The three major parts of culture — beliefs, values, and norms — have dis-
tinct and powerful effects on consumers (see Figure 8-1), and you can tap
into these elements in order to market your product in a way that’s more
effective and appealing to consumers:
✓ Norms: These are rules within a culture that designate forms of accept-
able and unacceptable behavior. In short, they’re the way a culture does
things. Norms aren’t statistical averages; they’re linked with acceptable
social standards of appropriate behavior within a culture. They may
or may not coincide with laws and policies; for example, it’s a common
norm to drive 5 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.
Norms have different strengths, and the consequences for violating a
norm can vary. Cultural norms often are so strongly ingrained in an
individual’s life that he is unaware of certain behaviors until they’re con-
trasted with a different culture that has different norms.
✓ Beliefs: These are mental and verbal statements that reflect a con-
sumer’s particular knowledge and assessment of something and that
affect an individual’s behavior. The belief system of a culture is created
through stories or myths whose interpretations can give consumers
insight into how they should look, feel, think, and behave. The most
prominent systems of beliefs tend to be associated with formal religion.
✓ Values: Values are based on the beliefs of a consumer. What a consumer
believes is what he sees as valuable. Consumer values are deep-seated
motivations that are instilled into the consumer from culture. The values
of a culture differentiate right feelings, thoughts, and behaviors from
wrong feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. An individual’s set of values
plays an important role in consumption activities, because in many
cases, people purchase products and services that they believe will help
them attain a value-related goal. Every culture has a set of values that it
imparts to members.
It’s important to understand the following specific characteristics of
value, because values are often used to guide consumers in their pur-
chasing behavior as well as in their consumption patterns:
• Values are few in number.
• Values are difficult to change.
• Values aren’t linked to specific objects or situations.
• Values are widely accepted by members within a cultural society.