Chapter 13 Subcultures and Consumer Behavior MKT 348 Dr. Franck Vigneron

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

Issues in Studying Hispanic Subcultures Hispanic Consumer Behavior –Next biggest minority –Stronger preference for well-established brands –Prefer to shop at smaller stores –Some are shifting food shopping to non-ethnic American-style supermarkets –Youths are more fashion-conscious Defining and Segmenting the Hispanic Market –Six ways of defining and segmenting the market

Major Racial Subcultures The African-American Consumer –Largest racial minority in U.S. (= 13%) –Purchasing power estimated at $469 billion Asian-American Consumers –Currently about 10 million in size –Estimated at 10.9 million in 2001 –Gain of almost 50% since 1990

Asian-American Consumers Where Are the Asian-Americans? –Largely urban Asian-Americans As Consumers –Buying power of $110 billion annually (largest buying power per each Asian) –Brand loyal customers –Frequently male-oriented consumer decisions –Attracted to retailers who welcome Asian-American patronage

Major Subcultural Categories CATEGORIESEXAMPLES NationalityFrench, Puerto Rican, Korean ReligionCatholic, Hindu, Jew Geographic regionSoutheastern, Midwestern, Eastern RaceAfrican-American, Caucasian, Asian-American AgeTeens, Xers, middle age, elderly GenderFemale, Male OccupationEngineer, cook, plumber Social classLower, middle, upper

Age Subcultures Age subgroupings of the population.

Issues in Understanding Older Consumer Defining “Older” in Older Consumer Segmenting the Elderly Market Shopping Experiences of the Older Consumer Perception of your age is key in defining older consumers

Issues in Understanding Sex as a Subculture Sex Roles and Consumer Behavior –Masculine vs. Feminine Traits The Working Woman –Segmentation Issues –Shopping Patterns