1.

Consumer behaviour is the study of how individual customers, groups or

organizations select, buy, use, and dispose ideas, goods, and services to satisfy
their needs and wants. It refers to the actions of the consumers in the
marketplace and the underlying motives for those actions.

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Stage 1: pre-purchase stage
Stage 2: purchase stage
Stage 3: post-purchase stage
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2. Study of consumer buying behavior is most important for
marketers as they can understand the expectation of the consumers.
It helps to understand what makes a consumer to buy a product. It is
important to assess the kind of products liked by consumers so that
they can release it to the market.

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Characteristics may be named:
1. (a) the invisible hand of culture;
2. (b) culture satisfies needs;
3. (c) culture is learned;
4. (d) culture is shared; and,
5. (e) culture is dynamic.
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Consumer is someone who uses or experiences a product. Buyer is

someone who pay for it. Example: For toys, kids are consumers and
guardians are the buyers.
_______________________________
Culture is a comprehensive concept, which includes almost
everything around us and also influences individual’s thought
processes and behavior.
Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group
of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits,
music and arts.
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Culture is an important factor in determining consumer behavior. It

explains why some products sell well in certain regions or among
specific groups, but not as well elsewhere. Besides purchasing
decisions, culture also affects how consumers use the products they
buy and how they dispose of them.
Culture is the most pervasive external force on an individual’s
consumption behavior. How people work and play, what they eat,
how they eat, how and what they buy are all affected by the cultural
traditions and socially developed modes of behavior.
___________________________________________
 culture
is a pattern of behavior;
 culture
is learned; and,
 culture
is transmitted from one generation to the next.
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1. Cognitive component;

The cognitive component of culture can be expressed by ideas,

beliefs, knowledge, and values.
The cognitive component of attitudes refers to the beliefs,
thoughts, and attributes that we would associate with an object.
It is the opinion or belief segment of an attitude. It refers to that
part of attitude which is related in general knowledge of a
person.

3. Material component; and,

Material Component of culture refers to the physical objects,
resources, and spaces that people use to define their culture. These
include homes, neighborhoods, cities, schools, churches, temples,
mosques, offices, factories and plants, tools, means of production,
goods and products, stores, and so forth.

3. Normative component.
The Normative component is composed of the values and norms of
the society which guides and regulates behavior. In other words, it
consists of the values, beliefs, and rules by which a society directs
people’s interactions. Understanding culture means understanding its
values.

Ethnocentrism is the term anthropologists use to

describe the opinion that one's own way of life is
natural or correct. Some would simply call it cultural
ignorance. Ethnocentrism means that one may see
his/her own culture as the correct way of living.
A symbol may be defined as the sign or representation of something
moral or intellectual by the images or properties of natural things, as
“the lion is the symbol of courage”. It may also be defined as a figure or
character standing for a letter or word. The symbol makes people
different from other animals, because people create and use symbols, not
other animals. Obviously, it is important for marketers to be aware of the
symbolic nature of their products and packaging. Though one naturally
wants to avoid unintended symbolic messages, if used correctly
symbolism can enhance product appeal.

Different studies on cultures identified two types of symbols used by

people in communicating among them. They are: (a) referential
symbols; and, (b) expressive symbols.

An expressive symbol, such as showing thumb, may mean an

appreciation to an American, whereas, the same symbol may carry a
negative connotation to a Bangladeshi. Marketers thus face a lot of
problems with regards to the expressive symbols. Misinterpretation of an
expressive symbol may cause a monumental loss to a marketer. If a US
citizen, for example, finds a baby wearing a blue outfit, he would most
likely assume the child to be a male. The same assumption may not be
true to other parts of the world. In Holland, blue for example, connotes
femininity. There could be many other examples of different
interpretations of the same symbol by the people of different cultures.
Red is considered as an unlucky sign in Chad, Nigeria, and Germany.
The same color is considered positive in Denmark, Rumania, and
Argentina. Yellow flowers are the signs of death in Mexico and
infidelity in France. The number seven is considered unlucky in
Singapore, Kenya, and Ghana.