Question

Finding a place to live in Mumbai, India, has been getting harder these days for people who are not vegetarians. Vegetarianism is a centuries-old custom among the Indian population, but the requirement is becoming more obvious as non-vegs are being segregated from vegs. This is important consumer information to a McDonald's franchisee and reflects how __________ shapes consumer behavior.

Answer 1

Cultural practices shape consumer behavior in significant ways, affecting dietary preferences and the offerings by food franchises such as McDonald's. The segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian consumers in Mumbai reflects the impact of Hindu vegetarianism on consumer choice, indicating the necessity for McDonald's to tailor its menu and marketing to local cultural norms in India.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario described highlights how cultural practices significantly influence consumer behavior, especially in the context of dietary choices. In Mumbai, the increasing trend of segregating vegetarian and non-vegetarian consumers reflects deeply-rooted cultural customs surrounding food, especially in relation to vegetarianism, which is an important aspect of Hinduism and influences the food habits of a substantial portion of the Indian population. This is critical information for a McDonald's franchisee, as it indicates the importance of understanding and respecting local cultural norms when deciding on menu offerings and marketing strategies.

Lusk and Norwood's study points out that, although meat is highly valued among consumers, and while only a small minority in the U.S. are vegetarians, cultural differences in places like India can result in a much higher prevalence of vegetarianism, necessitating a different approach. This also ties into the broader concept of the globalization of food, where food is not only a local choice but is also influenced by global markets, transnational corporations, advertising, and cultural messaging.

The McDonaldization of Society suggests that fast food models are spreading into various social institutions and influencing consumer behavior, but this spread must adapt to local cultural expectations. For example, while beef is widely consumed and enjoyed in the West, in India, it is typically not offered by restaurants catering to Hindus due to religious beliefs. Hence, understanding local food proscriptions and cultural identity is key for any global franchise operating in diverse cultural settings.

Answer 2

Geographic segmentation

Step-by-step explanation:

Geographic segmentation can be defined as the way in which the customers you serve in a particular area has different preferences or desire based on where they are located and Its also involves the grouping of potential customers by either country, state, city or neighborhood.

Geographic segmentation is a marketing reason been that GEOGRAPHIC SEGMENTATION target products to people who live or shop in a specific location and also help to group these customers based on where they live.

For example a Shoe manufacturing company who decide to target their customers who live in warm climates where shoes don't need to be equipped for the snowy weather in which the marketing platform might decide to focus their marketing efforts around either the urban area or the city centers where their target customer is likely to work.

Therefore based on the information given This is important consumer information to a McDonald's franchisee and reflects how GEOGRAPHIC SEGMENTATION shapes consumer behavior.