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Chapter 14Ethnic, Racial, and Religious Subcultures

By Michael R. Solomon

Consumer BehaviorBuying, Having, and Being

Sixth Edition

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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?

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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.

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Mountain Men

• Contemporary Mountain Men share a strong sense of identity and community.

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Marketing to Subcultures

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Ethnic Products

• Tex-Mex cuisine is popular in Scandinavia. This ad appeared in a Swedish magazine.

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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

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Tiger Woods

• Tiger Woods’ multiracial background illustrates the complexity of ethnic identity in the United States.

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De-ethnicization of Bagels

• Bagels have been de-ethnicized and are now part of mainstream culture.

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• 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?

Discussion Question

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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%

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African Americans in Advertising

• Many national brands routinely use African American models.

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Distinguishing Characteristicsof 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

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Ethnic Products

• Hispanic celebrities such as Shakira, Ricky Martin, and Gloria Estefan are increasingly successful in popular music.

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Hispanic Web Portals

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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

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Segmenting Hispanics by Acculturation

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A Model of Consumer Acculturation

Figure 14.2

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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

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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

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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

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YesAsia.com

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• 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?

Discussion Question

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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

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Megachurches

• Some U.S. megachurches have more than 20,000 members.

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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.

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Influence of Religious Groups

• Religious groups can influence companies’ decisions by encouraging their members to boycott products or stage protests.