23 Consumer Cultures

Ms. Sana Maidullah

About the chapter :

This chapter introduces you to consumer culture history, perspective and positive and negative aspect of consumer culture. How marketer uses consumer culture concept to market their product and to increase the sale of their product. Later on, in this chapter, you will learn how seller and marketed manipulate the context of products to use human psychology and sociology factors. To the end of this chapter, you will also learn when consumer culture emerges in India.

1. Introduction:

Consumer culture is a phenomenon of contemporary society. It is a unique style of the marketer to promote their product’s sale. In this style, economists relate their product to the social factors as well as consumer’s psychology factors and social factors i.e. common factors such as personality, attitude, motive, class, status, belief, value, ritual and so on. It is a part of marketing strategy and marketing philosophy in which the marketer focuses on the selling of goods and making the consumer spend money. A significant part of consumer culture emphasizes on lifestyle and using material goods to attain happiness and satisfaction. Consumer culture is a combination of two words (Consumer + culture). By definition consumer: a person who purchases goods and services to fulfill their need, wants, and desire. By definition culture: culture is a complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals and law, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.

Figure 1

Now a day’s shopping culture is where people think “I shop therefore I am”, to show off their relatives, friends and peer groups. Furthermore, culture has been defined as the collective mental programming of the people in an environment by Hofstede. Consumer cultures are a part of the economy but are not in themselves an economic system. Rather, consumer culture theory emphasizes the sociological and psychological impacts of buying and spending behaviour the desire to keep up with one’s neighbours or economic peers, the belief that purchasing a new gadget or another piece of merchandise will improve the quality of life and the emphasis on shopping for leisure.

Consumer culture can help to raise the economy by encouraging people to spend money. In consumer-oriented cultures, people see consumer expenses as needs necessary for happiness, and during times of economic recession, this perceived need can encourage consumers to spend. Consumer culture also encourages consumers to view spending as a bonding experience with family. Shopping with friends or trying on clothes with your mother are examples of the ways in which consumer culture turns buying into a social phenomenon rather than just an economic one. Because consumer culture emphasizes the happiness brought about by material things, it can encourage people to overspend. Consumer culture theory is a school of marketing philosophy that emphasizes the psychological effects of buying.

Marketers often capitalize on consumer culture by emphasizing the way a particular good will alter someone’s life. For example, showing a man in a relaxing setting reading a magazine is a consumer culture-oriented way to market a coffee or tea. Small businesses can take advantage of consumer culture theories of marketing by emphasizing the lifestyle benefits of their products and by encouraging customers to view their products as key to happiness, fulfillment or a more meaningful life. Because consumer culture teaches consumers to see products as part of a lifestyle, businesses can greatly benefit from public outreach campaigns. Associating your product with a charity or cause can raise public awareness, help you build partnerships and increase revenues. For example, by donating a portion of proceeds to breast cancer research or holding events designed to end child hunger, you can draw in customers who support these causes and who will view your product as an important contributor to these causes. Choose causes associated with your product or business. A children’s clothing manufacturer could work on a campaign to stop sudden infant death syndrome, while a salon could promote wigs for cancer patients.

Figure 2

Marketer or economist prepared their products according to that strategy. They want the consumer to spend as much as possible. The basic need is a universal, but marketer always adds some extra features in their products which unknowingly hit the want and desires part of the consumers.

2. History of Consumer Culture:

Consumer culture is not a new idea. It has a long history, even before eighteenth and nineteenth century. It started from Europe and America in the form of weekly market and seasonal fairs and further developed into shops. In the nineteenth century after the industrial revolution, consumer culture starts growing as a real need of the society. During this time event take place in society like the Mass production of standardizing goods, transformation of cities and process of urbanization. Josiah Wedgewood was one of the pioneers in the consumption phase. Wedgewood was a manufacturer and retailer of pottery in the eighteenth century. He was the first to recognize that if the rich and elite could be induced to adopt fashions, the other classes would follow soon.

2.1 Three Perspectives on Consumer Culture:

• The first one emphasizes the expansion of capitalist commodity production leading to the deployment of leisure and consumption activities in contemporary western societies. This situation is welcomed as enabling individual freedom and equality by some, while criticized by others as increasing the capacity for ideological manipulation.
• The second perspective underlines the satisfaction derived from goods related to their socially constructed meanings. Consumption functions as a source of status differentiation, as people use goods and experiences to “create social bonds or distinctions”.
• He third perspective considers consumption as a source of fantasy and pleasure, “celebrated in consumer cultural imagery and particular sites of consumption such small things which generate direct physical excitement and aesthetic pleasure”.

2.2 Characteristics of Consumer Culture:

Basic characteristics of consumer culture can be summarized in the transformation of needs to desires, utilitarian/hedonic needs-values, commodity fetishism, conspicuous leisure and consumption, cultural values, aestheticization, alienation, differentiation, and speed. Since the consumer does not give money for just any product or service, the consumer reflects some needs and desires in his/her purchase decision. Individual ‘needs’ are influenced by both culture and personality. These needs are translated into ‘wants’, which coupled with purchasing power, becomes ‘demands’.

3. Positive Impact:

Consumer culture has positive impacts on people in the form of satisfaction and happiness. Whatever people want and demand they get fulfilled now a day’s easily. Nation and country economy also get benefitted when new merchant come and invest in the market. They induce new trends in the name of culture or fashion and people follow that’s trends in the name of their status, self-identity and so on. They also enjoy their purchase when they get things according to their social status and tests. Market Producers divide or segment their products according to different status, and identity. Consumer culture helps in developing society and economy.

3.1 Positive Consumerism Effects:

Primary positive consumerism effects are:

• More industrial production.
• A higher growth rate economy.
• More goods and services available.
• More advertising since goods manufactured have to be sold.
• Increased production will result in more employment opportunities.
• A variety of goods and services to choose from.
• More comforts for a better living style.

4. Negative Impact:

Consumer culture has many negative impacts on people, society, and environment. People use more than they need to maintain their social identity centrally. Marketer forcefully introduces some new trends which reflect in term of self-identity. To follow the new trend of society some time people get economic burden and debt. People want to maintain their fake status to show off their neighbour and peer. In that scenario to maintain their fake status, they will face financial burden and crises. Consumer culture invites mass production and mass production invite mass waste of product. These wastes degrade our environment.

4.1 Negative Consumerism Effects: Top negative consumerism effects are:

• Craving for goods is high. The wants and desires of the people increase. The better their income, the better their purchasing power. But in case, they are not able to do so, they feel dissatisfied.
• One is in a rat race to earn more and is forced to cope up with stress and other work- related tensions.
• Material wealth is the deciding factor about whether a society is highly developed or not. Spiritual values are underplayed. This may not be suitable for a person from the East, who generally is appreciative of spiritual values.
• Over-dependence on labor saving devices.
• A car for each individual would mean the gradual erosion of public transport.
• Crime rate also increases as wants to possess expensive gadgets increase. Thefts become common and daylight robberies take place.
• Personal relationships also get affected by people are busy trying to earn more to maintain their standard of living.
• Cheaper goods are imported affecting the growth of locally based manufacturing industries.
• Consumerism has also resulted in ecological imbalances. The natural habitat is being destroyed to create more goods and build more buildings affecting the weather. Global warming will eventually result in health problems. Industrial pollution is affecting people in many ways.
• People’s lifestyles have also changed in the sense they are more lavish, full of material comforts rather than focusing on simplicity. The Eastern spiritualism and philosophy have always laid emphasis on simplicity. Gandhian principles and values favor a non-materialistic approach to life. Even well-known sages such as Jiddu Krishnamurthi have also eulogized simplicity in one’s lifestyles and thinking.
• Consumerism is also depleting the natural resources of the respective country.
• Psychological health also can get affected if one’s desires are not meant forcing one towards depression. Jealousy and envy are also promoted which may lead to crime.

5. Modulators for Consumer Culture:

Consumer culture is dynamic phenomena and it is changing day by day. The factors which change the consumer culture such as:

Mass Production of Products

Changing Technology

International Market

International Brand

Human Behavior

Social Factors

5.1 Mass Production:

Mass production is defined as the large production of goods. It introduces the idea of production of the huge quantity of similar goods. Mass production strategies help in lowering the -cost of the product which will ensure the coverage of a large number of consumers. For example, Parle G. Parle G, a glucose biscuit, is one of the most popular and oldest and largest selling biscuit brands in India. The production capacity of Kanpur unite per month is 3300 metric tons. Parle G is India’s largest manufacturer of biscuits and confectionery for almost 80 years.

5.2 Changing Technology:

Technology plays an important role in culture as well as in consumer culture. Advancement in technology has changed our life, society, the way of life, the standard of living hood and so on. In the consumer culture, technology plays a role in providing a facility for mass production and purchase. Technology, industry and consumer culture are directly related because technology influences industrial activities which subsequently influences consumer culture. Therefore, technology has changed the way industrial activities are being carried out, in terms of manufacturing and advertising of goods and services, and also consumer culture. By use of modern technology, consumers can get high-quality products they need from top rated manufacturers by some click of buttons. E-Shopping and E-commerce are part of developed technology which enhances and promotes online purchase behavior. Now a day’s people invest their free time on Social networking sites like facebook, twitter, tinder, and others. These sites promote the product purchase behavior in consumer by continuously showing advertisement which provokes their desire for purchase. Technology and internet promote E-shopping culture in every part of the world. E-shopping also provides convenience for shopping, choice variation in shopping and so on.

5.3 Foreign Market:

By definition foreign market is part of a nation’s internal market representing the mechanisms for issuing and trading securities of entities domiciled outside that nation. Foreign products and services are available in India now. Foreign businessmen are ready to invest and want to create their own culture here. Big insurance company like Bajaj alliance: Bajaj is Indian company and alliance is a foreign company, private international banking chain, food joint chains like Pizza Hut and KFC and hospital chain are ready to merge with our national company. Increase in a foreign market will influence the consumer culture of the country.

5.4 International Brands:

International brands are favorable because they are considered better in terms of quality. Brands define people’s status. Every brand has their own success story and why they are symbolized as a status symbol. For example, Rolex is famous watch brand and Reebok, Nike is famous shoe brand. All international brands create their own culture which is related to product quality, product management, and post-purchase service and so on. Because of government liberal policy, most of the brands are in our reach now.

5.5 Human Behavior:

Human behavior and personality play important role in their purchase behavior and purchase decision. It includes personality, attitude, motive, and belief. Purchase Decision is cognitive activity and it takes lot of efforts. Marketer design advertisement according to human psychology. People always purchase products according to their personality and attitude. Some people relate every product according to their status and profession. Marketers treat their product like real living beings and they provide a product with identity and status symbol. They categories product according to human need, want and desire.

5.6 Social and Demographic Factors:

Social factor plays important role in product designing. It includes social status, family, friends, and peer group. The consumer always tries to maintain their status according to their economy and social class. Every big or small company segmented and promote their product and service according to social status and social class. Demographic factors age, gender, education, income, and religion very much influence shopping behavior. According to age, every individual shows their interest in the different product. The marketer has promoted mostly millennia to purchase, they are the most influencing age group in India. They have the power to spend. Men and women differently react toward shopping. In convention shopping, men were less interest whereas in online shopping women are less interested. The same product becomes the need for someone or becomes the status of someone. Consumer mostly takes opinion form their family and friends before making a purchase decision.

6. Consumer Culture in India:

Consumer culture is a culture of the consumer to follow new trend or fashion to purchase a product or service. In this culture, people are not bounded to any geographical area or any religion. It is related to purchase of products according to their personality, attitude, belief self-identity, satisfaction, and happiness. Consumer culture started in India after the independence. That time consumer culture was adopted by the affluent society or elite people only. They purchased product according to their status and profession. After that other person followed them to show or maintain their status. Changes took place in Indian society with the use of landline phone and color TV around 1982. From this time India becomes the part of consumer culture. This changed the way of living in Indian society. People felt elite in themselves by using these things. Major changes came in the year of 1992 when LPG policy was started to boost the economy of India. Technology revolution and invention of E- commerce also play a major in promoting consumer culture everywhere and as well as in India also. It provides the opportunities and accessibility to the enormous amount of worldwide information. which attract the consumer to adopt new fashion and services in the market. Nowadays shopping at the online website is a consumer culture. Year on year number of internet user and the online shopper is growing. According to e-marketer report in 2015 Asia-Pacific was the largest regional retail market in the world, with $8.573 trillion in sales in 2015, representing over 38% of the total worldwide retail economy. In India according to an ASSOCHAM report published on 9 Jan 2017, the number of consumers who shop online is expected to cross 100 million by 2017 end with the e-retail market likely jumping 65% on year in 2018. Big giant investors were willing to invest in India seeing the growth of their product in Indian market. The government also support ‘digital India plan’ to promote online shopping culture in India. Today Indians follow the universal culture in a variety of way such as the use of the hi-tech smart mobile phones is a culture, mobile app shopping is a culture, to explore offbeat destination or place is a culture, the bike tour is a culture.

7. Conclusion:

Consumer culture has changed the world from mid-20thcentury, and it does grow day by day with development and advancement of technology. E-commerce helped in promoting the consumer culture everywhere, whether in developing the country or developed country. Consumer culture is growing in India after liberalization, privatization, and globalization (LPG). From the last decade, it is growing day by day. Shopping from the internet is now a culture. Shopping for credit or debit is now culture. Shopping from home or office is now culture. E-shopping provides a huge variety of product available on consumer fingertips, just one click away. E-commerce provides convenient shopping from anywhere and discounted shopping after every few months and during festivals. Convenience and discounted shopping is now culture for the consumer.

Summary :

In this module, we have discussed what consumer culture is and how it emerges in society. Then we try to shed some light on what are the perspective of consumer culture and positive &negative aspect and characteristic of consumer culture. Also, we focus what is the factor which influences and modulate consumer culture. After this, we also discuss how and when consumer culture emerges in India. Hope these are useful to you. For more on this module, please find the e-text, learn more and self- assessment tabs. Thank you.

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