Chapter 14 Ethnic Racial and Religious Subcultures CONSUMER

Chapter 14 Ethnic, Racial, and Religious Subcultures CONSUMER BEHAVIOR, 8 e Michael Solomon Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 1

Chapter Objectives When you finish this chapter you should understand why: • Our memberships in ethnic, racial, and religious subcultures often play a big role in guiding our consumption behaviors. • Additional influences come from our identification with microcultures that reflect a shared interest in some organization or activity. • Many marketing messages appeal to ethnic and racial identity. Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 2

Chapter Objectives (cont. ) • African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans are three most important ethnic/racial subcultures in the United States. • Marketers increasingly use religious and spiritual themes when they talk to consumers. Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 3

Subcultures, Microcultures, and Consumer Identity • Consumers’ lifestyles are affected by group membership within the society-at-large • Subcultures of age, race/ethnicity, place of residence • Microcultures share a strong identification with an activity or art form • Have own unique set of norms, vocabulary, and product insignias Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 4

Ethnic and Racial Subcultures • Ethnic subculture • Homogeneous versus heterogeneous cultural societies • Marketers cannot ignore the diversity of cultures in society today • Ethnic minorities spend more than $600 billion a year on products ß Click for Crestkids. com Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 5

Ethnicity and Marketing Strategies Subcultural memberships help shape people’s needs/wants • Minorities find an advertising spokesperson from their own group more trustworthy • Ethnic subculture affects level/type of media exposure, food/apparel preferences, political behavior, leisure activities, willingness to try new products • High-context culture (group members infer meanings from verbal messages) versus low-context culture (group members take words literally) Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 6

Is Ethnicity a Moving Target? • Defining/targeting an ethnic group is not always so easy (“melting pot” society) • Many identify with two or more races • De-ethnicization: a product we associate with a specific ethnic group detaches itself from its roots and appeals to other groups as well • Example: bagels Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 7

New Ethnic Groups • The dominant American culture exerts pressure on immigrants to become absorbed in mainstream society • New immigrants are much more likely to be Asian or Hispanic • Tend to cluster together geographically • Word-of-mouth is especially important Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 8

America’s Newest Markets Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 Figure 14. 1 9

Ethnic and Racial Stereotypes Many subcultures have stereotypes associations • Subgroups are assumed to possess certain traits (often erroneously) which can be cast either positively or negatively • Marketers in the past have made vast use of ethnic stereotypes to communicate product attributes • Aunt Jemima and Frito Bandito Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 10

Discussion • Locate current examples of marketing stimuli that depend on an ethnic or religious stereotype to communicate a message • How effective are these appeals? Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 11

A Model of Consumer Acculturation • Individual differences affect how rocky adjustment will be • Acculturation agents include culture of origin and culture of immigration • Assimilation, maintenance, resistance, and segregation • Progressive learning model • Consumer behavior as mix of original culture and host • culture Differences between consumers who retain strong ethnic identification and more assimilated consumers Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 12

A Model of Consumer Acculturation Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 Figure 14. 2 13

Discussion • Locate one or more consumers (perhaps family members) who have emigrated from another country • Interview them about how they adapted to their host culture • In particular, what changes did they make in their consumption practices over time? Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 14

The “Big Three” American Subcultures • African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans • Hispanic population is now the largest ethnic subculture (12. 5%) • Asian Americans (3. 6%) are the fastest-growing racial group (due to immigration) Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 15

African Americans • The African American market is hardly as homogeneous as many seem to believe • Overall spending patterns of blacks and whites are roughly similar • Household income and educational levels are rising for African Americans • Differences in consumption behaviors can be subtle but still very important Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 16

Hispanic Americans • “Hispanic” = many different backgrounds • Hispanics are: • Brand loyal • Highly concentrated • geographically by country of origin (easy to reach) Many are rushing to sign Hispanic celebrities/actors Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 17

Hispanic Americans (cont. ) • Some ad campaigns don’t work well among Hispanics, while Anglos don’t understand some products popular among Hispanics Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 18

Distinguishing Characteristics of the Hispanic Market • “Young bicultural” Hispanic consumers • Latino youth are changing mainstream culture • Looking for spirituality, stronger family ties, and more color in their lives • Large family size of Hispanic market • Spend more on groceries • Shopping is a family affair • Regard clothing children well as matter of pride • Convenience/saving time is not important to Hispanic homemaker Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 19

Levels of Acculturation: Understanding Hispanic Identity • Acculturation: process of movement and adaptation to one country’s cultural environment by a person from another country Segment Size Status Description Characteristics Established Adapters 17% Upwardly mobile Older, Assimilated into U. S. culture Young Strivers 16% Increasingly important Younger Hopeful Loyalists 40% Largest but shrinking Working class Slow to adapt to U. S. culture Recent Seekers 27% Growing Newest Strongest identification with Hispanic background U. S. -born Adaptable to U. S. culture U. S. -born Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 Table 14. 2 (abridged) 20

Levels of Acculturation (cont. ) • Hispanic consumers are sympathetic to marketing that emphasizes Hispanic cultural heritage • Many younger Hispanics are searching for their roots and rediscovering the value of ethnic identity Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 21

Asian Americans Are… • Fastest-growing population group • Most affluent and best educated • Most likely to hold technology job and buy high-tech gadgets • Most brand-conscious but least brand loyal • Most concerned with keeping up appearances • Made up of culturally diverse Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 subgroups that speak many different languages/dialects 22

Religious Subcultures • The rise of spirituality • Explosion of religion/spirituality in pop culture • Churches are adopting aggressive marketing • Megachurches • Religious themes can spill over into everyday consumption • “Cult products” • Marketing opportunity among religious subcultures Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 23

Demographics of Religious Subcultures Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 Figure 14. 3 24

Discussion • Should members of a religious group adapt marketing techniques that manufacturers customarily use to increase market share for their products? Why or why not? Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 25

Old and New Religions Large variety of flourishing new religious movements • • • Scientologists • • Cao Dai Wicca The Raelians The Ahmadis The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University Soka Gakkai International The Toronto Blessing ñ Click photo for Beliefnet. com Umbanda Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 26

The Impact of Religion on Consumption • Religion is seen as a taboo subject to marketers • Polygamy Porter beer billboard • Lipton ad mocking the Catholic Church • Pirelli tires ad with Christ the Redeemer statue • Dietary and dress requirements create demand for certain products • Religious subcultures affect personality, attitudes toward sexuality, birthrates and household formation, income, and political attitudes • Church leaders can encourage and/or discourage consumption (e. g. , boycott of Disney) Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 27

The Born-Again Boom • Those who follow literal interpretations of the Bible and who acknowledge being born again through belief in Jesus • Fastest-growing religious ñ Click photo for C 28. com affiliations in United States • Christian merchandising activity is increasing • Christian bookstores • C 28 stores/Not of This World brand Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 28

Discussion • Born-again Christian groups have been instrumental in organizing boycotts of products advertised on shows they find objectionable, especially those they feel undermine family values • Do religious groups have a right or a responsibility to dictate what advertising a network should carry? Prentice-Hall, cr 2009 29