Why is it important for marketers to understand the cultural and subcultural influences that may affect the consumer buying decision process?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Culture is the accumulation of values, knowledge, beliefs, customs, objects, and concepts that a society uses to cope with its environment and passes on to future generations. Culture permeates most things that a person does and the objects he interacts with, from the style of buildings in his town, to the education he receives, to the laws governing his country. Culture also includes society-specific core values and the degree of acceptability of a wide range of behaviors. Culture influences buying behavior because it saturates our daily lives. Our culture determines what we wear and eat and where we reside and travel. Culture also influences how we buy and use products and the satisfaction we derive from them. A subculture is a group of individuals whose characteristics, values, and behavioral patterns are similar within the group and different from those of people in the surrounding culture. Within subcultures, greater similarities exist in people's attitudes, values, and actions than within the broader culture. Relative to other subcultures, individuals in one subculture may have stronger preferences for specific types of clothing, furniture, food, or consumer electronics. Subcultures can play a significant role in how people respond to advertisements, particularly when pressured to make a snap judgment.