The one area in marketing that is grossly under-represented in contemporary academic and media discussions is consumer behavior. As we know, the relationship of today’s consumers and the companies and brands they patronize has changed dramatically from even a few years ago. Consumers have different backgrounds and cultural foundations, receive and process information in new ways, and want to interact on a more personal level with companies. Businesses and marketers that do not search for consumer insights, or who fail to understand their anthropological backgrounds, will not be able to connect or engage with prospects and won’t be able to motivate them to become customers.
At its base, this approach to marketing is all about understanding culture. Instead of trying to change behaviors, marketers can learn how to play into them and utilize them to their advantage. Since building a brand is based upon establishing an intellectual and emotional relationship, business planners, product developers and marketers must all take the cultural context into consideration.