Chapter 14
Ethnic, Racial, and Religious Subcultures
By Michael R. Solomon
Consumer Behavior
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
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
Mountain Men
• Contemporary Mountain Men share a strong
Ethnic Products
• Tex-Mex cuisine is
popular in
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
Tiger Woods
De-ethnicization of Bagels
• Bagels have been
de-ethnicized and are now part of mainstream
• 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?
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
African Americans in Advertising
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
Ethnic Products
• Hispanic celebrities
such as Shakira, Ricky Martin, and Gloria
Estefan are
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
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.
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.
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
VIDEO: Intel
• Intel understands that
different cultures need the same
product for different reasons.
• 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?
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
Megachurches
• Some U.S.
Meeting the Needs of Subcultures
• Specialized ethnic
media, like this
magazine for Muslim women, are springing up to meet the needs of underserved
Influence of Religious Groups
• Religious groups can
influence companies’ decisions by
