Ch. 5: Subcultures and Consumer Behavior

– A distinct cultural group that exists as an identifiable segment within a larger, more complex society.

SubculturalTraits

of HispanicAmericans

DominantCulturalTraits of

U.S. Citizens

SubculturalTraits

of AsianAmericans

Ex:

Importance of Subcultures

Individuals

Identification with core culture

Identification with a

subculture

Core culture values and

norms

Subculture values and

norms

Mass market behaviors

Unique market

behaviors

Types of Subcultures

Categories Examples of SubculturesAge

Ethnic Origin

Gender

Income Level

Nationality

Adolescent, young adult, middle- aged, elderly

African, Hispanic, Asian, European

Female, male

Affluent, middle income, poor, destitute

French, Malaysian, Australian

Examples of Subcultures

Religion

Family Type

Occupation

Geographicregion

Community

Jewish, Catholic, Mormon, Buddhist

Single parent, divorced/no kids, two parents/kids

Mechanic, accountant, priest, clerk

New England, Southwest, Midwest

Rural, small town, suburban, city

Categories

Types of Subcultures (cont.)

Traditional Characteristics of the Hispanic American Market

• Prefer well-known or familiar brands• Buy brands perceived to be more prestigious• Are fashion-conscious• Historically prefer to shop at smaller personal stores• Buy brands advertised by their ethnic-group stores• Tend not to be impulse buyers (i.e., are deliberate)• Increasingly clipping and using cents-off coupons• Likely to buy what their parents bought• Prefer fresh to frozen or prepared items• Tend to be negative about marketing practices and

government intervention in business

Ways in Which “Hispanic” Has Been Defined

NAME OF INDICATOR

NATURE/SCOPE AND COMMENTARY

Spanish surname

Not a definitive; since a non-Hispanic person might have a Spanish surname, or an Hispanic person might have a non-Spanish surname.

Country of origin

The birthplace of persons born in the Untied States of Hispanic parents would not reveal their Hispanic background.

Country of family ancestry

Includes those individuals who may not be Hispanic despite coming form a particular Spanish-Latin country.

Spanish spoken at home

A significant minority of Hispanic households may speak English at home, yet consider themselves to be cultural Hispanic.

Self-identification

It is reasonable that if an adequate number of self-report choices are offered, a person might identify himself or herself as “Hispanic.”

Degree of identification

This measure captures the “degree” of personal identification as “Hispanic” and augments the self-identification measure.

Travel-Related Behaviorof Jewish vs. and General Population

BEHAVIOR

JEWISH MEDIA READER

TOTAL U.S. AVERAGE

Taken a trip outside the U.S. within the past 3 years 60.3% 18.4%

Taken 10 or more trips outside the U.S. within the last 3 years 6.9% 1.2%

Taken a cruise within the past 3 years 31.4% 6.4%Belong to a frequent flier program 67.5% 9.1%

Personally rented a car within the past 12 months 48.1% 11.4%

Regional Consumption DifferencesRegional Consumption Differences

Northeast North Central South WestMediaCosmopolitan 96 84 106 111Outdoor Life 97 131 89 88Vibe 179 100 67 81Premiere 83 105 83 138Religious radio 54 109 143 63“Nick at Nite” 122 110 90 85

Hobbies/ActivitiesHunting (with rifle) 96 132 92 81Tennis 100 78 84 151Movie attendance 107 82 81 145Attend high school sports 82 148 93 75

Regional Consumption Differences (cont.)Regional Consumption Differences (cont.)

Northeast North Central South WestProduct UseImported wine 136 95 90 87Domestic wine 118 68 68 171Diet cola drinks 94 129 95 82Regular cola drinks 75 87 134 81Mouthwash 111 100 99 92Laptop/notebook 111 72 75 161

Restaurants/ShoppingFast-food restaurants 74 110 113 92Kmart 93 123 91 95The Gap 162 93 74 93Eddie Bauer 103 123 59 139Banana Republic 134 82 75 128

Acculturation

The process by which people in one culture or subculture come to understand and adapt to the cultural meanings used in another culture or subculture.

Consumer acculturation – how people acquire the ability and cultural knowledge to be a skilled consumer in a different culture or subculture.

• Honeymoon stage

• Rejection stage

• Tolerance stage

• Integration stage