Debenhams Strategy of Consumer Buying Behavior Essay

Debenhams Strategy of Consumer Buying Behavior - Essay Example Cultures keep on changing, and marketers need to be aware of cultural changes. Core values are the values that are most pervasive in a society. They must be enduring, and with respect to marketing, they must be consumer-related so that marketers can use them to understand consumption (Luna and Gupta, 2001, P.50). Culture is manifested by society in different forms and includes heroes, rituals, symbols and cultural values. Values are integral to the expression of culture. This stems from the verity that values are collectively shared by most people in a certain society. One of the noteworthy organizations that have a British heritage and with operations in the United Kingdom is the Debenhams. Debenhams has a global presence in more than twenty-five nations and operates more than 200 stores across the globe. Debenhams is known for its wide-ranging and unique brands that offer an immense deal of gratification to its customers. The corporation has diverse business ranging from clothing w ear, electric products, beauty products, as well as health products. This diversification has made Debenhams a market leader with yearly earnings surpassing the ?2 billion mark. To further its operations, Debenhams has embraced the concept of e-commerce through its online presence across nations. The online presence has attracted many online shoppers, ranking the corporation among the largest online retailers in the UK. The Company has over the years invested in British design through its portfolio of brands. This paper explores the cultural aspect of consumer behavior evaluating ways in which Debenhams can use them in its marketing mix (About Debenhams, 2013, para2). 1.2 Analysis of Debenhams’ strategy of incorporating culture into its marketing mix The aspect of culture is indispensable in any marketing endeavor as it heavily influences consumer buying behavior. Hofstede; a culture researcher held that culture refers to the social glue that keeps people of a certain group t ogether. Every culture has its manner of doing things, and this is what distinguishes in-group and out-group people. Culture provides a lens through which people shape reality. Culture acts as a reference guide when one intends to take a certain course of action such as buying a product (Luna and Gupta, 2001, p 50). Heroes In every culture, there are some behaviors and attributes that are highly regarded as role models. Individuals who observe and portray those behaviors to society are considered as heroes. One of the strategies that Debenhams uses in assimilating culture into its marketing operation is using such cultural heroes to influence consumer behavior. This is done by associating cultural heroes with certain brands or products (Arnould, Price and Zinkhan, 2005, P.76). Debenhams recently launched an ad campaign starring paralympian amputee Stefanie Reid in an effort to show diversity in its advertising. The campaign also features three models over 40, an elderly lady and a s ize 18 swimwear model. The company aims to turn the industry standard of young thin models. The company argues that the campaign is a reflection of its customers and demonstrates a broad range of body and beauty ideals. The company spokesman asserted that the company’s customers are not the same size or shape and thus the new lookbook celebrates diversity. The campaign aims to make people more comfortable with their bodies.