«LOOSE AND TIGHT CULTURES» THEORY AS A NEW APPROACH FOR STUDYING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

The article considers the difference between national cultures and contains a historical overview of the emergence of these differences. The analysis of several historical, natural, social and other factors influencing the behavior of people living in the territory of a certain geographical region has been carried out. A multilevel model of "tightness" and "looseness", which illustrates the connection between factors and parallel processes that arise in society is considered. The core features of each type of cultures are revealed. The relationship between theories of intercultural behavior is revealed, examples of differences among countries are given. An overview of the application of the theory in advertising is given, the perception of deviant behavior in the two types of cultures is explained. The influence of "tightness" and "looseness" on consumers' preferences is analyzed. The specific examples of advertisement of well-known brands are given. Based on the analyzed information, recommendations on the application of the theory in the process of creating advertising messages were developed.