Culture - The learned values and behaviors shared by a society and designed to increase the probability of the society's survival. An important part of a culture is its "core values" - values that are pervasive and enduring and one of the most important means by which a society influences the behavior of individuals. Deeply ingrained, marketers are most successful when they appeal to the cultural values of their target markets.
Subcultures - A segment within a culture that shares values and patterns of behavior that distinguish it from those of the overall culture. Subcultures include: (1) European-Americans, (2) African-Americans, (3) Hispanics, and (4) Asian-Americans. Because each subculture has its own set of values and desirable behaviors, marketers might find that they can better meet the needs of particular subcultures than the entire culture.
Social class - A grouping of people with similar income levels, wealth, skill, and power. Common social classes include upper American, middle class, working class, and lower Americans. These differences in classes produce different values and behaviors in purchasing various products.
