Consumer Behaviour Essay

Culture and European Lifestyles

An Essay in Consumer Behaviour

Introduction 3
Cultural and acculturation 3
Enculturation and acculturation 4
Cultural change processes 6
Generation Y 6
Generation X 7
Baby Boomers 7
New Reality 8
Lifestyles and European Culture 9
What are social classes 10
Lifestyle profiles of social classes 10
Conclusion 12

Introduction
In order to explain the importance of the aspect of lifestyle behaviour we need to see how purchasing behaviour is affected lifestyle and culture. Thus we have to define the term lifestyle and culture in a consumer behaviour sense.
A characterize consumption as a flow of fantasies, feelings & fun, and focuses upon the symbolic, hedonic and aesthetic nature of consumption” thus we can argue that consumption is a psychological process through which people demonstrate social status, happiness and a self-identity. We can define lifestyle as “a pattern in which people live and spend time and money, lifestyle reflects a persons activities, interests and opinions. Consumer buying follows an overall consumption system or lifestyle; that an aspiration for the good life generates goals, some of which result in demand for specific products that contribute to the desired lifestyle.” Thus we can say that lifestyle brands attempt to embody the values and aspirations of a certain group or social culture through differentiating their products based on subjective things such as design.
Cultural and acculturation

To define the term of culture we can argue that in a framework of an whole population culture consist properties like language, knowledge, laws, religions, food customs, music, art, technology, work patterns, products and other artefacts that give society a distinctive flavour. In a sense, culture is a society´s personality.1

Enculturation and acculturation
The learning of one´s own culture is known as enculturation. The learning of a new or a foreign culture is known as acculturation. Acculturation is an important concept for marketers who plan to sell their products in foreign countries or multinational markets.2

The influence factors of the dimension of culture is described by Geert Hofstede in the years 1980.1984 and 1991, which enabled him to develop a model hierarchy of the world. They identified four components that define national cultural dimensions3

1. Distance from power - measuring the distance between individuals are in different hierarchical levels;
2. Avoiding uncertainty - how people feel threatened or not changes future;
3. Individualism Vs. Collectivism - the relationship between individuals and their peers mainly manifested by individual activity / team;
4. Masculinity. Vs. Femininity - an inclination to values that are mainly two categories.

Cultural influences both in terms of elements within the culture (ex. cultural variability, complexity and cultural hostility) and intercultural elements represented by the heterogeneity and cultural interdependence affects the light action on consumer. It could be considered the following components that change consumer behaviour: cultural factors, cultural messages and making decisions by the consumer.4 Cultural factors Process of making purchasing decisions.

The main cultural value of a society depends on people's outlook about themselves and about others, about the various organizations, society, and values.5

Understanding culture is possible only through human activities and how they act as individuals or members of a group.6 As businesses enter international market, cultural diversity plays a major role in formulating international marketing strategies. They need to consider differences in national cultures, subcultures and how individuals in such cultures interact with each other and outsiders. This is due to the fact that culture is the main factor that contribute to today’s major conflict aside of material resources and negotiable interests.7 The diverse cultures tendencies always give rise to ethical issues, as one cultural belief may not be the norm or acceptable behaviours for another. The failure not to take cultural differences between countries into account has been the cause of many business failures.8

Cultural differences exist because of many reasons. The three basic reasons of the cultural differences are:

1) People from different cultures perceive things in a different manner

2) People from different cultures have different ideals and ideologies

3) People from different cultures have different tastes, attitudes, lifestyle, customs and rituals

One more important reason behind cultural differences, which is never mentioned, but cannot be ignored, is the racial and religious factor. Race and religion are two pillars of cultural differences, may be they are not obviously visible in the field of marketing, but the strong intervention of race and religion in building up the cultural differences cannot be denied. In order to succeed in marketing it is very important to understand the basics of these cultural differences.9
Cultural change processes

Each major age sub-grouping of population might be thought of as a separate subculture. Everyone listen different music from their parents and grandparents, dress differently, read different magazines and enjoy different television shows. Therefore consumer behaviour shifts from Generation Y, Generation X, baby boomers and older consumers.10

Generation Y
Members of Generation Y are often described as pragmatic, clever, socially and environmentally aware, and open to new experiences. This age group shifted from television time to the internet and, when compared with their parents, they are less likely to read newspaper and often do not trust the shops that their parents use.11

Generation X
The age group is often referred to as X- ers, busters or slackers- consists of individuals born between about 1965 and 1979. As consumers, this generation do not like labels, are cynical and do not want to be singled out and marketed to. They matured during an era of soaring divorce rates and latchkey children.12 For Generation X consumers, job satisfaction is typically more important than salary.
Members of Generation X often pride themselves on their sophistication. Although they are not necessarily materialistic, they do not purchase good brand names but not necessarily designer labels. They want to be recognised by marketers as a group in their own right and not as mini.- baby boomers. Therefore, advertisement must target their audience must focus on their style in music, fashions and language. On key for marketers is to be sincerity.

Baby Boomers

Marketers have found a particularly desirable target audience because:
1. They are the single largest distinctive age category alive today
2. They frequently make important consumer purchase decisions
3. They contain small sub segments of trendsetting consumers who have influence on the consumer tastes of other age segments of society13

The term baby boomers refer to the age segment of the population that was born between 1946 and 1964. Thus, baby boomers are in the broad age category that extends from about mid 40s to mid 60s. These baby boomers usually found to represent more than 40 per cent of the adult population.
Baby boomers tend to be motivated consumers. They enjoy buying for themselves, for their home apartments and for others– they are consumption- oriented.

Themes
Generation Y
Generation X
Boomers
Purchasing behaviour
Savvy, pragmatic
Materialistic
Narcissistic
Coming of age technology
Computer in every home
Microwave in every home
TV in every home
Price- Quality Attitude
Value orientated; weighing price- quality relationships
Price oriented: concerned about the cost of individual items
Conspicuous consumption, buying for indulgence
Attitude towards brands
Brand embracing
Against branding
Brand loyal
Behaviour towards brands
Rebel against hype
Rebel against hype
Respond to image- building type
TABLE 1 Comparison of selected age groups across marketing related issues14

New Reality
Consumers are getting less likely brand loyal in recent decades and more likely to buy lower priced private brands and to comparison shop. A major change in buying motives is from prestige to value. Purchasing based on status is out; purchasing based on quality and performance is in. In terms of employment there is also a significant change in organizational values and a greater willingness to explore other options. Despite higher risks, starting a business with freelancing has gained new legitimacy as an alternate course to climbing the organizational ladder.
The more sober consumer view is likely to continue until the turn of the century. Marketers have already adjusted by placing more focus on quality merchandise at a lower price.15

Lifestyles and European Culture

Europe enjoy a relatively strong economy and stable governments, allow freedom of religion, have chosen democracy as a form of governance, favour capitalism and international trade, and have some form of political and military alliance or cooperation.16Despite that Europe has grown together in recent years we feel really different from each other. Often from early childhood we went through sort of national indoctrination at schools. Our patriotism for centuries is considered important and valuable in human life or even as one of the pillars of morality. European still feels a strong belonging to a nation, which gives a peculiar sense of pride and fulfilment. On the other extreme we the modern ideology of consumption, negating the selfless dedication and irrational motives of behaviour, spirituality and patriotism is the object of ridicule, and in fact even cosmopolitanism is promoted. 17
What are social classes
A main influence factor of Lifestyles in the European Culture moves obviously in a range of social classes. A range of social positions each member of society can be placed. Within a framework, the concept of social class is used to assign individuals or families to a social class category. Social class categories are usually ranked in a hierarchy, ranging from low to high status. Thus, members of a specific social class perceive members of other social classes as having either more other less status than they do. There´re many ways to measure social classes and most experts are uncertain about. Its necessary does have three factors for measurement: subjective measures, which are based on mostly, biased self-perception or self-images. There´re reputational measures, which are based on the perception of peers or belonging groups and the objective measures, which includes some hard facts, like occupation, education, income etc.

Lifestyle profiles of social classes

Consumer research has found evidence that within each of the social classes, there is a constellation of specific lifestyle factors like shared beliefs, attitudes, activities and behaviours, that tends to distinguish the members of each class from the members of all other social classes.

The Upper- Upper Class
The lower- Upper Class
The Upper- Middle Class
The lower- middle Class
The Upper- Lower Class
The Lower- Lower Class
Small numbers of well established families
Not quite accepted by the upper crust of society
Have neither family status nor unusual wealth
Primarily non- managerial white- collar workers and highly paid blue- collar workers
The largest social class segment
Poorly educated, unskilled labours
Serve as trustees for local schools and hospitals
Represent new money
Career oriented
Want to achieve respectability and be accepted as good citizens
Solidly blue collar
Often out of work
TABLE 2: Social Class Profiles
Although individuals can move either up or down in social class standing from the class position held by their parents, Europeans and citizens of the Western world have primarily thought in terms of upward mobility because of the availability of education and opportunities for self development and self advancement. Today many young men and woman with ambition to get ahead dream of going to university and eventually start their own successful businesses. Where upward mobility has been attained, the higher social classes often become reference groups for ambitious men and women of lower status.18

Marketing opportunities for businesses as the European consumer purchasing behaviour are different depending on the individual groups are reported and that determines the behaviour and values. Consumer Reference groups influence consumer behaviour and the Community in proportion to perceived risk is very strong for products that express the social status of the client - such as cars and clothing. Sometimes the reference group may be transformed into one of belonging; the individual is included in the group, which radically changed his consumer behaviour and buying purchasing. For a long time, the sociological approach to consumption has been subordinated to the mere of study of the role of products and brands building status symbols for consumers. Consistent with the concept of conspicuous consumption proposed by Veblen, as early as 1899, the sociological approach to goods has long been associated with the connotative powers objects and their ability to communicate a given social status.19
Conclusion
Despite a further integration process the differences visible in a publication don’t seems to diminish. There is a still visible difference between “Latin and Germanic minds”. Strong differences in terms of e.g. Masculinity occur also in neighbour countries such as Germany and Denmark. The differences in individualism exist also in e.g. in culturally close Ireland and Great Britain. What is more we can multiple such an examples. Based on this, there will always exist cultural difference due to marketers have to adopt there strategies. Especially if a company decide to go international they have to consider establishing a brand image can take many years while they do not earn the desired turnovers. This have to bear in mind that going international costs a lot of money.