Ethnic Consumers Research Articles

The production and microbiological status of skin-on sheep carcasses

There is a demand by certain ethnic consumer groups in the United Kingdom for skin-on, singed carcasses, primarily from older sheep, but their production is illegal under current EU legislation. The aim of this study was to devise a protocol to produce carcasses having the desired ‘smoked’ colour and odour and an acceptable microbiology. A successful result could form the basis of a case to revise the legislation. Three key steps in the selected procedure were carcass singeing using specially designed gas burner equipment, pressure washing to clean the carcass and then evisceration. It was shown that a second heat application, termed ‘toasting’, if applied after evisceration, significantly ( P < 0.001) reduced Enterobacteriaceae and TVC counts on carcasses before chilling. Microbiological quality was also improved when toasting was the final step, following carcass splitting and inspection. Carcasses produced in this way had significantly ( P < 0.001) lower Enterobacteriaceae and TVC counts before chilling than conventionally dressed sheep carcasses produced in the same abattoir.

Missed opportunities? Reaching the ethnic consumer market

AbstractChanging population demographics within the UK have become a source of increased interest to marketers as companies have realized the importance of targeting their products and advertising efforts towards minority and ethnic groups. In addition, as the UK’s ethnic minorities grow in both numbers and in terms of prosperity, so does the commercial significance of this market. A clearer understanding of both the nature of changing markets and the relative importance of different minority ethnic groups as consumers is imperative to facilitate both consumer understanding and business development; marketers need to understand better how to target these people, what they have in common with the mainstream and where the differences lie. This paper seeks to describe current understanding of ethnic consumers and their impact on the marketplace while highlighting an area where future research is potentially of considerable benefit.

The importance of understanding the shape of diverse ethnic female consumers for developing jeans sizing systems

AbstractThis study has been conducted to investigate the fit issues related to the current apparel pants and jeans sizing system for diverse consumers, identifying body shape differences among ethnic groups. A total of 1335 women in a certain size range (Misses figure type sizes 2–20) were selected in the study. A Misses figure type size category is commonly used for adult women of average proportion and height. First, the body dimension differences among ethnic groups were examined with a single factor analysis of variance. Second, the fit of pants and jeans for the diverse consumers within the same size category was examined with the current standard sizing system, ASTM D5585 for adult female Misses figure type sizes 2–20. Three cases were programmed within a database: When each consumer selects a size for a pair of jeans based on (1) waist size; (2) hip size; and (3) waist height (usually pants length). And last, the results were analysed with fit comparison plots. Current jean consumers are racially diversified in the US and globally as well. This study revealed that ethnic groups had different fit problems and significant body shape differences. Even within the same figure type size category, a variety of body dimensions existed in each ethnic group. According to the fit problem assessment in this study, consumers within the same body figure type size category could not find the right fit of the pants and jeans within the current sizing system. Half of the female consumers could not find a garment to fit based on waist height (pants length) because the current sizing systems overlooked the effect of diverse consumers. This study will be useful for standardizing organizations to modify current sizing systems for diverse ethnic consumer groups as a demographic factor so that apparel companies could provide better quality of fit for their consumers in the global and local market.

Am I welcome here? Exploring how ethnic consumers assess their place identity

Bitner's [Bitner, M.J. Servicescapes: the impact of physical surroundings on customers and employees, J Mark 1992;56(April):57–72.] and Tombs and McColl-Kennedy's [Tombs A, McColl-Kennedy JR. Social-servicecape conceptual model. Mark Theory 2003; 3(4):447–475.] servicescape frameworks serve as models for illustrating how consumers perceive physical and social elements in consumption settings. This study builds on these frameworks by suggesting that consumers respond to additional elements in a social servicescape to assess their place identity. Place identity refers to the congruency between a consumer's self-identity and a place. On the basis of data collected from ethnic consumers, we posit that consumers assess their place identity by evaluating the ethnicity of employees and customers in a setting, a process termed “place likening,” and by responding to verbal and nonverbal cues in a consumption setting. We demonstrate how physical and place identity elements influence responses among Hispanic and homosexual consumers.

Ethnic Marketing, Multi-Culturalism and Consumer Purchase Behaviour: Issues of Cultural Identity

Ethnic Marketing, Multi-Culturalism and Consumer Purchase Behaviour: Issues of Cultural Identity

Chinese Ethnic Identification and Conspicuous Consumption

This study is an investigation of the moderating and mediating effect of acculturation dimensions on the relationship between Chinese identification and conspicuous consumption by ethnic Chinese consumers in Canada. The research site was Toronto, Canada. A survey methodology was applied and a total of 254 Chinese Canadian respondents participated. The results revealed a strong relationship between Chinese identification and conspicuous consumption. Some mediating effect of two acculturation dimensions on the proposed relationship was also found in this study.

The symbolic servicescape: Your kind is welcomed here

AbstractThis paper expands Bitner's (1992) servicescape framework by conceptualising the existence of a symbolic servicescape. To date, researchers primarily have explored how consumers respond to physical elements within a consumption setting's built environment, however, commercial establishments have a history of discriminating against ethnic consumers. Thus, ethnic consumers may respond to other environmental elements when formulating marketplace approach/avoidance decisions. This paper reveals that ethnic consumers respond to a symbolic servicescape, defined as objects and artefacts that evoke similar meanings across members of specific ethnic groups. Using photo‐elicitation methodology, the author demonstrates how Jewish and homosexual consumers interpret symbols within consumption settings and how these symbols impact on approach/avoidance behaviour. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Postassimilationist Ethnic Consumer Research: Qualifications and Extensions

Data collected among Greenlandic immigrants in Denmark fuel a critical examination of the postassimilationist model of ethnic consumer behavior in a non–North American context. We find that Greenlandic consumer acculturation is broadly supportive of the postassimilationist model. However, acculturative processes in the Danish context lead immigrants to adopt identity positions not entirely consistent with those reported in previous postassimilationist consumer research. Further, we identify transnational consumer culture as an acculturative agent not identified in previous research on consumer ethnicity and question the performative model of culture swapping. Finally, the analysis supports ideas about postassimilationist ethnicity as culture consumed.

The ethnic Croatian consumers' country of origin decisions

The country of origin (COO) image, which is directly communicated to the consumer through the phrase "made in" since a decade, is attracting the attention of scientists and marketers around the world. Country of origin image is multidimensional and a completive concept, and it could be defined as one of the extrinsic cues of the product (or service), which is a result of different influences in the interrelationship between country of origin and country of import, i.e., the consumers. Due to the geographical position and tradition, Croatian jeans consumers mostly buy jeans made in the European Union and Croatia, but at the same time, because of the intensive globalisation process, jeans made in Asia and Eastern Europe, are more and more easily available in the Croatian jeans market.

Food Shopping Behavior Among Ethnic and Non-Ethnic Communities in Britain

This study compares ethnic and non-ethnic grocery shoppers to establish if their brand preferences differ while shopping in British supermarkets. It is thus an investigation useful for grocery brand positioning. While this study found that grocery shoppers differ in terms of socio-economic status, personal characteristics and brand preference behavior, no significant differences were found in the preference of food brands because of cultural differences. In terms of brand name importance, the results suggests, that statistically, no significant cultural differences exist in the level of importance that consumer groups attached to a variety of food brand attributes. The results however found that, when purchasing fruit and vegetables, rice, meat and fish, non-ethnic consumers disliked “no-name” brands and attached greater importance to national brands than did the ethnic consumers. A substantial majority of both the ethnic and non-ethnic consumers perceived television and radio information sources as of very little importance. The majority of the ethnic consumers found ethnic-minority based newspapers to be an important source of food information. Implications for brand image, the buying preferences for ethnic and non-ethnic consumers, grocery retailing, limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Tangibility consequences for ethnic marketing strategy

The influence of intangibility on ethnic minority consumers' choice of service providers is reflected in their use of information sources, choice criteria, motivation for switching and valuation of provider attributes. This is examined by drawing from survey responses given by members of a minority ethnic group (the Portuguese community in Sydney) concerning their choice of providers of 16 different service-products. These are classified into search, experience and credence classes based on their varying tangibility and evaluation qualities. Information search behaviour and valued attributes differ between all three classes, but in particular between the search class and the others. Tangibility matters, indicating that each class should be treated separately for strategy purposes. Ethnic minority consumers' value continuing relationships with providers in all three classes but particularly in the provision of credence based service-products, where habituation to the provider is the most valued attribute.

Cross‐cultural consumer socialization: An exploratory study of socialization influences across three ethnic groups

AbstractAccording to the recent 2000 U.S. Census, the ethnic population in America reached almost 80 million people. However, there is limited research to show how ethnic consumers seek market information and how susceptible they are to different types of personal and media influences. An attempt is made in this study to present a cross‐cultural comparison of ethnic consumer socialization influences. The results of the study indicate that Asian American, Hispanic, and African American young adults significantly differ in their susceptibility to different socialization influences. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development and evaluation of a fermented cabrito snack stick product

In order for the meat goat producer to survive, new avenues for marketing goats must be created. Currently, the live animal is sold directly to consumers, or to brokers who in turn sell the animal directly to consumers or retail stores that cater to various ethnic groups. The production of value-added products with appeal to North American consumers, as well as current ethnic consumers, should result in increased profitability of the meat goat. The objectives of this study were to develop a value added product, cabrito snack sticks, using goat meat as the sole meat ingredient; evaluate soy protein concentrate (SPC) at various levels in an effort to reduce the cost of the product; determine consumer acceptability of the product; and conduct a cost analysis to determine the approximate market price for the product. Three fermented cabrito snack stick products were manufactured containing either 0, 1.75 or 3.50% SPC and stored at 2±1°C until evaluated. The snack sticks were evaluated for sensory characteristics, proximate analysis, pH, water activity and smokehouse yields. Trained panelists detected no significant flavor differences (P>0.05) between the products. As a result of these findings, snack sticks formulated with 0 and 3.50% SPC were compared in a consumer sensory evaluation. Consumer panelists detected no significant differences (P>0.05) in flavor, texture and overall acceptance between the snack stick products, and approximately 61% of the panelists commented that they would purchase them. Cabrito snack sticks formulated with 3.50% SPC had lower fat (P<0.05) and higher ash contents when compared with the control (0% SPC) sticks. Moisture, protein, water activity and smokehouse yields were similar (P>0.05) for both products. Moisture: protein ratio and pH values were higher (P<0.05) for snack sticks formulated with 3.5% SPC when compared with the control sticks. The addition of SPC resulted in a 4.60% reduction in the price of snack sticks formulated with 3.50% SPC when compared with control sticks.

Development and evaluation of a cabrito smoked sausage product

In order for the meat goat producer to survive, new avenues for marketing goats must be created. Currently, the live animal is sold directly to consumers, or to brokers who in turn sell the animal directly to consumers or retail stores that cater to various ethnic groups. The production of value-added products with appeal to North American consumers, as well as current ethnic consumers, should result in increased profitability of the meat goat. The objectives of this study were to develop a value added product, cabrito smoked sausage, using goat meat as the sole meat ingredient; evaluate soy protein concentrate (SPC) at various levels in an effort to reduce product cost; determine consumer acceptability; and conduct a cost analysis to determine the approximate market price for the product. Three fermented cabrito smoked sausage products were manufactured containing 0, 1.75 or 3.50% SPC and stored at 2±1°C until evaluated. The sausages were evaluated for sensory characteristics, proximate analysis, pH, water activity and smokehouse yields. Trained panelists detected no significant flavor differences ( P > 0.05) between the products. As a result of these findings, sausages formulated with 0 and 3.50% SPC were compared in a consumer sensory evaluation. Consumer panelists detected no significant differences ( P > 0.05) in flavor, texture and overall acceptance between the snack sticks. Approximately 65% of the panelists commented that they would purchase the value added products. Proximates, pH, water activity and smokehouse yields were similar ( P > 0.05) for the sausages formulated with 0 and 3.50% SPC. The addition of SPC resulted in an 8.79% reduction in the price of the 3.50% SPC formulation when compared to the sausage formulated with no SPC.

Ethnic marketing ethics

Culture plays an important role in defining ethics standards because dissimilar cultures socialize their people differently, according to what is acceptable behaviour. The potential significance of ethnic groups for marketing justifies inquiry into the moral judgments, standards, and rules of conduct exercised in marketing decisions and situations arising from decisions whether or not to focus on individual ethnic groups within an economy. Identifying and targeting ethnic groups for marketing purposes are tasks fraught with many ethical difficulties. In a multicultural society consisting of a dominant group and many diverse, minority groups defined by ethnicity, these problems can be expected to increase substantially. Consequently, marketers may include minority ethnic consumers in their mainstream marketing programs. In itself, this has ethical consequences. Alternatively, if marketers seek to target individual minority ethnic groups within the same economy a further set of ethical consequences needs to be considered. This paper reviews the concepts of ethnicity and ethnic groups and their relevance for marketing strategy within an economy where there is a dominant group and also significant minority ethnic groups. The ethical consequences for minority communities arising from the use of non-ethnic, mainstream marketing programs are examined. An alternative approach, ethnic marketing, is also examined and its ethical consequences in terms of other groups within the one country appraised. The ethical dilemma and tradeoffs facing marketers within advanced, culturally diverse countries are then considered.

Advertising to ethnic subcultures: a study with bilingual Korean‐Americans

Examines the issue of how variations in language used in advertising affect advertising preference with a sample of bilingual, Korean Americans. Uses past literature to hypothesise that the level of acculturation would moderate ethnic consumers’ preference for advertisements in English versus their native language. Extends previous research in the field of ethnic advertising by considering whether findings from studies conducted with Hispanic American consumers are applicable to Asian Americans. Shows that no significant differences were detected in bilingual Korean American preferences for advertisements in which the message was presented in English as compared with those that used Humgul (Korean language) to communicate with the audience. Concludes with suggestions for further research.

The Effects of Ethnicity and Product on Purchase Decision Making

In this paper the authors investigate how ethnic consumers differ in their purchase decision making. They report on a study that examined the key decision influences (media authority, reference groups, and store image) for the three main ethnic consumer groups in the United States (blacks, Hispanics and whites), for the purchase of social clothes (an expressive buy) and small electronics (a functional buy). They conclude that the different groups display distinctly different decision patterns, and that advertisers should craft advertising strategies for particular ethnic groups for specific types of product.

Marketing services to ethnic consumers in culturally diverse markets: issues and implications

Ethnic consumers arriving in an ethnically diverse nation such as Australia are likely to have a limited knowledge of the marketplace. Combined with possible communication difficulties, constrained decision making may result when selecting both products and suppliers. Services are significantly different from tangible products to warrant a distinct marketing literature but within it marketing to ethnic consumers is not distinguished. This paper argues that the marketing of services to ethnic consumers in culturally diverse markets requires this focus. A review of the literature identifies service selection difficulties that are likely to be endemic to minority ethnic groups residing in a culturally diverse society. The task of inexperienced ethnic consumers in selecting a service provider is used to identify potential constraints in the decision‐making process, to explain how membership of an ethnic group can reduce selection difficulties and to discuss how group recommendation influences an individual’s behaviour and vice versa.

Acculturation and Inter-Ethnic Consumer Perceptions: Can You Feel What We Feel?

Acculturation and ethnicity are some of the concepts that are often used by researchers to explain consumption experiences of ethnic minority consumers. The paper attempts to add a new dimension to the existing literature dealing with acculturation and ethnicity by exploring some of the feelings that are associated with one's sense of belonging to a group. The paper argues that the ethnic minority consumers experience multiple states of being which inform their interactions with their own ethnic group as well as the host society. The paper argues that there is no single ever-lasting outcome of acculturation. The paper discusses the implications of multiple states of being for marketing. The paper is based on an ethnographic study of forty-nine ethnic minority consumers in Bradford, UK.

Embeddedness: socialising the “social” construction of ethnicity

Considers the pluralistic cultures which exist within a nation and outlines the history of previous research into this field. Introduces the concept of embeddedness which means that the society within which a person lives will influence their behaviour. Discusses intracultural differences and presents some research strategies for looking at the ethnic consumer.