Transcript Chapter 14 Ethnic, Racial, and Religious Subcultures Consumer Behavior By Michael R. Solomon

Chapter 14
Ethnic, Racial, and Religious Subcultures
By Michael R. Solomon
Consumer Behavior
Buying, Having, and Being
Sixth Edition
14 - 1
Opening Vignette: Maria
• Why does Maria’s mother refuse to
use convenience products?
• What would you guess is Maria’s
ethnic background?
• Is the family gathering indicative at all
of her culture?
• What activities does she undertake
that identify her with a culture?
14 - 2
Subcultures and Consumer Identity
• Subcultures
– Group memberships within society at large
• Ethnic and Racial Subcultures
– Ethnic Subculture: A self-perpetuating group of consumers
who are held together by common cultural or genetic ties,
and is identified both by its members and by others as
being a distinguishable category.
• Ethnicity and Marketing Strategies
– High-context Culture: Group members tend to be tightly
knit, and they are likely to infer meanings that go beyond
the spoken word.
14 - 3
Mountain Men
• Contemporary Mountain Men share a strong
sense of identity and community.
14 - 4
Marketing to Subcultures
14 - 5
Ethnic Products
• Tex-Mex cuisine is
popular in
Scandinavia. This ad
appeared in a Swedish
magazine.
14 - 6
Is Ethnicity a Moving Target?
• De-ethnicization
– Refers to the process whereby a product formerly
associated with a specific ethnic group is detached
from its roots and marketed to other subcultures.
• The “Big Three” American Subcultures
– African Americans
– Hispanic Americans
– Asian Americans
• New Ethnic Groups
• Ethnic and Racial Stereotypes
14 - 7
Tiger Woods
• Tiger Woods’ multiracial background illustrates the
complexity of ethnic identity in the United States.
14 - 8
De-ethnicization of Bagels
• Bagels have been deethnicized and are
now part of
mainstream culture.
14 - 9
Discussion Question
• Advertisers frequently try
to depict the “big three”
consuming their products
as this ad for The
Children’s Place clothing
does.
• What are the benefits of
using multi-ethnic models
in advertisements? Does
this advertisement do a
good job reflecting ethnic
diversity of the target
audience?
14 - 10
African Americans
and Hispanic Americans
• African Americans:
– 12.3 percent of the U.S. population (2000 Census)
– Differences between blacks and whites in
consumption are very subtle
• Hispanic Americans:
– “Hispanic” describes people of many backgrounds
– 60 percent of Hispanic Americans are Mexican
– Puerto Ricans are the next biggest group at 10%
14 - 11
African Americans in Advertising
• Many national brands routinely use African American
models.
14 - 12
Distinguishing Characteristics
of the Hispanic Market
• Youth:
– Median Age is 23.6 (U.S. average: 32)
• Family Size:
– Average household is 3.5 people (U.S. average:
2.7)
• Importance of Family:
– Preference to spend time with family affects
consumption activities
– Going to the movies is a family event
– Convenience products are not as important
14 - 13
Ethnic Products
• Hispanic celebrities
such as Shakira, Ricky
Martin, and Gloria
Estefan are
increasingly successful
in popular music.
14 - 14
Hispanic Web Portals
14 - 15
Levels of Acculturation:
Understanding Hispanic Identity
• Acculturation:
– Refers to the process of movement and adaptation to one
country’s cultural environment by a person from another
country.
• Ethnography:
– The study of immigrants as they adapt to life in a new
country.
• Acculturation Agents:
– People and institutions that teach the ways of a culture.
• Culture of Origin
• Culture of Immigration
14 - 16
Segmenting Hispanics by Acculturation
14 - 17
A Model of Consumer Acculturation
Figure 14.2
14 - 18
Processes of Immigrant Adaptation
• Movement:
– Refers to the factors motivating people to physically uproot
themselves from one location to another.
• Translation:
– Attempting to master a set of rules for operating in the new
environment.
• Adaptation:
– Cultural learning that leads to new consumption patterns
• Assimilation:
– When immigrants adopt products, habits, and values that
are identified with the mainstream culture.
• Maintenance
• Resistance
• Segregation
14 - 19
Perspectives on Ethnic Adaptation
• Ethnic Pluralism:
– Argues that ethnic groups differ from the
mainstream in varying degrees, and that adaptation
to the larger society occurs selectively.
• Progressive Learning Model:
– Assumes that people gradually learn a new culture
as they increasingly come in contact with it.
• Host Culture
14 - 20
Asian Americans
• Chi:
– An invisible energy current that is believed to bring good or
bad luck
• Feng Shui:
– Translated literally as “the wind and the water”
• Fastest growing minority group in the U.S.
– The most affluent, best educated, and most likely to hold
technology jobs of any ethnic subculture
– Prosperous Asians tend to be very status conscious
• Advertising featuring celebrities can be very
effective in reaching this group
14 - 21
YesAsia.com
14 - 22
Discussion Question
• Asians are often depicted
using high-technology
products as in this ad for
McAfee Security software.
• Why are Asians a good
target audience for this
product? What other
products would do well to
target the Asian segment
of the population?
14 - 23
Religious Subcultures
• The Rise of Spirituality:
– Explosion of religion in popular culture
• Old and New Religions
• The Impact of Religion on
Consumption:
– Not studied extensively in marketing (too “taboo”)
– Religious affiliation has the potential to be a
valuable predictor of consumer behavior
14 - 24
Megachurches
• Some U.S.
megachurches have
more than 20,000
members.
14 - 25
Meeting the Needs of Subcultures
• Specialized ethnic
media, like this
magazine for Muslim
women, are springing
up to meet the needs
of underserved
American subcultures.
14 - 26
Influence of Religious Groups
• Religious groups can
influence companies’
decisions by
encouraging their
members to boycott
products or stage
protests.
14 - 27