Introduction
In recent decades, Asia has been home to many of the World¡¦s most dynamic markets. The region now represents 25 per cent of the world economy and about 50 per cent of the world¡¦s population. It is for this reason that few international companies can afford to ignore Asia as a marker to primary importance, despite the crisis that hit parts of the region in 1997/98. Western firm s without a presence in the region often fail to perceive the opportunities they miss in Asia to generate sales and profits of acquire experience, although their very absence represents the most substantial competitive threat to their future in the long run.
In light of the importance of Asia as a market, there is a surprising paucity of work that establishes a marking theory specific to Asia. In the case of consumer behavior, few would argue with the view that Asian consumers do appear to be distinctively different form Western consumers. Thus far, however, very little thought has been given to rethinking the theories, underlying models, concepts and views of Asian consumer segmentation, the motives of Asian consumers and how they behave.
consumer behavior in Asia: premises
Cross-cultural perspectives in consumer behavior theory
Our first task is to make the case that a separate consumer behavior theory is necessary accurately to describe the behavior of Asian consumer. To do so, we must first establish the following two premises:
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1.Consumer behavior is strongly influenced by culture
2.Asian culture is distinctly different from Western culture.
We can then conclude that a consumer behavior theory specific to Asian consumers is a necessity for any firm seeking to market products successfully to Asian consumers.
To argue for a distinct consumer behavior theory to explain the behavior fo Asian consumers puts us in the camp of the ¡¥cultural meaning¡¦ theorists. There are, in fact, a variety of perspectives concerning cross-cultural consumer behavior theory. Currently, the four main approaches to cross-cultural consumer behavior theory are (1) the global perspective, (2) the ¡¥imported¡¦ perspective, (3) the ethnic consumption perspective, and (4) the cultural meaning perspective (table 1.1)
Table 1.1 cross-cultural perspectives in consumer behavior theory
Consumer Behavior Theories
ConsumersUniversalSpecific
UNIVERSAL1.Global Perspective
ĆConsumers are global in preferences and behavior
CB theories are globally applicable3. Ethnic Consumption perspective
ĆAlthough consumers are global in preferences for certain products, they differ in behavior
CB theories are not globally applicable
SPECIFIC2.Imported Perspective
ĆConsumers differ in preferences but are global in behavior
CB theories are globally applicable4. Cultural Meaning Perspective
ĆConsumers differ in preferences and behavior
CB theories are not globally applicable
The global perspective is rarely used today in its purest form. It continues to be applied in situations where consumers are considered actually to be ¡¥global¡¦ but is most appropriate in the case of high-technology products that tend to lack a predefined culturally based meaning for consumers. As many companies face pressure to rationalize costs, they seek to standardize processes such as manufacturing, marketing, marketing and distribution. There has thus been renewed interest in creating ¡¥global¡¦ products. Ford¡¦s introduction of the Mondeo in European markets, the platform of which is identical to the Contour and Mystique, is one such example. There is wide agreement, however, that for many product/service categories consumption is distinctly ¡¥culture bound¡¦, thus preventing the existence of a ¡¥global¡¦ consumer. As notes, ¡¥The globalization process is pushed on consumers rather than pulled by them.¡¦
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In the ¡¥imported¡¦ perspective, consumers are considered to vary in the types of product that they prefer but to conform generally to the same patterns of behavior. Thus consumer behavior theories that have been developed and established in the West are considered applicable to other markets, but products are modified to suit the local marketing context. As the notes, while such an approach may accommodate some differences in consumer behavior, a far superior approach would be for ¡¥researchers in other cultures o study their own reality rather than to replicate American studies¡¦.
The ethnic consumption perspective takes into account the effect of culture on consumer behavior. Consumers of different cultures are considered to behave differently. However, there are certain products that are global in their appeal. Consumers can, therefore, be global in their preferences. At the same time, their national consumer behavior can be influenced by the importation and diffusion of immigrants¡¦ culturally based values, behaviors and products.
The cultural meaning perspective holds that consumers are cross-culturally different in both their preferences for products and their behavior. An individual¡¦s motivation to consume is due not merely to the product¡¦s specific attributes, but also to the culturally based meanings that are embodied in the product and the consumption act. Although a product may sell in USA as well as in Japan, the reasons for the product¡¦s popularity may be completely different because of the difference in cultural context. A Prada handbag may be bought to set the American individual apart as wealthy and successful. The same handbag may be bought by the |Japanese consumer to conform with her peer group rather than to set herself apart. Understanding such meanings in each cultural context can greatly aid marketers in communicating appropriate messages to the consumer in an effective manner.
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Since this theoretical approach rests on the importance of culture, we must first establish the influence of culture on consumer behavior. The concept of ¡¥culture¡¦ is vast and therefore difficult to define concretely. Of the many possibilities, two definitions are particularly suited to the meaning of ¡¥culture¡¦ in the context.
Culture is the configuration of learned behavior and results of behavior whose component elements are shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society. (Linton, 1945)
Culture is transmitted and created content and patterns of values, ideas, and other symbolic-meaningful systems as factors in the shaping of human behavior and the artifacts produced through behavior. (Krocber and Parsons 1958)
Together these definitions stress two important aspects of culture: (1) culture is shared by the members of a given society, and (2) culture is, by its very nature, dynamic and transmissible.
Cultural differences strongly influence consumer behavior. In the west, an effective brand name will be short, distinctive, and memorable, indicative of the product¡¦s functions. In Asia, which currently accounts for a quarter of the world economy and half of the world¡¦s population, however, a strong belief in luck and fate means that additional qualities, such as whether the characters which make up a product name are ¡§lucky¡¨ ones, have significant effect on brand attitude. Successful sales and marketing strategies in Asia must be rooted in an understanding of the cultural differences which affect Asian consumers¡¦ buying patterns.
Consumer Behavior in Asia will be indispensable for those seeking to adapt their marketing approach in Asia based on an in-depth and accessible understanding of Asian consumer behavior.
