Sub cultural groups based on age, race, creed, ethnicity and religious bias carry their importance in many ways in a multiethnic society. These groups tend to have their intrinsic characteristics which shape up their life styles, consumer behaviors and marketing preferences, to an appreciable extent, if not completely. With the passage of time, the shadows casted by the culture of origin tend to decrease upon the immigrants, though certain aspects, woven into their very fabric, continue to stand firm. The phenomenon however is more complex than it may seem (Solomon, M. R., 2002).
Describes How Memberships in the African American Subculture Guide Consumption Behaviors?
The African American, a significant racial subculture, once comprised of 12.3 % of the US population, as per year 2000 census. The sub culture remained the most highlighted minority in US for a long time and had been seeking media attention to the most of its share.
Despite a significant acculturation, African Americans still maintain an aura of their own, which is visible through consumption priorities and market place behaviors. Sub cultural theme remains an attention seeker and a guideline for a marketer in order to sell his product well. Those who refrain from Acculturation, tend to maintain a negative attitude towards business in general, love to access media in their native language and visit native websites. They are loyal to a particular brand instead of being regular brand switchers, prefer brands with prestige labels, and usually go for those who advertise specifically to their ethnic group.
In the past, image of the African American was under toned in ads showing them as subservient to depict certain product’s attributes. Aunt Jemima an African American chef could be seen selling pancake mix and Rastus pitching cream of a white cereal. The awareness grew and Quaker Foods presented Aunt Jemima with a new look in 1989. Procter & Gamble launched a campaign amongst African American women in 2007 in a program titled “My Black is Beautiful”. The program found that their Skin stands out to be the most precious and cared for commodity, surpassing the figure and features. Sale of Skin products correspondingly boomed. Coffee-mate approached them with the background knowledge that coffee with sugar and cream is much loved by them. A special promo was served for Blacks in Africa American media and they bagged a double-digit increase in their sales (Solomon, M. R., 2002).
Describes How Memberships in the Hispanic American Subculture Guide Consumption Behaviors?
Hispanic Americans represent the 12% of population in the United States. They prefer to live in an extended family comprised of members who belong to various generations. In the United States the sub groups of Hispanic Americans is 12th in number. Hispanic are believed to be hailing from varied social backgrounds and are mostly a brand loyal population that is easy to reach.
Differentiating Characteristics of the Hispanic Market:
- The Hispanic are the ones in search of spirituality, bearing strong family ties.
- They prefer spending more on groceries
- The considered family affair is shopping
- Their well-dressed children are a matter of pride for them
- Hispanic Homemaker deems it less important to look for saving time or convenience.
When it comes to Hispanic Market of United States, it is segmented on the basis of country origin and geographic concentration. Another factor contributing to of segment this market is language, although they have significant variations in language preference. Moreover, media preference by Hispanics is their first language that they have learned to speak. In the United States 2nd and 3rd Hispanic generations are the ones fully bilingual with fluent English accent but when it comes to Spanish-language Television, they are the biggest viewers. Hispanics have distinct values, customs and beliefs with a marketing strategy of Puerto Ricans in NY, might get fail as compared with Cubans in Miami. However, Acculturation is the degree of dominant American cultural values, customs, rituals and artifacts that might be segmenting Hispanic Market. The Hispanic Market is not inclined towards generic products because they are more inclined towards well-known brand names with acclaimed high quality as Hispanic Consumers value such factor (Hawkins, D. I. & Mothersbaugh, D. L., 2010).
Describes How Memberships in the Asian American Subculture Guide Consumption Behaviors
Asian Americans are the ones that are portrayed in the newspapers and weekly news magazines frequently owing to their acclaimed achievements. They are considered the hardworking, strivers for excellence in every walk of life and a family oriented population. The annual purchasing power of these Asian Americans has been assessed as $254 billion according to the data provided by the United States Census Bureau. They are the ones:
- Having best education and affluence in society at large.
- Not much brand loyal but are highly quality conscious
They are the ones with diverse cultural subgroups that can speak various dialects. Asian Americans never compromise on quality and will even pay a higher price for something they deem of a better quality. This segment is considered to be loyal consumers but they are more male dominated when it comes to consumption decisions. Attracting this market needs the retailers to welcome Asian American patronage (Schiffman & Kanuk et al., 2010).
References
Hawkins, D. I. & Mothersbaugh, D. L. (2010). Consumer behavior. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Solomon, M. R. (2002). Consumer behavior. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
Schiffman, L. G., Kanuk, L. L. & Wisenblit, J. (2010). Consumer behavior. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
