Subcultures

What is a Subculture?

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

• A homogeneous segment within a heterogeneous national society.

Relationship Between Culture and Subculture

SubculturalTraits ofHispanicAmericans

Subcultural Traits of

AsianAmericans

DominantCulturalTraits of

U.S. Citizens

Major Subculture CategoriesCategories ExamplesNationality French, Puerto Rican,

KoreanReligion Catholic, Hindu, JewGeographic region South, Midwest, EastRace African-American,

Caucasian, Asian-AmericanAge Teens, Xers, BoomersGender Male, FemaleOccupation Engineer, Cook, PlumberSocial class Lower, Middle, Upper

Occupation

Nationality

• Primary subculture identified on the basis of nationality in the U.S. is the Hispanic subculture.

• Identifying Hispanics– Country of origin– Self-identification– Degree of identification

Hispanic Subculture

• 32 million people (2001)– 64% of Mexican origin– 10% of Puerto Rican origin– 4% of Cuban origin– Remainder from Spain, Central American, or

South America

• “Pan-Hispanic” middle class

Hispanic Market

• Prefer well-known or familiar brands

• Buy brands perceived to be prestigious

• Fashion-conscious

• Prefer to shop at smaller stores

• Deliberate buyers

• Buy brands advertised by their ethnic-group stores

• Likely to buy what their parents bought

Hispanic Market, continued

• Tend to be negative about marketing practices and government intervention in business

• Less than 1/3 have credit cards• Only 30% have checking accounts• Increasingly using coupons• Very price-sensitive• Prefer fresh to frozen or prepared items

Marketing to Hispanics

• Use Spanish-language media

• Personal, small stores

• Emphasize prestigiousness of products

• Offer coupons, sales

• Advertising should tie in to family

Race

• Major racial subcultures in U.S. are Caucasian, African-American, and Asian-Americans

African-American Subculture

• 34 million (2001)– Moving from inner cities to suburbs– Moving from Northern cities to the South

• Strong middle class

Characteristics of African-American Market

• Value-conscious

• Prefer popular or leading brands

• Unlikely to purchase private-label and generic products

• Brand loyal

• Use fewer coupons than Caucasians

• Read more advertising

Marketing to African-Americans

• Broad appeal ads for products that broadly appeal to all ethnic groups, including African-Americans

• Specialized appeals for products specifically developed for African-Americans

• Preferred mediums are radio, African-American magazines, African-American cable stations

Asian-American Subculture

• 10.9 million (2001)– Represent more than 29 different countries– Middle East to Taiwan

• Tendency to live near entry ports; overwhelmingly urban

• Median household income $40,600 (1995)– Wealthiest subgroup: Asian Indian

Asian American Market• Very family oriented• Very industrious• Strive for excellence in education• Strive to achieve higher class• Typically employed in professional, managerial, or

technical occupations• Consumption decisions tend to be male-oriented• Likely to patronize Asian shops• Brand loyal

Marketing to Asian Americans

• Use Asian American models

• Use native languages

• Niche marketing

• Family-based messages

• Base message appeals on desire to achieve

Age

• Generation Y– Born between 1979 and 1994– 7-22 year olds– 60 million– Echo boomers, Millenium Generation– Indifferent to many well-known brands– Savvy consumers– Internet kids

• Generation X– Born between 1966-1976– 23-33 year olds– 46 million– Enjoy life, have flexible lifestyles– Job satisfaction more important than salary– Purchase good brand names, but not necessarily

designer labels– Low newspaper readership

• Baby Boomers– Born between 1946-1964– 37-55 year olds– 76 million (40% of adult population)– Trend-setters– Consumption-oriented– Segment boomers by age: younger and older– Affluent boomers--yuppies

• Mature Adults– 56-65 year olds– Represent 70% of nation’s wealth– Silent generation– Easy to market to--TV, newspapers, radio

• Older Consumers– 65+ age category– Growing segment– Diverse interests, opinions, and activities– Cognitive age vs. chronological age

Characteristics of Older Consumers

• Price/value conscious

• Deal-prone

• Like to shop

• Tuned in to mass media

• Read everything

• Use credit cards infrequently relative to other age groups

Marketing to Older Consumers• Segment by attitudes or lifestyle issues

• Be careful not to embarrass older consumers about their age

• Show diversity of age cohort in visual ads

• Avoid stereotypes

• Allow for sensory deficits– Print size– High frequency sounds– More time for information processing

• Use print media

Sex

• Sex roles– Gender identity

• Working woman– Segmentation issues– Shopping patterns