CULTURAL CHANGES IN GHANA AND ITS

MARKETING IMPLICATIONS

PRESENTATION BY:

TEAM BIG IDEAS

OUTLINE

Definition of culture
Nature of Culture
Cultural changes in Ghana & marketing
implications
Factors influencing the cultural changes
Conclusion

WHAT IS CULTURE?
The sum total of learned beliefs, values, and
customs that serve to regulate the consumer
behavior of members of a particular society
Culture is the entire way of life of a society
as well as all its products. Society is then
composed of individuals who share a culture.

NATURE OF CULTURE
CULTURE
CULTURE IS
IS
SHARED
SHARED

CULTURE
CULTURE IS
IS
LEARNED
LEARNED

CULTURE
CULTURE IS
IS
DYNAMIC
DYNAMIC

CULTURE
CULTURE IS
IS
NON
NON
MATERIAL
MATERIAL

Passed
Passed on
on from
from one
one generation
generation to
to the
the other
other
Involves
sharing
a
way
of
life,
having
similar
Involves sharing a way of life, having similar thought
thought patterns
patterns etc
etc

Enculturation;
Enculturation; Acculturation;
Acculturation; Language
Language and
and Symbols
Symbols etc
etc
Learning
Learning is
is usually
usually informal
informal in
in a
a relatively
relatively formal
formal setting
setting (school,
(school, church)
church)

It
It evolves
evolves (technology,
(technology, population
population shifts,
shifts, economic
economic development,
development, wars,
wars,
changing
values,
influences
from
other
countries)
changing values, influences from other countries)
It
It satisfies
satisfies needs
needs

specific
specific shared
shared ways
ways of
of thinking
thinking shared
shared by
by members
members of
of society
society such
such as
as
language,
beliefs
systems,
customs,
myths,
music,
scientific
knowledge
language, beliefs systems, customs, myths, music, scientific knowledge or
or
political
political ideas.
ideas.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE CULTURAL

CHANGES

Technology
Population shifts
Economic development
Wars
Influence from the West

CULTURAL CHANGES IN GHANA

CHANGE

THEN

NOW

MARKETING
IMPLICATION

FAMILY SYSTEM

Extended

Nuclear

More focused
marketing
strategies for the
Family Life cycles
(FMCG - women,
Capital intensive
products - men)
Influencers,
Gatekeepers,
Deciders etc. in
purchasing
decisions in
modern families
Marketing
campaigns should
be individualistic

CULTURAL CHANGES IN GHANA

CHANGE

THEN

NOW

MARKETING
IMPLICATION

TRADE

Face to face
(Markets, hand
carts,
pavement
vendors)

Integration of
Online & Ecommerce in
commercial
activities,
Telemarketing,
shopping malls

Competition
(variety for
consumers with
modern Trade
partnerships for
need satisfaction)
Dynamism in
marketing entry
strategies
Convenience to the
consumers

CULTURAL CHANGES IN GHANA

CHANGE

THEN

NOW

MARKETING
IMPLICATION

URBANIZATION

Rural dwellers
and comfortable

Rural urban
migration

Understanding
population
dynamics in
deploying a
robust
marketing mix
4Ps : Price,
Place,
Promotion &
Product

CULTURAL CHANGES IN GHANA

CHANGE

THEN

NOW

MARKETING
IMPLICATION

GLOBALISATI
ON

Traditional
marriages

White
weddings/court
registries
Massive taste for
foreign
architecture(furni
shed apartments,
condos etc)
Currency (USD,
Euro, GBP)

Dynamism in
strategies to
reflect the
growing
trends
Cosmopolitani
sm (the
extent to
which a
country is
connected to
other
cultures, is
useful for
adoption of
innovation).
Advertising
and

Architectur
e
(compound
houses)
Terms of
trade
(bartercowries)

English, French in
schools
Language

CULTURAL CHANGES IN GHANA

CHANGE

THEN

COMMUNICATIO Telegram, post

N

NOW
Mobile
Telephones,
email etc .

MARKETING
IMPLICATION

Ability to
communicate with
customers in
remote parts of the
Modern Media
country via mobile
infrastructure
handheld devices
Marketers are able
for
promotional
to effortlessly
purposes
gather huge data
on consumer
behavior
Local attitudes
toward advertising
shows which media
channel to target
which market
segment.

CULTURAL CHANGES IN GHANA

CHANGE

THEN

NOW

MARKETING
IMPLICATION

BANKING
SYSTEMS

Traditional
banking
systems without
the use of
internet
(cooperatives)

Internet
Banking, mobile
money transfer
portals, bank
assurance

Better
segmentation
of customers
for better
targeting
Consumer
Finance
enabling sales
of
services/prod
ucts
POS
transactions/i
nfrastructure
enabled

CULTURAL CHANGES IN GHANA

CHANGE

THEN

NOW

MARKETING
IMPLICATION

INTERNET &
SOCIAL MEDIA

Penpals

Facebook,
twitter,
Instagram,
WhatsApp
etc

Social media
advertising through
Facebook/Twitter/WhatsA
pp/SMS marketing and
targeting through shared
social experiences.
Through mobile
couponing, were
seeing an opportunity
for increased frequency
of store visits and the
added benefit of
increasing overall
shopper transaction
value.
time based promotion
support and
infrastructure services

CULTURAL CHANGES IN GHANA

CHANGE

THEN

NOW

MARKETING
IMPLICATION

VALUES

Larger family
sizes (no
birth control
mechanisms)

SocialThe gradual
acceptance of the
behavioural
use of birth control
marketing eg.
techniques and
Marketers
open
should develop
conversations on
positive
sexual issues.eg:
narratives on
pills, vaginal rings,
use of
diaphragm etc.
contraceptives
as the most
acceptable
family
planning tool

CULTURAL CHANGES IN GHANA

CHANGE

THEN

NOW

Preference
WESTINIZATION Home made
food, no
for western
preservatives
branded fast
foods and
Cultural
sports
music &
betting
dance etc
Eg. : KFC, Pizza
Hut, Betway,
Fashion
Soccerbet. Etc
Music &
(Kaba, fugu,
local prints
dance
Health &
Beauty
consciousnes
s
Dresses,
trousers,
shirts

MARKETING
IMPLICATION
Consumers have
become more
sophisticated,
affluent and
discerning
.Marketers should
emphasize the
success story of
these brands
elsewhere.
Campaigns
should seek to
enhance the
perceived social
status of
consumers

CULTURAL CHANGES IN GHANA

CHANGE

THEN

NOW

MARKETING
IMPLICATION

RELIGION

Traditional
(Catholic and
Orthodox, Islam
movements)

Charismatic,
Various
denominations

Marketers
should be
guided by the
religious
persuasions
of
geographical
areas

RECAP

Definition of culture
Nature of Culture
Cultural changes in Ghana & marketing
implications
Factors influencing the cultural changes
Conclusion

CONCLUSION
There is no doubt that the society is
continually changing and as marketers
there is the need to understand the
cultural changes which take place in our
environment to tailor our strategies to
meet the dynamic needs of our
consumers.

REFERENCES
Brilley, D, Aaker, J(2015)
Nederveen Pieterse, J., (2004) Globalization and Culture: Global Mlange.
(Lanham, MD: Roman and Littlefield, 2004).
Global Sociology(2016) what is Culture.
https://globalsociology.pbworks.com/FrontPage
Social Factors Affecting Business
http://pestleanalysis.com/social-factors-affecting-business/
http://mass.pakgalaxy.com/different-theories-of-social-change.html
AGNES ABOAGYE(2015). THE EFFECT OF GLOBALIZATION ON
AFRICAN CULTURE: THE CASE OF GHANA. Student dissertation.
Universty of Ghana.
Tomlinson, J., Globalization and Culture. (Chicago, IL: University of
Chicago Press, 1991).

BIG IDEAS