External variables of consumer behavior

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 501.

External variables that influence consumer behavior are social and cul­tural in nature. Man is a social being. Our need to be accepted as a member of a group is very strong, although often unconscious. Our values, opinions, and behavior are heavily influenced by groups to which we belong. Because we refer to these groups for guidance, they are called reference groups. We are also influenced by groups to which we would like to belong. Advertising often appeals to this characteristic. Many food products, for example, are displayed in the setting of a neighborhood picnic, a group of friends at the beach, or a family re­union. Sports and film celebrities frequently act as reference individuals in testimonial advertising; fans may buy a particular product because they identify with the celebrity promoting it.

Besides belonging, or wanting to belong, to groups, everyone is a member of both a social class and a culture. Social class is generally determined by family background, occupation, source (not amount) of income, location and type of house, and education. Members of the same social class will share similar values and spend their money in similar ways. Advertising appeals, particularly in specialized magazines catering to wrestlers or gourmet diners, for example, are often directed toward a specific social class.

Culture is the set of attitudes, customs, values, ways of perceiving, and behavior handed down from one generation to another. Cultural traits include how people dress; how men and women, and children and adults, behave toward each other; what foods are eaten and how they are prepared; which forms of entertainment and recreation are favored; how a home ought to be furnished and decorated. Many coun­tries have a dominant culture with significant subculture populations. These subcultures require specialized marketing communications. Where the values of these consumers differ from those of the dominant culture, communication with them must be in their own terms.