Chapter 14

Ethnic, Racial, and Religious

Subcultures

CONSUMER
BEHAVIOR, 8e
Michael Solomon
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.

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

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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

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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

Click for
Crestkids.com

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Ethnicity and Marketing Strategies
Subcultural memberships help shape peoples
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)

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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

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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

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Americas Newest Markets

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Figure 14.1 14-9

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

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Discussion
Locate current examples of marketing stimuli that
depend on an ethnic or religious stereotype to
communicate a message
How effective are these appeals?

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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

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A Model of Consumer Acculturation

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Figure 14.2 14-13

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?

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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)

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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
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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

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Hispanic Americans (cont.)
Some ad campaigns dont work well among
Hispanics, while Anglos dont understand some
products popular among Hispanics

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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

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Levels of Acculturation: Understanding
Hispanic Identity
Acculturation: process of movement and adaptation to one
countrys cultural environment by a person from another
country

Segment Size Status Description Characteristics

Established 17% Upwardly Older, Assimilated into U.S. culture

Adapters mobile U.S.-born
Young 16% Increasingly Younger Adaptable to U.S. culture
Strivers important U.S.-born
Hopeful 40% Largest but Working class Slow to adapt to U.S. culture
Loyalists shrinking

Recent 27% Growing Newest Strongest identification with

Seekers Hispanic background

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Table 14.2 (abridged) 14-20

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

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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
subgroups that speak many
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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

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Demographics of Religious Subcultures

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Figure 14.3 14-24

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?

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Old and New Religions
Large variety of flourishing new
religious movements
Scientologists
Wicca
The Raelians
The Ahmadis
The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual
University
Cao Dai
Soka Gakkai International Click photo for
Beliefnet.com
The Toronto Blessing
Umbanda
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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)
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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
affiliations in United States
Christian merchandising
activity is increasing
Christian bookstores
Click photo for C28 stores/Not of This World
C28.com
brand

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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?

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