ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES

TYPES OF INFLUENCES
VALUES
Values are shared beliefs or group norms
internalised by individuals
NORMS

Norms are beliefs held by consensus of a group

concerning the behaviour rules for individual
members
SOCIALISATION
The process by which people develop their values,
motivation and habitual activity.

Consumer socialisation is the acquisition of

consumption related cognitions, attitude and
behaviour
WHAT IS CULTURE?
A set of values , ideas and other meaningful symbols that
help individuals communicate, interpret and evaluate as
members of society

Provides people with a sense of identity and an

understanding of acceptable behaviour within society.
CULTURAL INFLUENCE
 HOW IS CULTURE PROPAGATED?

Culture is learned through imitation or by

observing the process of reward and punishment in a
society of members who adhere to or deviate from
group norms.

Culture is inculcated through family, religion and

schools

Culture rewards socially gratifying responses. When

norms no longer provide gratification in a society,
the norms are extinguished

Culture is adaptive
CULTURE AFFECTS CONSUMER
BEHAVIOUR
IMPACT OF CULTURE ON
CONSUMPTION
A nations culture determines what suppliers can
offer, the way products can be marketed and the
degree to which consumers are allowed to act on
their preferences
HOW CORE VALUES AFFECT
MARKETING?
CHANGING INSTITUTIONS
INTERGENERATIONAL
MOTIVATING FACTORS
Consumers are products of their
environment. People strive as adults to
achieve what they believe they were
deprived of in early stages of life.

Cohort analysis helps us to understand the

differences between different groups and
their motivations
SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Behaviour can also be influenced

depending on social class
WHAT IS SOCIAL CLASS?
It is defined as relatively permanent and homogeneous
divisions in a society into which individuals or families
sharing similar values, lifestyles, interests and
behaviour can be categorised
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
When a large group of families are approximately equal in
rank to each other and clearly differentiated from other
families, they form a social class

Pecking Order

Determined by class, status and caste

SOCIAL CLASSES ARE STRATIFIED
ACCORDING TO THEIR RELATIONS IN THE
PRODUCTION AND ACQUISITION OF GOODS

Social status groups are stratified according to

the principles of their consumption of goods as
represented by their style of life
WHAT DETERMINES SOCIAL
CLASS?
HOW TO MEASURE SOCIAL
CLASS?
PRETENDERS TO A SOCIAL CLASS ARE
MUCH MORE THAN PEOPLE THAT FALL
IN IT.
Therefore, product usage does not necessarily mean
that people fall in that class
DO SOCIAL CLASSES CHANGE?
Men inherit the class of their father.
Women can change class with marriage. Similarly women
can lose status after divorce
PERSONAL INFLUENCE
Personal influence, direct or indirect is one of the very
best forms of persuasion. This is because the input
from people with whom we can identify and relate can
attain remarkable credibility.
TYPES OF PERSONAL INFLUENCE

Reference group Normative, Comparative

WOM
MODELS OF PERSONAL
INFLUENCE
TYPES OF REFERENCE GROUPS
FORMS OF REFERENCE GROUP
INFLUENCE
WORD OF MOUTH
For WOM to spread it requires an opinion leader
There has to be some motivations for spreading WOM
WHEN WILL WOM BE USEFUL?
IDENTIFYING INFLUENTIALS
MOTIVATIONS FOR WOM
IMPACT OF WOM COMMUNICATION
MARKETING IMPLICATIONS
FAMILY INFLUENCE

Buying decisions of individuals may be heavily

influenced by other members of the family or
household
HOUSEHOLD

All persons related or otherwise occupying

the same dwelling unit.
Non-family units would come under this
category eg, singles, elderly people,
POSSLQ, divorcees
FAMILIES CAN COMPRISE OF
HOW DO FAMILIES FUNCTION?
Cohesion
Adaptability
Communication
INDIVIDUAL ROLE IN A BUYING
CENTRE
SPOUSAL BUYING ROLES
BEHAVIOUR CHANGES RELATED TO
FAMILY LIFE CYCLE (FLC)
PARENTING STYLES
SITUATION INFLUENCES

Arising from factors that are particular to a specific

time and place that are independent of consumer and
object characteristics
TYPES OF CONSUMER
SITUATIONS
Communication situations
Purchase situations
Usage situations
 COMMUNICATION SITUATIONS

Those settings where the consumer is exposed to either

personal or non personal communications.
PURCHASE SITUATIONS
Those settings in which consumers acquire products and
services
Information environment availability, load, format, form
Retail environment atmospherics, music, layout, colours,
POPs, salespeople, crowding
Time
USAGE SITUATIONS
PERSON-SITUATION INTERACTION

Behaviour can also change depending on the type of

consumers for the same situation
UNEXPECTED SITUATIONAL
INFLUENCE
Product out of stock
Guests dropping in for dinner
Sudden leave being sanctioned
Falling ill

For marketers, it is assumed that the no. of customers lost

due to unexpected situational influences is offset by the
number of customers gained by unexpected situational
influences. While this may be true at an overall level,
losses and
gains could happen at a company/industry level