their search for information before a purchase.b. In their attitudes toward a product.c. In the way they buy or use a product.3. Some marketers try to influence behavior by using images of reference groups to which consumers don't want to belong.D. Social Class1. Consumer behavior is subtly influenced by social class, groupings of people who share similar lifestyles, values, interests, behaviors, and status.2. People in the U.S. tend to fall into one of seven social classes.3. The distinctions between classes are not firm.4. Social class has much to do with the way people buy and use products.5. In other countries, rising incomes and aspirations of middle-class consumers are fueling sales of a variety of products.E. Culture, Subculture, and Core Values1. Culture is the set of values, beliefs, and attitudes that is shared by a group and passed down from one generation to the next.a. Over time the core values--basic, enduring values that pervade the culture--change slowly.b. A subculture is a group that preserves its unique values and lifestyle within a dominant culture.2. Ethnic and Religious Subculturesa. Ethnic and religious subcultures exist within the U.S. culture, set apart by their unique traditions and beliefs.b. The three major U.S. subcultures are African American, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans.c. Major religious subcultures include Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims.d. Marketers study and respond to these groups' buying behavior.e. Not all members of a subculture have identical buying behaviors; each consumer is different.f. Also, the power of these influences may change over time as subculture members adapt to the broader environment.3. Cohort Subculturesa. Every consumer is a part of a cohort subculture, people of similar ages who have undergone similar experiences.b. The values, attitudes, and beliefs of cohort subcultures are shaped by common memories.c. These shared bonds shape the way people in each age c...
