Culture and Consumer Behavior

Understanding consumers in global markets demands deep insights into their cultural backgrounds. The first part of this chapter investigates how culture, notably the individualism-collectivism and vertical-horizontal distinctions, shapes consumer self-definition, motivation, information processing, judgment, and behavior, thereby impacting their preferences and responsiveness to brand communication. However, with the surge of multiculturalism in an increasingly interconnected world, a more complex model of consumer behavior arises. The latter part of the text considers multicultural consumers who possess knowledge of multiple cultures and have the ability to switch between cultural frames based on contextual cues. These consumers often display greater cognitive flexibility, leading to creativity and preference for brands with contradictory meanings. Thus, the influence of both distinct cultural values and multiculturalism must be acknowledged to effectively navigate global consumer behaviors.