CHAPTER 2
CROSS-CULTURAL VARIATIONS
IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
LO1: Define the concept of culture
LO2: Describe core values that vary across culture and influence behaviors
LO3: Understand cross-cultural variations in nonverbal communications
LO4: Summarize key aspects of the global youth culture
LO5: Understand the role of global demographics
LO6: List the key dimensions in deciding to enter a foreign market
SUMMARY
LO1: Define the concept of culture
Culture is defined as the complex whole that includes knowledge, beliefs, art, law, morals,
LO2: Describe core values that vary across culture and influence behaviors
Cultural values are classified into three categories: other, environment, and self. Other-
oriented values reflect a society’s view of the appropriate relationships between individuals
LO3: Understand cross-cultural variations in nonverbal communications
Nonverbal communication systems are the arbitrary meanings a culture assigns actions,
LO4: Summarize key aspects of the global youth culture
There is evidence that urban youth around the world share at least some aspects of a common
LO5: Understand the role of global demographics
Demographics describe a population in terms of its size, structure, and distribution.
Demographics differ widely across cultures and influence cultural values (and are influenced
by them) as well as consumption patterns.
LO6: List the key dimensions in deciding to enter a foreign market
Seven questions are relevant for developing a cross-cultural marketing strategy: (1) Is the
LECTURE TIPS AND AIDS
1) Culture is a difficult concept for students to fully understand though they enjoy reading about it. It
is difficult for them to see what culture is and what its influences are because they are typically
2) Students from other cultures should be encouraged to describe the differences between their home
cultures and the one they are in now. Domestic students who have lived in another culture should
do likewise.
3) This is an excellent time to use a guest speaker. A professor from cultural anthropology or
4) Student Handout 1: TRANSLATION PROBLEMS IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETING.
5) Student Handout 2: FEDEX CUSTOMIZES FOR THE LATIN AMERICAN MARKET.
Student Handout 1: TRANSLATION PROBLEMS IN INTERNATIONAL
MARKETING
Chevrolet’s Nova is an inappropriate brand name in Spanish-speaking countries
where “no va” means “it doesn’t go.”
American Motors “Matador” translated as “killer” in Puerto Rico – a country
with a high traffic fatality rate.
Johnson Wax introduced “Pledge” in the Netherlands as “Pliz.” Pliz is
pronounced very much like “piss” in Dutch. Since most Dutch also speak
English, this caused serious problems.
Student Handout 2: FEDEX CUSTOMIZES FOR THE LATIN AMERICAN MARKET
The following describes how FedEx used a customized strategy to successfully
target the Latin American market:
The 30-second commercial showed a young equipment manager for a
soccer team, the dominant sport in the region, worried about the delivery
of five boxes of uniforms he had shipped to Madrid for a major match. An
older man assures him that all will be fine as long as he had shipped them
via FedEx, which he had not. The next scene is a soccer field where the
opponents are about to attempt a penalty kick. As the camera reveals the
defenders, the audience sees that they are defending the goal without their
uniforms or any other clothing. The tagline for the ad is: “Let FedEx take
the load off your shoulders.”
Student Handout 3: CULTURAL VARIATIONS IN HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
Various holiday traditions get translated differently from country to country.
Companies must understand cultural differences related to the celebration of
such holidays when marketing across country.
When such holidays do not replace local traditions and are adapted to the local
culture, they can enrich the lives of the populations that adopt them. However,
such imports can also be disruptive or controversial. For example, American–
style celebrations of Valentine’s Day are spreading throughout the world; but in
countries such as India, they have been met with protests. Hindu and Indian
Student Handout 4: BOLLYWOOD GOES GLOBAL
Bollywood. India’s Hollywood. India is the leading movie producer and consumer in the
world (the United States is a distant second). No wonder then that Indian culture is hot stuff,
especially among global teens. Consider the following:
Marketers have not been shy about tapping this global hip status to market to teens in the
United States, Asia, and Europe. A few examples include:
• In the United States, Absolut vodka has a 12-minute online “Bollywood ad” called
Absolut Mulit.
• In Asia, Nokia has a TV spot in which “dozens of women clad in brightly colored
saris … leap from a plane and sky-dive toward a bored-looking man standing on
the side of the road. Alighting, they start gyrating to pulsating Indian music, while
the man looks on in astonishment.”
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What are some of the ethical issues involved in cross-cultural marketing?
Obvious issues include exporting potential harmful products such cigarettes as well as products or
2) What is meant by the term culture?
Culture is that complex whole that includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any
3) What does the statement “Culture sets boundaries on behaviors” mean?
Normally, the boundaries of behavior are outlined by the culture, and even some of these
4) What is a norm? From what are norms derived?
5) What is a cultural value?
Cultural values are widely held beliefs that affirm what is desirable.
6) What is a sanction?
7) Cultural values can be classified as affecting one of three types of relationships—other,
environment, or self. Describe each of these, and differentiate each one from the others.
Other: Reflect a society’s view of appropriate relationships between individuals and groups.
8) How does the first of the following paired orientations differ from the second?
a. Individual/collective: Individual emphasizes individual initiative and activity, while
collective appreciates group cooperation and conformity.
9) What is meant by nonverbal communications? Why is this a difficult area to adjust to?
Nonverbal communication refers to the transfer of information from one person to another without
10) What is meant by each of the following as a form of nonverbal communication?
a. Time: The culture’s overall orientation to time and the way in which the meaning of time
varies.
11) What is guanxi?
12) What is the difference between instrumental and terminal materialism?
Instrumental materialism involves the acquisition of products in order to achieve a goal (skis to
13) What are the differences between a monochronic time perspective and a polychronic time
perspective?
People are monochronic if they have a strong orientation toward the present and the short-term
14) What forces seem to be creating a global teenage culture?
15) What are demographics? Why are they important to international marketers?
Demographics describe a population in terms of its size, structure, and distribution. Demographics
16) What is purchasing power parity?
It is a measure of the ability of consumers in different countries with various income levels to
17) What is glocalization? What factors affect the need to adapt to local considerations?
Glocalization is generally meant to refer to global localization. This generally pertains to
18) What are the seven key considerations in deciding whether or not to enter a given international
market?
a. Is the geographic area homogeneous or heterogeneous with respect to culture?
b. What needs can this product fill in this culture?
Discussion Questions
19) Why should we study foreign cultures if we do not plan to engage in international or export
marketing?
To better understand our own culture and the kinds of impacts it has on our consumers. In
20) Is a country’s culture more likely to be reflected in its art museums or its television commercials?
Why?
Probably in its television commercials. They are more likely to show how people actually think,
21) Are the cultures of the world becoming more similar or more distinct?
There is no answer to this one, but it is a good vehicle to bring out questions about standardization
22) Why do values differ across cultures?
23) The text lists 18 cultural values (in three categories) of relevance to marketing practice. Describe
and place into one of the three categories two additional cultural values that have some relevance
to marketing practice.
Simplicity/Complexity: Are simple or complex stimuli, situations, and lifestyles preferred?
24) Select two cultural values from each of the three categories. Describe the boundaries (norms)
relevant to that value in your society and the sanctions for violating those norms.
It is probably easiest to ask students to do this first for the masculine/feminine value, and then let
25) What are the most relevant cultural values affecting the consumption of each of the following?
Describe how and why these values are particularly important.
a) Internet
b) MP3 player
c) Milk
d) Fast food
e) Luxury cars
f) Cell Phones
This question is a good way to cover the concept of values and their role in product
26) What variations between the United States and other societies, other than cultural variations,
may affect the relative level of usage of the following?
a) Internet
b) MP3 player
c) Milk
d) Fast food
e) Luxury cars
f) Cell phones
Any aspect of demographics could be relevant. Clearly age and income are important across
27. Why is materialism higher in Korea than in the United States, where given its
collectivist culture one might expect materialism to be lower?
This requires students to see that certain aspects of materialism can reinforce collectivist
28) What values underlie the differences between Fiji Island and U.S. children in terms of the
strategies they use to influence their parents’ decisions? What marketing implications
emerge?
This relates to the youth/age distinction, but goes deeper to differences in collectivism,
29) What are the marketing implications of the differences in the masculine/feminine orientation
across countries?
Looking at the data on participating in sports and exercise indicates that Mexico, France, and
30) Respond to the questions in Consumer Insight 2-1.
Generational influences could relate to the cultural value of family – strong family
focus and intergenerational influence appear to operate in Asia and South America.
31) Why do nonverbal communication systems vary across cultures?
Different social histories, physical environments, and religious influences over time create
32) Which, if any, nonverbal communication factors might be relevant in the marketing of the
following?
a) Watches
b) Jewelry
d) Laundry detergent
e) Lip balm
advertising and you may want to limit it to that area if time is short.
33) What are the implications of guanxi for a Western firm entering the Chinese market?
The most important issue is developing a deep understanding that these complex relationships
34) To what extent do you think youth are truly becoming a single, global culture?
While there is no absolutely correct answer, the author’s experience of living in a variety of
35) Will today’s youth still be a “global culture” when they are 40? Why or why not?
36) How do demographics affect a culture’s values? How do a culture’s values affect its
demographics?
Values have a stronger, more direct impact on demographics than vice versa. However, values are
37) What causes the differences between purchasing power parity and income as shown in the text?
38) The text provides a seven-step procedure for analyzing a foreign market. Using this procedure,
analyze your country as a market for:
a) Laptop computers from Japan
b) Automobiles from Korea
c) Sunglasses from Italy
d) Wine from Chile
This question can provide an excellent method for presenting the material on cross-cultural
39) What are the major ethical issues in introducing prepared foods such as fast foods to developing
countries?
The consumption of this product might divert resources from other, more important, food
40) Should U.S. tobacco firms be allowed to market cigarettes in developing countries? Why or why
not?
The answer depends more on one’s value system than on any set of facts. It is critically important
41) How can developing countries keep their cultures from being overly Westernized or
Americanized?
There is no answer to this question. Legal restrictions can have a modest impact. However,
