Question

Why is the study and understanding of cultural variances so vitally important to marketers? What are some culture behaviors that marketers try to exploit today.

Answer 1

By understanding the cultural variations, a marketer can reach the target audience more effectively by pitching the product / service in the right manner and in right words so as to cause maximum impact on them by stimulating their through process and prompting the decision making process. The choice of marketing media, tone  of message, use of symbols and nature of communication, all relate to the cultural attributes in some way or the other, and would decide how the message would be perceived by the recipients and whether it would be successful or not in influencing the customers and facilitate the buying process. Use of a culturally alien way to approach the customers is likely to fail miserably owing to the lack of connect between the two parties.

The marketers study the inherent beliefs, customs and aspirations of the society, which are ground in the local culture, and try to associate them with product features, so as to establish a connect between the culture and the product. This assimilation helps them to create a buy in  and initiate purchasing process. For example, a company might associate a new line of gold ornaments with the rich cultural tradition of the local tribes, which establishes an emotional connect with the brand instantly and might prompt many to make a purchase.