 Progress
 Material comfort
 Individualism
 Freedom
 External
conformity
 Humanitarianism
 Youthfulness
 Fitness and health

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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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Comparison of Canadian and
American Values

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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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The Measurement of Culture
 Content Analysis
 Consumer Fieldwork
 Value Measurement Instruments

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Content AnalysisContent 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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Field ObservationField 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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Field Observation
 Takes place within a natural environment
 Performed sometimes without the subject’s
awareness
 Focuses on observation of behaviour

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Participant-ObserversParticipant-Observers
 Researchers who participate in the
environment that they are studying without
notifying those who are being observed

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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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(continued)

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Figure 9-8 (continued)

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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