How Subculture Consumer Behavior

Subculture is a part of the culture containing the important features of the main culture. In this post, we will learn about the subcultural context, types of subcultures, subcultural influence on consumer behavior, and marketing implications of the concept of subculture.

What is Subculture?

Certainly! Here’s an updated version of the text with an example of subculture from the United States:

A foreign visitor from Bangladesh visiting the United States may be perceived as similar to other Bangladeshis by a local individual. However, that same visitor may have a different and complex identity within Bangladesh.

They could belong to different subcultures within the United States, such as being a resident of the rural Midwest, a young college student in a coastal city, a successful entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, a retired military veteran, or a government employee in Washington, D.C.

Regardless of their specific identity within the United States, they are likely to conform to the primary norms and values of the dominant or mainstream American culture.

However, due to their affiliation with a particular subculture, they may share certain cultural traits with others in the same subculture, which may differentiate them from individuals in other subcultures. Subcultures can be based on various factors.

Some noteworthy variables could include ethnicity, religion, geographical region, socioeconomic status, and occupation. By belonging to a specific subculture, individuals may exhibit different behavioral patterns.

These behavioral differences can be better understood through the concept of subculture. Just as a culture revolves around the common needs and issues of its members, a subculture forms around the common needs and issues of a specific social group.

Just as there can be significant cultural differences between different societies, there can also be variations within the same culture. Thus, every culture comprises subcultures, which are groups that share the values and artifacts of the larger society while having distinctive practices, preferences, and beliefs.

Examples of subcultures in the United States include African American communities, LGBTQ+ communities, Amish communities, and surfers. Within the larger American culture, religion can also be viewed as a subculture, with different denominations like Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism having their own distinctive practices and beliefs.

Subcultures can also be defined by region, such as the South, New England, or the Pacific Northwest, as well as urban or rural environments. Those who identify with a particular subculture tend to think and act similarly in certain aspects, influencing their lifestyles.

Recognizing this, marketers have experimented with market segmentation to develop effective marketing strategies tailored to specific target markets believed to have unique prospects.

Subculture can be considered a part or segment of the main culture, just as markets can be segmented based on various variables like culture. Subculture can, therefore, be referred to as cultural segmentation.

By dividing the overall culture into smaller homogeneous groups that can be targeted with distinct marketing approaches, each part can be called a subculture.

In summary, a subculture is a segment of a culture that shares distinctive patterns of behavior. Two important features of subculture emerge from this definition. Firstly, subculture members must exhibit behaviors that differ from those of the larger or dominant culture of a country. A group or segment can be labeled a subculture only when its members display behavior patterns distinct from other groups.

Secondly, subculture members are still an integral part of the dominant culture. Their behaviors largely align with those of the dominant culture, as depicted in the following figure, which is self-explanatory.

For marketing purposes, Berkman and Gilson define subculture as any cultural pattern that preserves important features of the dominant society while offering its own unique values and lifestyles. For instance, Americans hold certain values and adhere to common norms across the country, but different subcultures like hip-hop enthusiasts or rural cowboys exhibit distinct lifestyles while still sharing some values of the broader American culture.

“The members of a specific subculture possess beliefs, values, and customs that set them apart from other members of the same society. Furthermore, they adhere to most of the dominant cultural beliefs, values, and behavioral patterns of the larger society. We define subculture as a distinct cultural group that exists as an identifiable segment within a larger, more complex society.

Therefore, the cultural profile of a society or nation is a combination of two distinct elements: (1) the unique beliefs, values, and customs held by members of specific subcultures, and (2) the central or core cultural themes shared by most of the population, regardless of specific subcultural membership.

Looking at it from another perspective, each individual in the United States is, to a significant extent, a product of the American way of life. However, they are also members of various subcultures.

For example, a 25-year-old individual could simultaneously identify as an African American, a tech-savvy urbanite, and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Each subculture brings its own set of specific beliefs, values, customs, and attitudes.

The behavior patterns that differentiate subcultures can be based on factors such as race, nationality, religion, regional identification (e.g., East Coast, Midwest), urban or rural upbringing, and more.

Understanding subcultures is important as it allows marketers to tailor their strategies to effectively reach and engage specific target audiences. By recognizing the unique needs, preferences, and cultural context of different subcultures, marketers can develop more relevant and impactful marketing campaigns.

In conclusion, subcultures exist within the larger cultural framework of the United States. These subcultures represent distinct segments of society that share common behaviors, values, and beliefs while also exhibiting differences from the dominant culture. By acknowledging and understanding subcultures, we gain insight into the diversity and complexity of American society, enabling us to better appreciate the various identities and perspectives that shape it.

Subcultural Context Affecting Consumer Behavior

Culture, you know, is an extensive and encompassing term. It includes what we have learned, our history, values, morals, customs, art, and habit. Marketing takes place within a given culture.

Marketers should know that experience, history, values, morals, customs, art, habit, etc. vary within a given culture requiring different marketing programs. Not everyone in the same country or society shares the same behavioral pattern of the dominant or main culture.

It clearly indicates that there are subcultures, such as northerners, southerners, city-dwellers, the poor, teenagers, elderly, religious groups, etc. Identifying a subculture may provide a firm with a segment of a market that it can develop. For example, products have been developed in great quantity for the teenage subculture, and advertising has been directed to these consumers.

Like a larger culture, each subculture has distinctive values, beliefs, and attitudes that the marketer must understand if he is effectively to exploit them.

It is not always easy to identify differences among subcultures, however, and marketers disagree, for instance, about whether there exists a northerners’ market that is distinct from southerners’ market. It is easy to develop mistaken stereotyped notions about subcultures due to the lack of proper knowledge of subcultures. Marketers are interested in identifying any subculture as a potential market for their products.

The advertising of many products in a local newspaper like “Dainik Azadi,” published from Chittagong, illustrates selling to subculture. The aggregation of people by demographic variables has long been done by marketing research staff. This is, of course, a way to study and measure the buying potential of a subculture.

Such a study is usually based on demographic variables such as age, occupation, income, race, religion, etc. These classifications are illustrative of demographic variables.

All of the demographic groups listed above may buy the same products, but each also has some unique needs and can be classified as a separate market. The aged, for example, purchase some drugs made and marketed expressly for them.

Those in marketing have long studied this relationship between demographic variables and purchasing behavior. By this time, you should understand that subcultural differences exist and are responsible for differences in different subcultures.

Now the question may come to your mind that, what actually subculture means.

Major Sub-Cultural Categories and Their Influences on Consumption

Subculture may be categorized into many different classes;

[ Table- 5.1: Showing Major Sub-Cultural Categories ]

Let us now have some idea of the major subcultural categories mentioned in the above table:

Ethnic Subculture

The ethnic subculture is based on one’s ancestors who have migrated to a new country. It (nationality) may form a basis for a subculture when the members of that nationality group identify with it and base at least some of their behaviors on the national group’s norms.

Ethnic subculture is usually found in affluent countries where people migrate from other parts of the world with the hope of a better life and live-li-hood. Though ethnic groups may lose their nationality over time, in fact, ethnic identification is held from one generation to the next through several institutions.

Though the citizens of a particular country see themselves as citizens of that country, they frequently retain a sense of pride and identification in their ancestors’ traditions and languages. “When it comes to consumer behavior, this ancestral pride is manifested most strongly in the consumption of ethnic foods, in travel to the homeland, and the purchase of numerous cultural artifacts (ethnic clothing, art, music, foreign-language newspapers).”

One’s interest in ethnic goods and services expands rapidly, as one tends to understand better and associates with his ethnic origin.

In the UK, for example, many Bangladeshi immigrants have now become British citizens, but they display consumption behavior on many occasions that resembles that of someone living here in Bangladesh.

They buy and use Bangladeshi foods, wear ‘lungi’ and ‘sharee’ and go to mosques on Fridays. This could be a glaring example of how ethnic subculture affects consumer behavior.

Functions Served by Ethnic Subcultures

In his “The Sub-society and the Subculture,” Milton M. Gordon mentioned three functions that an ethnic subculture might serve. They are:

• Ethnic subculture provides a psychological source of group identification. An individual gains a sense of identity as he interacts with other members of the same ethnic group. The interaction increases intimacy among the members, and they feel good to identify themselves with a distinct group.
• It also offers a patterned network of groups and organizations. A member of the said subculture may maintain a cordial and intimate relationship with other members as long as he wishes.
• An individual migrating to a new culture may find it difficult to understand many aspects of that culture. Here the ethnic subculture to which he belongs may help him view the new culture by providing him with a guideline on the new culture.

Each ethnic subculture has unique traditions and behaviors that potentially influence product preferences and consumption behavior.

A particular market consisting of ethnic subcultures may be the focus of a marketer. It is not very easy to reach a particular ethnic subculture effectively with a particular type of product. Not everyone in the same ethnic subculture will consume the same type of product, nor will it lead the same lifestyle.

A Bangladeshi, for example, migrated to the US from district (region) ‘X’ will not have the same food habit as one migrated to the same country from the district (region) ‘Y’ from Bangladesh.

To be effective, marketers should further study ethnic subcultures based on demographics and other aspects. Based on such a study, the same ethnic market may be further segmented, and different offers should be made for different subsegments.

Religious Subculture

An individual’s religious affiliation influences, to a great extent, his consumption pattern. Those who belong to a particular religion may buy/not buy and use/not use certain goods and services.

Members of a particular religion constitute what we call a religious subculture. Religious beliefs and rituals may dictate the use of certain items and may discourage the consumption of others.

For example, Muslims buy and consume certain specific food items heavily during the month of ‘Ramadan’ and buy a lot of gifts during the ‘Eid-Ul-Fitr”. Again, Islam discourages its followers from consuming certain items such as alcoholic beverages, pork, etc.

It is expected that members of a particular religious subculture will display similar behavioral patterns in their purchases and consumption.

But, differences may be found among the members of a particular religious subculture regarding their consumption and lifestyle. A devout member of ‘Islam’ may consider it immoral to be materialistic, where another member of the same religion may find nothing wrong in becoming materialistic.

A marketer of cine-magazine will have no problem reaching the later person. It will be almost impossible for him to penetrate the market consisting of people of the other mentality and religious beliefs.

Regional Subculture

The way people lead their lifestyles may also vary according to where they live or from which part of the country they have moved to other parts of the country.

People from a particular part of the country or people living in a particular part constitute what we call regional or geographic subculture.

On this basis, there could be two different types of regional or geographic subculture. One could be based on the country’s geographic region, and others could be based on urban, suburban, or rural distinction.

“Different geographic regions of the country pose different problems that consumers must solve. The most obvious of these are the climatic conditions. Climatic conditions influence home construction, clothing requirements, and recreational opportunities, to name but a few.

Also, different regions of the country have different age distributions and different social histories. In combination with the climatic variables, these variables have produced differing values and lifestyles, which newcomers to a region generally acquire after a period of time. These regional variations influence the use of particular media, the types of products used, and the product attributes considered important.”

Differences in the region influence the type of products used and the way they are produced and used.

For example, Bangladeshis living in hill districts display different food consumption patterns, housing, and recreation than those living in other parts of the country. The people of the Chittagong region of Bangladesh prefer hot and spicy food, where people of the other parts may not like hot food.

Again, everybody is consumed here in Bangladesh, but dry fish is consumed heavily by people living in Bangladesh’s southern and coastal areas. These are some of the glaring examples of regional subcultural influences on consumer behaviors.

Regional subcultures clearly influence many aspects of consumer behavior. The consumption process is also influenced by urban, suburban, and rural distinctions, another regional subculture.

The urban and suburban people, for example, prefer ready or instant food, prefer eating out, and enjoy their leisure in a way different from rural people.

Subculture Based on Age

Subcultures may also be based on the age differences of people living in the same country and belonging to the same main culture. Those who belong to the teenage group will likely behave quite differently from the middle-age or elderly.

Because of the outlooks, experiences, attitudes, and other aspects vary among people of different age groups, their consumption patterns are likely to vary. Teenagers are likely to be influenced more by popular heroes and heroines and will display more materialistic lifestyles.

The youth market is a significant subculture for the marketer. It is important for marketers because it is lucrative, and because many consumption patterns held throughout life are formed. The youth, as they start their career at this age, is flaunting with more luxury items. Since they have little obligation at this age, they can spend whatever they are.

Their consumption patterns lean toward personal care and luxury items. On the contrary, the middle-aged group is matured, worried about the future, and careful in making purchase decisions.

To build a reserve for the future, they are likely to be conservative in buying many material goods and are found to spend money on protective investments.

Older people display quite different consumption behaviors that teenagers and middle-aged people. The elderly subculture consists of people who have gone on retirements or whose regular income-generating activities have ceased. They have got some special characteristics.

Most of them live with their children; their health conditions gradually deteriorate; have emotional difficulties; have a minimum amount of money at hands to spend; are price/value conscious; are deal prone; like to shop as it has special meaning; are tuned in to the mass media; and read direct mail, package labels, and package inserts.

These few characteristics make them behave quite differently than other groups. Because of their differences from other groups, they also require different types of products.

The older adults will require more fat-free foods, tonic items, medical devices, medication, and hospitalization because of deteriorating health.

Since they have limited incomes, they prefer comparison shopping. Because of their maturity and different attitudes, they are skeptical of advertising claims and are influenced more by the informed sources.

The emergence of the elderly market has created a need for many different products, such as older adults’ homes, health clubs, and several other products and services.

Marketers face a lot of problems and challenges in reaching the elderly market. The communication strategy, particularly formulated to reach the elderly market, should be well thought. One major reason that older adults are seldom addressed directly in advertising is that they resent being depicted as old.

A baby-food manufacturer, recognizing that elderly individuals were eating the product because of dental problems, introduced a new line of senior foods. This nearly proved disastrous because older people preferred to claim that they were buying baby food for their grandchildren.

People dislike admitting to themselves or others that they are no longer young.

The most successful communications are those that show a mixture of age groups using the product.”

Smart marketers have been attuned to elderly consumers’ needs and have been quickest to realize their value as customers.

Singles Subculture

The singles subculture consists of unmarried individuals. This subculture is found to be increasing, particularly in the urban and semi-urban areas. The size of this subculture is gradually becoming prominent to call special marketing attention.

Quite a few reasons are associated with the growing size of the subculture of the singles. They could be delaying marriage, postponement of marriage, higher divorce rates, inability to find a suitable source of earnings to bear family expenditures, and so on.

The singles have some special needs, which cannot be met through normal social interaction.

Marketers who can recognize their specific needs and develop products to meet those specific needs can reap a considerable benefit.

Singles night clubs, exotic telephone talk services, dating services, artificial sexual organs, bachelors’ hostels/mess, a product that promises sex appeals, convenience foods, restaurants, sports equipment, etc., could be some of the examples of products and services aimed at the subculture of singles.

In a country like ours, the singles subculture is growing prominent in the urban areas. As a result, lots of hostels for both males and females have been established to provide singles accommodation services.

Subculture Based on Gender Difference

Subculture may also be formed based on gender differences, such as females’ subculture and subculture. Since every society emphasizes distinct, specific roles for men and women, they are likely to behave differently.

As their behaviors vary, they consume different types of products and respond differently to marketing appeals. For example, men are influenced more by aggressiveness, competitiveness, independence, self-confidence, and masculinity.

On the other hand, women are influenced by neatness, gentleness, tactfulness, talkativeness, and feminity. Men and women equally use some products.

But, different appeals in the same product are needed for these two groups. Cosmetics, perfumes, clothing, bicycles, etc., are used both by men and women. You know that different designs, colors, sizes, shapes, and fragrances are provided by the marketers to appeal to different-sex people. Bicycle, for example, is designed differently for men and women. Even promotional appeals are made different for these two groups.

Again, among the females, those who are professionals behave differently than those non-professionals or homemakers.

The working women, particularly those, who are married, will again require different types of products and services that may not be bought by unmarried working women. The shopping patterns of these two groups will also vary.

Since characteristics, attitudes, and needs vary between these two groups, they may be considered two different market segments.

Occupational Subculture

People display different patterns of purchase behaviors according to their occupational involvement. People of different occupations may constitute occupational subcultures, such as subculture of the doctors, subculture of the lawyers, subculture of the teachers, subculture of the engineers, subculture of the defense personnel.

A defense officer, for example, will show different purchase behavior than someone belonging to the civilians’ society. Doctors’ for example, may look at the nutritional aspect while buying a food item.

Marketers should recognize the differences in attitudes and behaviors among people of different occupations and formulate marketing strategies accordingly to succeed in each specific subculture.

Subculture Based on Social Class

Social class may also be used as a determinant of subcultural differences. There could be a subculture of the well-offs, a subculture of the middle class, and a subculture of poverty.

People belonging to the rich’s subculture will display different buying behaviors than those of the middle and poor.

Rich will be very selective in their purchases; people of the middle class will have substantial control over their consumption decisions; poor, on the other hand, will be very careful and cautious in making their purchase decisions.

The subculture of poverty consists of people living below the poverty line. They will avoid buying pre-packed, instant, frozen food items because of their low incomes as they are likely to be costlier than the fresh staple ones.

As they have limited educational opportunities, they develop different attitudes, outlooks, and motivations resulting in different buying behaviors. Most of their incomes are spent on necessities such as food and housing.

Only a small amount of their incomes are spent on clothing, transportation, recreation, and luxury. They basically look at low-cost items, favor shops where they get credit and are attracted by the marketers’ different inducements.