The social and cultural factors that influence the buying behavior of consumers are inclusive of culture, social class, reference group, family, demographics and geography. Culture is an amalgam of tangible factors and intangible traditions that enunciate the lifestyle of a particular group of people. As for social class, it defines the income group the individual belongs too and that, in turn, is heavily dependent on the income earned, which is a great factor in determining buying behavior. The third factor is the reference group. As is obvious from the name it is the group from whom the consumer seeks reference. It could range from people like one's parents, members of the family whom the individual feels close to, close friends, celebrities who endorse the brand etc. People whom we trust, their opinion means a great deal to us and affects many decisions of ours including buying behavior. Regarding family, this determinant is totally different from the erstwhile one as this one focuses on the norms and preferences of the family in which the individual lives and is brought up. Moreover this determinant is on a collective and unconscious basis as the individual's buying decision is taking effect from the ambience of his family and the unconscious way he has grasped the values that have been given to him by his family. Coming to demographics, these are small and specific details about the individual such as age, gender, education, income, occupation etc. Also the geographical location in which the consumer resides also determines the buying behavior depending on sub-factors like climatic conditions, availability of resources, surroundings etc.
