Sociocultural Factors and Advertising Relationship

Sociocultural factors significantly influence consumer behavior. We can summarize sociocultural factors as follows:

  • Culture
  • Family
  • Social class
  • Reference groups

Culture and Subculture

The values that ensure the unity of feelings, thoughts, and judgments of a society constitute its culture. All the values of society, such as traditions, customs, thoughts, and art values, are within culture. We can define the culture of a society as the sum of the characteristic features that distinguish it from other societies.

We can summarize the characteristics of culture as follows:

  • It is functional.
  • It is social.
  • It is value-laden.
  • It is learned.
  • It has strict rules.
  • It is imperative.
  • It forms over time.
  • It can be changed.

Culture has a significant place in advertising and marketing communication efforts. For the message conveyed to the target audience to cause the desired behavioral change, it must also be compatible with the target audience's culture. Therefore, the cultural values of the target audience must be well understood. Cultural differences should be considered, especially in international marketing and advertising efforts.




Subculture

We can define subculture as small groups that share different values and behavior patterns from the whole culture. In other words, subculture means lifestyles that differ within national borders according to the general cultural structure. Subculture can be classified as follows:

  • Ethnicity
  • Geographical area
  • Lifestyle
  • Beliefs
  • Political structure

Family

Family is an important social unit that plays a role in determining a person's personality and lifestyle from birth. The region where the family lives, the parents' work life and positions, the size of the family, whether it is an extended or nuclear family, lifestyle, and consumption habits are important.


Social Class

We can define social class as relatively homogeneous subunits within society that adopt the same values, interests, lifestyle, and behavior. Social classes do not have precise boundaries, and an individual can move from one class to another. Each social class has a set of social statuses it grants to its members.

The important factors in social classes are as follows:

  • Education
  • Income level
  • Occupational status
  • Level of achievement

We can classify the social classes in Turkey as follows (SES - Socioeconomic Status):

  • Group A
  • Group B
  • Group C1 and C2
  • Group D
  • Group E

Reference Groups

Groups that have beliefs, attitudes, values, and norms that establish standards for appropriate thoughts and behaviors for an individual are considered reference groups. These groups consist of:

  • Family and close environment
  • Groups not joined and celebrities

Psychographic Segmentation

Psychographics of a target audience are determined by their lifestyles, attitudes, opinions, and interests. Marketing companies and advertisers use psychographic research on demographic samples to divide the population into groups with similar beliefs about themselves and the world.

Additionally, media producers can identify which group contains which audience and sell this information to advertisers looking to reach these audiences. For example, a television program might be watched by people who fit a specific psychographic group profile. Brands wanting to reach this audience can advertise during this program.

The psychographic research method emerged in the 1960s and 70s due to the inadequacy of motivation and mass research targeting specific audiences. Motivation research is a comprehensive study conducted through mutual interviews and projective tests. Mass research is a large-scale demographic study providing limited information about large audiences. Psychographic research, however, examines audiences in terms of lifestyle, consumption habits, and product preferences, dividing them into different groups. What is important here is not which product is purchased, but why it is purchased.


Psychographic Research Methods

Psychographic research can be conducted in the following ways:

  • Determining a lifestyle profile that examines the differences between individuals who use a product and those who do not
  • Determining a product-focused profile that identifies target markets and differentiates consumers concerning products
  • Research based on personality traits (e.g., identifying which personality traits are associated with environmental sensitivity)
  • General lifestyle segmentation research that categorizes consumers into general groups based on the similarity of their overall preferences
  • Product attribute research conducted for a specific product group

Applications of Psychographic Segmentation

  • Defining Target Market: Provides more information than simple demographic or product usage studies.
  • Creating a New Market View: Strategies created based on the typical customer envisioned by marketers may not always match reality. For example, snacks produced for children may be consumed by adults, changing the perspective on the target market.
  • Product Positioning: Psychographic research provides information on revealing product features suitable for the target audience's lifestyle.
  • Better Communicating Product Features: Psychographic information allows for better communication of product features to the target audience.
  • Formulating General Strategy: Supports creating new product opportunities, advertising strategies, and consumption demands based on the suitability of product features to the target audience's lifestyle.
  • Marketing Social and Political Events: Based on grouping audiences according to their reactions to social and political events. For example, in election campaigns, voters can be divided into undecided and non-convertible groups, with undecided voters being identified as the target audience.

VALS 2 (Values and Lifestyles)

It is a widely used method in psychographic segmentation. Developed in 1989 by SRI International, a nonprofit organization in Menlo Park, California, VALS 2 is an updated version of a previously used method. In the comprehensive VALS 2 survey, respondents are asked whether they prefer to use a product, service, or media. VALS 2 divides the American population into eight different groups based on two variables (self-orientation and resources):

  1. Actualizers: Successful and informed individuals who enjoy displaying their personal tastes and talents. They have a wide range of interests. Members of this group often have memberships in art institutions, their own coffee makers, and an interest in activities such as golf.
  2. Fulfilleds: Satisfied individuals and mature consumers who value order and responsibility. They are well-educated and informed about world events. While they live according to their ideas and principles, they are open to change. They often buy items like pianos, enjoy woodworking, and are involved in religious groups.
  3. Achievers: They value their careers and feel in control of their lives. Continuity and self-discovery are important for achievers. They are politically conservative and respect authority. Appearance is important to them. They buy items like outdoor lighting equipment and consider video cameras essential.
  4. Experiencers: Young and rebellious, they act impulsively. They are politically neutral and seek thrill. Sports, social activities, and spending time outdoors are important to this group. They often attend rock concerts and have more educational equipment.
  5. Believers: Conservative individuals committed to family, religion, communities, and their country. Their resources are sufficient to meet their needs. Most believers do not try new products and services. They buy American cars and newspapers and find car servicing and fuel very important.
  6. Strivers: They want to experience better living standards and have a good image. They are usually trend followers and cannot achieve what they want. They often prefer products that reflect wealth. They buy fast food and prefer non-American cars. Strivers are interested in popular music and fashion and find designer clothes important.
  7. Makers: They are family-oriented and practical individuals who want to do everything themselves. Makers who are suspicious of new ideas and methods believe in social conformity and often live within tight budgets. They usually have pick-up trucks, sewing machines, and tools.
  8. Strugglers: Poor, isolated individuals who live on limited resources. Safety is very important to them. They are concerned with meeting basic needs. They often buy products like black and white televisions and high-sugar fruit drinks, which may be older models.


    1. Achievers: Successful and knowledgeable individuals who enjoy showcasing their personal tastes and talents. They have broad interests. People in this group typically belong to art institutions, own their own coffee machines, and have an interest in activities like golf.
    2. Completists: Those who value order and responsibility, satisfied individuals, and mature consumers. They have received good education and are knowledgeable about global events. While they live by their own ideas and principles, they are open to change. They often purchase items such as pianos, enjoy woodworking, and are involved in religious groups.
    3. Strivers: Individuals who prioritize their careers and feel in control of their lives. Continuity and self-discovery are important to achievers. They tend to be politically conservative and respect authority. Visual appeal is significant to them. They purchase items like outdoor lighting equipment and consider video cameras essential.
    4. Experiencers: Young and rebellious individuals who act without much thought. They are politically indifferent and seek influence. Sports, social activities, and spending time outdoors are important to this group. They often attend concerts like rock concerts, and own educational equipment.
    5. Believers: Conservative individuals who are committed to family, religion, communities, and their country. They have resources to meet their needs. Many believers own an organ and use disposable containers.
    1. Strugglers: They seek approval from their surroundings and have limited resources. They feel life has treated them unfairly. Strugglers often show intense interest in mass sports (like football) and read newspapers and magazines that highlight sexuality.
    2. Doers: Practical individuals who value tradition. They respect authority and are politically conservative. They often have an interest in hunting, own motorcycles, and use charcoal grills.
    3. Fighters: They have limited resources and focus on meeting their basic needs. Cautious consumers who are loyal to favorite brands. They often use frozen and dried coffee and salt substitute products.


      Other Psychographic Analysis Techniques


      Focus Groups

      Sometimes used to investigate the emotional connection of the target audience to a product, image, or idea. While quantitative surveys work with large masses, focus groups involve a small number of participants and ask them deep, open-ended questions. A trained moderator leads the discussion. While the insights from focus groups may not be as broad as those from surveys, they provide rich qualitative data for research purposes.


      Personification

      Application that asks the target audience questions like "If a company walked into a room, what would it look like?" The respondent’s answer reveals their attitude towards the company.

      For example, in a campaign for Sprint Business Services, consumers were asked which animal international companies would be. Answers included AT&T as a lion, MCI as a snake, and Sprint as a puma. Likely, the target audience associated AT&T and MCI with profit-driven dangerous animals.


      Content Mapping

      In content mapping, the target audience evaluates a product based on factors like popularity and quality. The responses are visualized in circles, divisions, or a hierarchy. A visual map is created to show how specific products and brands relate to each other. This method provides a wealth of information, categorizing opinions of users and non-users alike, fostering debate and claims.