Sub Culture and Cross Culture

Introduction:

Culture may be defined as the “personality of a society”. It is broad and pervasive, inclusive of language, customs and traditions, norms and laws, religion, art and music, etc. It also includes the interests of people, their work practices and orientations, and their attitudes towards general and specific issues. Culture delineates precisely the do’s and don’ts of society and specifies all that is acceptable and not. It reflects values and beliefs that members of a society widely accept. The members of a society subscribe to various values, beliefs and norms, which strengthens a society’s culture. This does not imply that cultures are rigid; they evolve and adapt to changing situations and times. The culture of society also has a bearing on buying patterns and consumption behaviour.

Regarding consumer behaviour, Schiffman defines culture as “the total of learned beliefs, values, and customs that serve to direct the consumer behaviour of members of a particular society”. Consumers buy and use the kinds of products, services, and/or brands based on their cultures and sub-cultures. For example, their culture, customs, traditions, norms and values impact the food they eat and the clothes they buy and wear.

A culture is thought to be made up of the fundamental behavioural patterns that exist in a society. Not all sectors of society share the same cultural patterns in this national culture, and sub-cultures can be distinguished as more homogeneous and larger groups within the greater society. They will have unique ideas, values, rituals, and traditions that distinguish them from the more significant cultural mainstream, even if they share many of the greater society’s dominant cultural values and behaviours.

Cross-cultural impacts are consumer standards and values in foreign countries that influence multinational companies’ product and service marketing tactics. The second variety is sub-cultural influences, defined as variances in values among different groups within a country that set them apart from the rest of society.

Sub-cultural Influence:

While culture is defined as a society’s “personality,” it is not entirely homogeneous (including language, customs and traditions, norms and laws, religion, art and music, and so on). Within a social system, not everyone speaks the same language, practises the same religion, or has the same customs and traditions. Every civilization comprises smaller sub-units that are homogeneous and diverse on the outside, which, when combined, form a complex society. Sub-cultures are sub-units or sub-groups; persons within sub-cultures have separate values, beliefs, customs, and traditions, for example. A subculture’s members share values, ideas, practises, and traditions that distinguish them from those from other subcultures. While we are all Indians, and our culture is Indian (with a similar national language, Hindi, and common festivals such as Diwali), North and South Indians are distinct. In January, while North Indians celebrate Lohri as a harvest festival, South Indians celebrate Pongal as their harvest festival. In other words, people inside smaller units speak the same language, practise the same religion, and follow the same customs and traditions; however, this may differ in a minor or significant way from those in other sub-units.

Consumer subcultures can be found within a single culture. A subculture is a culture that is not widely accepted in society. As customers from varied subcultures, we differ from one another. We all have different values and views, as well as different customs and traditions. These factors influence our purchasing habits and consumption by influencing our viewpoints and orientations. As a result, a marketer’s understanding of subculture becomes critical. Subcultural distinctiveness, homogeneity, and exclusion influence subculture’s influence on consumer behaviour.

1. Sub-cultural distinctiveness:

A subculture’s potential influence increases as it works harder to maintain a distinct identity. Indians who have settled in various nations have kept their cultural identity by maintaining their language and religious rituals.

2. Sub-cultural homogeneity: 

A subculture with similar values is more likely to influence its members. Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs of Indian heritage, for example, appear to belong to various subcultures. All of these groups, however, have strong familial ties, are largely religious and conservative, use a common language (any Indian language), celebrate festivals, and are dominated by men.

3. Sub-cultural exclusion:

Sub-cultures are sometimes marginalised by civilization. Exclusion tends to amplify the subculture’s effect and fosters the upholding of subcultural norms and values. Schedule castes are still barred from upper-caste society in India today. In India, there are various tribal tribes with distinct rules, practices, and values marginalised by the wider society. Afro-Americans have been denied access to school and career possibilities in a white-dominated society at times.

Only a few subcultures are essential for marketers to create different marketing programmes. Much depends on how important a product category is to a specific subculture. Cosmetics, for example, are popular among women, regardless of their subculture. Similarly, whether Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, or Christians, jeans and T-shirts are particularly popular among urban and semi-urban youths.

Types of Sub-cultures:

Based on the varying criteria, there can be different types of sub-cultures. The important subcultural categories are nationality, geographical location, religion, race and caste, gender and age. From a marketing perspective, these could also be discussed as market segments, which need to be studied and assessed carefully before deciding on a product/service offering and formulating a marketing mix for a particular segment(s).

A. Religious Subcultures:

Religious organisations can be considered subcultures because of the traditions and customs associated with their beliefs that are passed down from generation to generation. Religious subculture members make purchases inspired by their religious identity, notably those symbolically and ritualistically related to religious holidays, festivals, marriage, and family births and deaths, among other things. In a Hindu household, the bride wears a traditional deep red gown, while the groom wears a sherwani, churidar, and pagri. Religion influences how much meat, beef, pork, and alcohol are consumed. The Sikh religion forbids the use of tobacco products and hair shaving.

B. Regional Sub-cultures:

Climate, natural environment and resources, language, and significant social and cultural events form distinct regional subcultures. Such groups can be distinguished by their shared requirements, tastes, lifestyles, and values. Anyone travelling across India will have seen various regional disparities in consumer behaviour, particularly in clothing, food, and drink.

South Indians, for example, prefer coffee, whilst most North Indians prefer tea. In some parts of India, dog meat is considered a delicacy, which may surprise buyers in other parts of the nation. Marketers have realised that India is no longer a single market for at least some product categories, given such stark disparities in consumption patterns.

It is more critical for marketers to research and comprehend regional subcultures, such as language, dietary preferences, festivals, gift-giving, customs, and so on. Punjabi, Gujarati, Marwari, Marathi, Tamil, Oriya, and Bengali are major Indian sub-cultural groupings.

C. Age Sub-culture:

Because they develop distinctive shared attitudes and behaviours, marketers have attempted to designate age cohorts as subcultures. A generation, sometimes known as an age cohort, is a group of people who have shared social, political, historical, and economic experiences. In India, people over 55 comprise a significant share of the population. Products such as chyawanprash, retirement programmes, and ointments might be aimed at them. Charles D Schewe has proposed a set of recommendations for efficient communication with the elderly:

1. Keep the message simple: Don’t cram too much information into your message. The capacity of older persons to comprehend information is limited, and if their attention is divided, they may miss information.
2. Make the message familiar: Older folks can easily process familiar experiences. They feel comfort and security in seeing and hearing things how they are used to. If a message is complicated, frequent exposures lessen the work required to interpret it.
3. Make the message concrete: As problem-solving abilities deteriorate, older individuals rely more on concrete than abstract thinking. Because emotional arguments in advertising are typically imprecise, they may not be as effective in reaching older people as hard-hitting rational ones. Adults benefit from visual assistance because it boosts recollection.
4. Take it point by point: Spacing out the message allows seniors to comprehend each piece of information separately. Older folks pay more attention to the beginning half of a communication than younger individuals. When information is provided too quickly, the earlier cues precede the later signals.
5. Give preference to print media: When seniors are free to assimilate material at their own pace, their learning abilities improve. Unlike television and radio, print media allows people to go at their own pace.
6. Supply memory aids: Older people’s ability to organise and recall information quickly deteriorates compared to younger people. Visual stimuli are particularly powerful at triggering their memories. Ask them to recall the appearance of the previous product before showing them the new one.
7. Make good use of context: The more pleasurable a memory is, the easier it is to recall. Any audience who feels personally linked with the advertisement will remember the message. Old adults can be effectively engaged by recalling happy imagery of family (weddings, births), health, social contact, and task completion.

To generate effective advertising for this demographic, marketers should:

(a) Conduct focus groups with elderly consumers to learn about their motives and opinions.

(b) Hire more experienced copywriters to bring fresh perspectives to this segment.

(c) Incorporate older models in commercials naturally and appropriately.

(d) Inform elder customers that the product will appeal to them.

Teenagers appear to be self-conscious and on the lookout for a sense of self-identity. Most teenagers see themselves as honest, likeable, amusing, affectionate, intellectual, creative, and energetic. Their actions are occasionally defiant toward authority, tradition, and what they regard to be outdated beliefs. This impacts their purchasing habits, notably in India’s metropolitan and semi-urban areas. They must be accepted to get assistance and nurture. Most youngsters choose to wear trendy casual outfits and well-known brand sports shoes, drive macho vehicles, listen to pop music, and watch MTV. They spend money from the family and frequently have a say in what the family buys.

Friends are the most important influencers for many products. Nonetheless, parents continue to play a significant role in many purchasing decisions. Their brand and retailer choices are usually steadfast. Marketers are drawn to this market because the preferences and tastes acquired during these years can substantially impact purchases made later in life. Marketers must utilise proper language, music, visuals, and media to persuade people as consumers.

D. Gender as Sub-culture:

Males and females are allocated particular qualities and functions in all communities. In practically all communities, men are considered self-sufficient, assertive, controlling, and self-assured. They are thought to be the breadwinners. Conversely, females are regarded as gentle, meek, soft, compassionate, tactful, and chatty. Their role is that of housewives responsible for children’s care. The attributes of femininity and masculinity are at opposite extremes of a continuum, with different levels of each trait in different people. Biological males lean toward the masculine end of the spectrum, whereas biological females lean toward the feminine. The behaviours considered proper for males and females in a given community are gender roles.

Women’s and men’s markets are not as homogeneous as one may think. According to C M Schaninger, M C Nelso, and W D Danko, at least four large female market niches exist.

1. Traditional housewife:

She loves to stay at home and places a strong emphasis on her family. She desires to please her spouse and children. Household and family maintenance provide her with satisfaction and meaning. Intense pressures to work outside the home exist, and she is aware of the lost financial opportunity. She feels supported by her family and is happy in her current work.

2. Trapped housewife:

Despite her desire to work, she cannot do so due to small children, a lack of outside options, or family pressure. She looks for fulfilment and significance outside of the household. She despises the majority of home tasks. Has conflicting emotions about his current situation and is anxious about missed opportunities.

3. Trapped working woman:

She may be married or single and would like to stay home but is forced to work due to economic necessity or social/family pressure. She doesn’t find work to be satisfying or meaningful. Most domestic activities are enjoyable, but he is frustrated by a lack of time. Has conflicting feelings about her role, especially if she has young children at home. Misses out on family and social activities, which he regrets. She is proud of her contribution to the family’s financial well-being.

4. Career working woman:

She may be married or unmarried, but she chooses to work and finds fulfilment and purpose in her career rather than in her home and family. If she has younger children at home, she has some tension about her role but is generally happy. Home maintenance is viewed as a necessary evil. She feels rushed for time.

Males and females are often associated with several products. Shaving goods, cigarettes, slacks, ties, and motorcycles, for example, are masculine products in India; bangles, bracelets, lipstick, sarees, bindis, and mehndis, on the other hand, are female products. However, many products are losing their traditional gender classification. Financial services, automobiles, computer games and equipment, and other products are being created with women in mind.

Marketers are increasingly interested in working women because they represent a sufficiently large and rising market in developed and developing countries. They have different demands from women who do not work outside the home. In recent years, many advertisers have recognised the need to interact effectively with working women and mothers.

Cross-cultural Consumer Analysis:

Levi Strauss pays special attention to both cross-cultural and sub-cultural trends in its worldwide operations. “Think globally, act locally” is the primary idea it follows. Because of the global accessibility of media such as MTV, the Internet, and improved travel capabilities, the corporation recognises that fashion, music, and technology tastes are becoming increasingly similar throughout most countries. As more customers adjust their preferences for American items, American culture appears to have an increasing influence on consumption values. Multinational firms such as Proctor & Gamble, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, IBM, Gillette, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, Colgate-Palmolive, Nestle, Canon, Epson, Honda, Suzuki, and many others, for example, generate significant earnings outside of their home countries. Marketing in overseas countries is projected to become increasingly important as more global markets emerge and offer prospects for growth.

Because cultures differ in demographics, languages, beliefs, and nonverbal communication, marketing across cultural boundaries is difficult and complex. When managers travel abroad, they are confronted with different customs, value systems, attitudes, and behaviours, which cause a series of psychological shocks. In foreign business environments, this often diminishes their efficacy.

Cross-cultural studies aid marketers in determining how similar or dissimilar two or more nations’ consumers are. The more customer commonality, the easier it will be to apply relatively identical techniques in each country. A highly tailored marketing plan for each nation may be recommended if the cross-cultural investigation finds significant cultural variations.

Although culture and organisational changes occur in every country, Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s research of approximately 12,000 managers around the world (“Transcending Business Boundaries: 12,000 World Managers View Change,” Harvard Business Review 69, May-June 1991) concluded that there is still no common management culture. In reality, managers’ perspectives are more influenced by their country’s culture than their physical location.

Some experts believe that marketing methods, particularly advertising, should be standardised because this can save money. However, this is tough and unsafe because of the disparities in cultural values between countries. In most Western cultures, a commercial for a beauty care product with a model wearing a short dress with a very low neckline would be enticing. Still, in most Muslim communities, it would almost certainly be prohibited.

Marketers frequently make the strategic mistake of assuming that because home customers like a product, it will naturally appeal to buyers in other nations. A “culturally myopic outlook” is used to describe such a viewpoint. Companies have had a lot of success marketing internationally because they recognise the diversity in consumer requirements and cultures in different parts of the world. To do so, such businesses must study cross-cultural acculturation, which entails extensively familiarising themselves with other countries’ values, beliefs, customs, language, and demography. They devised techniques to persuade society members to change their attitudes and behaviours. McDonald’s, for example, had a strategy of adopting consistency throughout its global markets. Following issues, it now embraces items tailored to specific cultures. McDonald’s had to make the most drastic modifications to India. Because Hindus do not eat beef and 80% of the Indian population is Hindu, there is no Big Mac (which contains beef). Big Maharaja, which contains mutton, has taken its place. Many Hindus and almost all Jains are staunch vegetarians, and McDonald’s caters to this market with Vegetable Burgers. McDonald’s also boasts that they utilise solely vegetable oils. Because a large portion of India’s population is Muslim and considers pork to be filthy, the menu does not include any pork-based items.

Regarding cultures, international advertisers are discovering that it is pretty challenging to make assumptions. While many people believe that the world is shrinking and that cultural diversity is dwindling, as evidenced by the adoption of Western trends in many Asian countries, others believe that cultural differences are still substantial. Some European countries, for example, were grouped in a common market because they shared similar ideals and shopping habits. Due to stereotypes, history, and education, this has fallen short of expectations.

Ad agencies are discovering that to compete in these areas, they must change quickly, or local ad firms with a better understanding of the local cultures would steal their business. As a result, many firms are stepping up their consumer research efforts and tailoring their marketing to their specific markets. They also pay close attention to cultural details, such as which hand a wedding ring is worn.

In India, most international corporations tailor their marketing to local cultural conditions. Pepsi and Coke, for example, use models dressed in Indian attire, and the music and songs also reflect Indian culture. Even though only 3% of Indians reported eating cereal in polls, Kellogg’s was able to draw them to their cereals. Kellogg’s promoted the advantages of a lighter, more nutritious morning meal by introducing Basmati rice flakes, a premium aromatic rice.

Cross-cultural Differences in Non-verbal Communications:

Differences in verbal communication (languages) become readily apparent whenever we are exposed to a different culture. The meaning of a combination of letters or sounds is not inherent in the letters or sounds themselves. A word has a meaning that a group of people agree on. Translating marketing messages from one language to another could cause issues, resulting in inaccurate or ineffective messaging.

For example, in Arabic, no letter makes the sound “P,” so Pepsi is pronounced “Bebsi.” In Brazil, Ford introduced the Pinto without changing the name. According to research, Pinto is slang for “little male sex organ” in Brazil. Corcel, which means horse, was chosen as the new name.

• Seven elements influence nonverbal communication the most: 

• Time:

The meaning of time varies between civilizations in terms of perspective and orientation. Most Western societies view monochronic time as unavoidable, linear, and fixed in nature. In most Asian cultures, time is viewed distinctly. Indians, for example, have a different perspective on time. They believe it is less responsive to schedules and consider it natural to simultaneously be immersed in multiple activities. Polychronic time viewpoint is the name given to this perspective.

Personal selling styles, as well as many advertising themes, would be influenced by time perspective. In polychronic societies, positioning convenience meals in terms of time savings is unlikely to succeed because time-saving is not part of the cultural thought process. In monochronic civilizations, contests with deadlines are more likely to be successful.

• Space:

Personal space refers to the closest that others can reach to persons in various formal circumstances in different cultures without making them uncomfortable. As a result, people from cultures where personal space is limited, such as South Americans and Arabs, will tend to move closer. If the other person comes from a culture where personal space is valued more, she or he may perceive the other person as pushy. A person from a culture with a smaller personal space would deem the other person frigid because she or he would want to preserve distance. North Americans, for example, think of South Americans as pushy and aggressive, whereas South Americans think of North Americans as cold, snobby, and distant.

• Symbols:

The colours of the clothing that individuals wear for various occasions have significance. If a youngster is dressed in pink, we are more likely to assume the child is female. In most cultures, such assumptions are valid, but not in Holland. Diverse civilizations have different meanings for colours, numbers, forms, and animals. According to N. M. Murray and S. B. Murray, music has different meanings in different civilizations. In Japan, four is a death emblem, Malaysians link green with jungle and illness, pale blue is connected with death and grief in various Southeast Asian countries, and white is a death symbol in China.

• Friendship:

Friendship is a nonverbal cultural characteristic that confers privileges and responsibilities. North Americans are known for making and losing friends quickly and readily. Personal relationships and feelings are particularly crucial to most Asians and South Americans in long-term agreements, and once personal trust is formed, collaboration grows. More essential than pricing or technical specifications are the social bonds formed between negotiation parties. Americans believe in negotiating a contract, but the Japanese believe in negotiating a partnership. For long-term success, consumers’ relationships with salespeople and retail outlets are typically more vital in India.

• Agreements:

Certain cultures heavily rely on written agreements to ensure that commercial responsibilities are met and problems are addressed. The United States of America is an example of such a culture. In many other cultures, such as China, commercial behaviour is guided more by friendship and kinship, local moral values, or informal norms. Rather than the written contract, the Chinese would extensively investigate the character of a possible business partner. They’d like to know and understand someone before buying from them.

• Things:

In many cultures, many things have symbolic importance. Knowing this is especially crucial when it comes to giving gifts. Different cultures have diverse social and business conditions that create opportunities to give gifts and appropriate goods. Diwali is a good time to give gifts to government, financial, and corporate executives in India. Gifts should be given in front of others in Arab countries; however, gifts should be offered privately in China.

• Etiquette:

Etiquette is a set of rules about how to act in social circumstances. Most Western societies consider loud eating and belching to be socially unpleasant. Eating with your fingers rather than a knife and fork is common in India. Using fingers instead of a knife and fork is frowned upon in most Western cultures. In many Eastern cultures, males who sit cross-legged and exhibit their soles in front are considered offensive. The standard voice pitch and gestures vary by culture.

Various Methods to Measure Culture:

Culture can be measured through the use of many techniques, some of which are:

1) Projective Tests:

Projective tests may be traced back to psychoanalytic psychology, which claims that people have conscious and unconscious attitudes, motivations, and personalities that are hidden and unknown to them. The projective tests assess underlying characteristics such as fears, worries, attitudes, motivations, and personalities. They aid in discovering people’s attitudes regarding cultural values, myths, customs, traditions, and rituals.

Pictures, images, cartoons and figures, inkblots, and unfinished sentences/paragraphs are displayed to the participants to perceive, interpret, and comprehend them. The participants are instructed to respond with whatever comes to mind first. Gestures and body language, as well as voice tone and other reactions, are all taken into account. The theory underlying these tests is that people tend to project and interpret ambiguous inputs from their subconscious minds. Motivation and personality are studied using these tests. The Rorschach Inkblot Test and the Rorschach Inkblot Test are the two most often utilised tests, the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).

2) Attitude measurement tests and techniques:

Attitude measurement tests and techniques measure people’s attitudes toward people, objects, and circumstances. They reflect people’s views and orientations toward cultural values, myths, conventions, traditions, and rituals.

3) Content analysis:

This type of analysis examines spoken, written, nonverbal, and graphical compositions/communications. The content analysis reveals and explains the messages’ content and interpretations. The content of verbal, written, nonverbal, and graphic compositions/communication can be used to assess society and its culture and evolutionary socio-cultural changes.

4) Consumer fieldwork:

Consumer fieldwork can be used to study consumer behaviour and derive broad conclusions about values, myths, beliefs, habits, traditions, and rituals. Such assumptions are based on observed shopping behaviour in stores. Body language, both verbal and nonverbal, is also observed and documented. Instead of being passive observers, researchers may take on active roles and act as salespeople with the consumers (participants). Interviews and focus groups may also be employed.

5) Value measuring equipment:

Value measurement tools are increasingly being used by researchers today. These are scales that use a questionnaire to measure values. Participants are asked to express their thoughts on various topics, including peace, freedom and independence, comfort and convenience, ambition and success, etc. Researchers can deduce a community’s prevalent or underlying values by interpreting their reactions and observing their behaviour. Such values would have an impact on both general and specialised consumption patterns as well as purchasing behaviour. The Rokeach Value Survey, the List of Values (LOV), and the Values and Lifestyles—VALS are three commonly used value measurement instruments.