Hispanic Consumers Research Articles

Challenging the belief that all US Hispanics are culturally homogeneous: An AHAA and AARP cultural orientation and generational study

Hispanic marketing has grown significantly over the last 30 years in large part because corporations have applied an effective cross-cultural marketing framework. Popularised by M. Isabel Valdés, the In-Culture Marketing™ methodology1 posits that: (1) culture influences the attitudes, thoughts and behaviours of consumers; and (2) marketing effectiveness is optimised when the marketing mix accounts for the cultural orientation of US Hispanics. This methodology continues to be the gold standard in Hispanic marketing today and is the basis for a multi-billion dollar industry. Marketing to Hispanics has almost exclusively been based on the use of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultural insights. It is contended that this is an oversimplification. This paper proposes that the Hispanic consumer is culturally diverse and constantly evolving, and suggests that leading organisations will need to better understand the changing cultural orientation of the US Hispanic consumer to be successful, as more companies are looking to this segment of the population for growth.

Acculturation and consumer loyalty among immigrants: a cross-national study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of acculturation on immigrant consumers’ loyalty. The authors posit that the acculturation orientation of immigrants determines their consumer loyalty to both ethnic and mainstream brands and stores. Design/methodology/approach – Using a sample of Hispanic consumers in the USA and consumers from the former Soviet Union in Israel, this study tests a model in which two acculturation continua, original culture maintenance and host culture adaptation, serve as antecedents for immigrants’ consumer loyalty. Findings – Acculturation determines the extent of immigrants’ consumer loyalty. Both acculturation continua are associated with distinct loyalty patterns that are similar across the two immigrant groups. Research limitations/implications – Despite sampling limitations, the paper demonstrates that immigrants’ acculturation orientation influences their loyalty to ethnic and mainstream brands and stores. Shared by ethnic consumers in two culturally diverse markets, this relationship transcends geographic boundaries. Practical implications – The results provide insights for marketers with respect to the development of segmentation and positioning strategies and tactical implementations that address the preferences of ethnic consumers. Social implications – This paper highlights the importance of understanding the unique needs of ethnic consumers and addressing them. Successful integration of immigrant consumers into the marketplace can also help in their integration into the host society at large. Originality/value – Findings shed light on the commonalities and differences among immigrant groups in different national settings. The paper highlights the role of cultural transition as a key experience that affects immigrants regardless of specific environmental or situational circumstances.

Is Your Digital Marketing Strategy In Sync with Latino-User Behavior?

The article looks at digital marketing, focusing on its effectiveness among Hispanic American consumers. The authors discuss what they say are common errors made by marketing and advertising personnel of equating Latino with Spanish-speaking and assuming that the best way to reach Hispanic consumers is through Spanish-language media outlets. They note that many Latinos speak English as their first language and present data on topics including language patterns among Hispanics who use digital media and differences between Hispanics and non-Hispanics in their frequency of mobile social media and entertainment activities.

The Effect of Acculturation on Ethnic Consumers’ Decision-Making Styles: An Empirical Analysis of Hispanic Consumers

ABSTRACTThis study examines the effect of acculturation on ethnic consumers’ decision-making styles (CDMS) and posits that the extent of acculturation is manifested in their approaches to shopping. Specifically, it explores how the two dimensions of acculturation, ethnic identification and host culture identification, are associated with eight CDMS measured by Sproles and Kendall's (1986) Consumer Style Inventory. It also investigates the differences among four acculturation modes: assimilation, integration, separation, and marginalization with respect to CDMS. Results from a sample of 318 U.S. Hispanic consumers indicate that ethnic identification and host culture identification predict different shopping orientations. Of the four acculturation modes, the separation group scored significantly higher than the other three groups with respect to brand consciousness, confusion due to overchoice, and habitual orientations. Results are explained in the context of consumers’ extent of confidence or uncertainty when navigating the host marketplace. Implications are discussed for segmentation, marketing, brand communication, as well as consumer policy making to effectively address the needs of ethnic consumers.

Proximate and fatty acid compositions and sensory acceptability of Hispanic consumers towards rib‐eye steaks from forage‐finished steers

SummaryProximate and fatty acid compositions and sensory acceptability of rib‐eye steaks (fresh and 6 months frozen‐stored) from three forage‐finished steers [S1 (bermudagrass + ryegrass, etc.); S2 (bermudagrass + ryegrass + berseem, etc.); S3 (bermudagrass+berseem+soybean+brown midrib sorghum, etc.)] and one commercial steak (C), cooked by one‐sided and/or two‐sided grilling, were evaluated. All forage‐finished steaks had lower [omega‐6/omega‐3] ratios than C. Sensory liking was assessed by Hispanic consumers. Raw C steak had higher fat and lower protein contents than others (S1, S2 and S3). Concerning raw steaks, S3 had higher liking scores for overall appearance and fat appearance than others. Two cooking methods did not cause significant differences in sensory liking. Juiciness and overall liking of cooked C and S3 (one‐sided grilling) steaks were not significantly different. Purchase intent (after knowing health benefits of forage‐finished steaks) increased from 62.0–73.8% to 69.8–85.7%. Forage‐finished steaks showed a potentially healthier lipid profile than grain‐finished steaks and had market potential towards Hispanic population.

Is User-Validation Necessary for a Spanish Translation of the Microsoft Product Reaction Cards Tool?

Current research on Hispanic consumers focuses on Hispanics as a market segment, not their user experience, usability preferences, or cultural differences. This study evaluated the effectiveness of three versions of the Microsoft Product Reaction Cards (MPRC) tool in Spanish when capturing user experience feedback from Hispanic consumers. Since the MPRC tool has never been used in Spanish there was a need to determine whether a user-validated translation can enhance user feedback from Hispanic Consumers better than a direct translation or a translator-validated translation of the same tool. The goal was to determine whether there were any differences in the feedback elicited from Hispanic participants based on the type of Spanish translation of the MPRC tool they were provided (direct translation, translator-validated, and user-validated). The direct translation of the MPRC was done by using the first choice provided in Spanish to the English word in Google Translate. The exact wording provided in Spanish was used as the direct translation for the English word. The translator-validated translation was created by one translator after revising the results from the direct translation. The user-validated translation was created based on an online study with 52 bilingual participants in English and Spanish. Results indicate that the participants in the direct-translation list and translator-validated list were not significantly more satisfied than the participants using the user-validated list. Furthermore, translation quality ratings were not significantly higher for the translator and user-validated translation conditions. Participants seemed resilient to translation quality perhaps due to their bilingualism. Future research should address the effects of bilingualism on reading comprehension of material with poor translation quality.

Antecedents to purchase intentions for Hispanic consumers: a ‘local’ perspective

The current study explores consumer attributes such as attitudes, subjective norms, connectedness, and price consciousness and their relationship with purchase intentions of Hispanic shoppers within the locally produced food category. Four hypothesized direct-path relationships and one moderation effect across the four proposed paths were tested via a two-step process in structural equations modeling. Results of measurement model testing suggested that a five-factor model fits well for the Hispanic group. Within the structural model process, a significant positive relationship was found between two proposed paths: consumer attitudes with intention to purchase and price consciousness with intention to purchase. A moderation effect of perceived product availability was found only for the path of price consciousness with intention to purchase. These results suggest that factors such as subject norms and connectedness, often associated with the local food category, may not be important drivers for purchase intentions for the Hispanic food shopper in retail grocery channels. However, other factors relating to attitudes, price consciousness, and product availability may be more salient. From this exploration, implications for marketers are provided and future research directions suggested.

Hispanic marketing and communication resources: a selective bibliography

Purpose‐ The purpose of this article is to highlight and describe information resources on Hispanic marketing for practitioners and scholars in the field – as well as librarians collecting resources in the Communication and Business subject areas.Design/methodology/approach‐ This article provides an overview of Hispanic marketing resources that were published within the last ten years. A few key sources on Hispanic culture and Hispanic statistics are included for a holistic picture of the Hispanic impact in the US consumer market.Findings‐ The paper reveals that marketers and advertisers are keeping a close eye on the Hispanic consumer market as the Hispanic population in the US continues to increase. Yet, there are few scholarly sources examining and discussing Hispanic marketing communication.Originality/value‐ With only a handful of information sources on Hispanic marketing communication, it is eminent to get scholarly research that teaches our future generations of marketers to conduct leading research and serve as an innovative resource for the Hispanic marketing industry.

Valuation of Internal Quality Characteristics Across Apple Cultivars

ABSTRACTSince the 1980s, the composition of the fresh apple market has shifted from three fourths Red Delicious to about one third in 2012. Gala apples are one of the cultivars that have gained ground in popularity. In this article, the authors compare how internal fruit qualities affect consumers’ willingness to pay for apples and whether these effects differ across these two cultivars. Consumers are willing to pay more for firmness for both cultivars, with a larger effect for Red Delicious. Using consumer assessments of sweetness acceptability, consumers are willing to pay a positive amount for both cultivars, but the effect of sweetness is higher for Gala apples. The only significant ethnicity variable is being Hispanic, which is associated with lower willingness to pay for Gala and higher willingness to pay for Red Delicious. One possible explanation is that the Hispanic consumers may have stronger food traditions associated with Red Delicious. [EconLit Citations: Q13, L15].

Perceived ‘Hispanicness’versus ‘Americanness’

This article discusses how consumers differentiate competing brands of similar utilitarian values on the basis of a brand’s cultural association, namely brand ethnicity, and examines how the perceived brand ethnicity influences consumers’ brand preference and choice. Study findings, based on both qualitative and quantitative research with self-identified His panic consumers, indicate that Hispanic consumers associate certain brands with Hispanic culture and other brands with American culture. In a hypothetical purchasing scenario, the perceived brand ethnicity affects consumers’ brand preference significantly in accordance with their cultural orientation. However, in a real consumer behaviour setting, external factors such as brand accessibility attenuate the effects of brand ethnicity.

The four faces of the Hispanic consumer: An acculturation-based segmentation

This article develops and tests a segmentation scheme for the U.S. Hispanic market based on the extent and nature of acculturation. Acculturation is conceptualized as driven by language preferences and two dimensions of cultural identification, Hispanic and American. Structural equation modeling develops and assesses the proposed scales, and a latent class clustering procedure (latent discriminant analysis) tests propositions on a sample of 403 U.S. Hispanics. Consistent with theory, four clusters of U.S. Hispanics emerge: retainers, biculturals, assimilators, and non-identifiers that vary according to language preference and cultural identification.

Identification of unique food handling practices that could represent food safety risks for minority consumers.

Foodborne illness caused by Salmonella and Campylobacter is a concern for consumers, and there is evidence that minority racial-ethnic populations experience greater rates of illness because of these pathogens. The limited body of research concerning food safety knowledge and practices among minority consumers has focused more on general food safety knowledge than on culturally specific food handling practices. The purpose of the research reported here was to explore food handling behaviors of minority racial-ethnic consumers through in-depth discussions in focus group settings. In this way, we hoped to identify potential unique, previously unidentified food handling practices among these consumers. Nine focus groups were held in Philadelphia, PA. Three focus groups were conducted with African American consumers, three with Hispanic consumers, and three with Asian consumers. In all, 56 consumers participated. Data were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for unique and potentially unsafe food handling behaviors. Potentially unsafe food handling practices identified among all three groups included extended time to transport food from retail to home and washing of raw poultry. Culturally unique behaviors within groups included (i) using hot water (Asian, Hispanic) or acidic solutions (African American, Hispanic) to clean raw poultry, (ii) purchasing live poultry (Asian, Hispanic), (iii) cooking poultry overnight (African American), and (iv) preparing bite-size pieces of meat prior to cooking (Asian, Hispanic). To have focus groups include a limited number of participants and nonrandom sampling means that these themes and trends cannot be extrapolated to represent food mishandling among these populations in general. Results presented here allow modification of an existing food safety survey to identify the prevalence of these food handling practices among consumers of different demographics.

Public‐private collaborations: branded public services?

PurposeThe objective of this article is to understand how to optimize partnerships between the public and business sectors. It aims to use a reference group influence model to help identify which kinds of public services are best suited to this type of collaboration.Design/methodology/approachConsumer data were collected in two stages using surveys. Data were analyzed using two‐sided paired t‐tests and a mixed factorial MANOVA. The model is validated in the two largest Hispanic consumer markets – Mexico and Spain.FindingsThe paper finds that reference group influence has a greater impact on brand decisions for publicly consumed public services, and on service decisions for public services for which consumers pay extra. Reference group influence varies between contexts/countries.Research limitations/implicationsDespite the economic, development and cultural differences between Mexico and Spain, countries with even greater differences, or additional countries, could have been included in the study. Although commonly accepted for theory testing and reference group research, the use of a student sample during the second stage of this study limits the extendibility and generalization of the results.Originality/valueDecision‐making shortcuts have been studied for years by behavioral scientists. However, to the authors' knowledge no research has explored how reference group influence affects public service consumption, and this understanding leads to the optimization of public‐private collaborations.

Bicultural Advertising and Hispanic Acculturation

This study examined the moderating effects of acculturation modes (assimilated, integrated, and separated) on Hispanic consumers’ responses to three advertising targeting strategies (Caucasian targeted, bicultural, and Hispanic targeted). The hypotheses were empirically tested in a 3 × 3 factorial experiment with 155 self-identified Hispanic adult consumers, where their acculturation modes were measured and the advertising stimuli they viewed were manipulated. Based on the ANCOVA (analysis of covariance) test results, it was found that Hispanic consumers’ attitudes toward different targeted ads and their purchase intentions for the products promoted in the ads were significantly influenced by their acculturation modes. The study results also highlighted integrated Hispanic consumers’ dual identification with both mainstream society and their Hispanic heritage, and their preference for bicultural and bilingual ads.

Religiosity, Attitude Toward Business, and Ethical Beliefs: Hispanic Consumers in the United States

Growth of the Hispanic consumer population in America is changing the marketplace landscape. Due to their considerable buying power, a better understanding of Hispanic consumer behavior has become a necessity. The marketing literature has examined issues regarding religiosity and attitude toward business in regards to consumer ethical beliefs as well as research differentiating consumers on the basis of ethnicity due to their inherently different religious principles. Therefore, the present study contributes to the existing consumer ethics literature by examining the roles of religiosity and attitude toward business in determining consumer ethical beliefs. Furthermore, this study compares the relationships among religiosity, attitude toward business, and ethical beliefs at the sub-cultural level (i.e., between Hispanic and Anglo-American consumers). Survey data compare a sample of 187 predominately Catholic Hispanic consumers with a sample of 127 predominately protestant Anglo consumers. Results suggest a positive relationship between intrinsic religiousness and beliefs that questionable consumer activities are unethical. However, extrinsic religiousness does not impact consumer views as to the ethicality of consumer practices. Hispanics exhibit higher levels of extrinsic religiousness than Anglos, but no difference in terms of their intrinsic religiousness. Results also suggest that Hispanics have a more negative attitude toward business than Anglos do. Implications of these results are discussed.

Confronting stereotypes: apparel fit preferences of Mexican‐American women

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the apparel fit preferences of Mexican‐American women between the ages of 18 and 25 years old from the Southwestern USA. The study also seeks to analyze the effect of body shape perception, body mass index, and clothing size on apparel fit preferences.Design/methodology/approachData were collected in an online survey using an original fit preference assessment scale. Sampling was restricted in terms of gender, age, subculture, and geography to control for the variability that exists in apparel preferences and the Hispanic market due to these factors. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe the sample's fit preferences for casual pants, tops, skirts, and dresses and to determine whether physical body characteristics impact these preferences.FindingsOverall, young Mexican‐American women preferred semi‐fitted apparel across all garment categories studied. Physical body characteristics tended to impact on the sample's preferences for close and loose‐fitting garments, with respondents who had narrower waists and smaller body sizes more likely to prefer close‐fitting garments. Respondents who had less defined waists and larger body sizes were more likely to prefer loose‐fitting garments.Originality/valueMany apparel firms wish to create targeted products for the Hispanic consumer, given the substantial growth in the size and purchasing power of this market. However, firms have frequently had to rely on cultural stereotypes due to a lack of information. The study documented in the paper developed an original fit preference scale to obtain important information that can be used to impact on apparel product development for this consumer.

Cross-cultural effects in E-retailing: The moderating role of cultural confinement in differentiating Mexican from non-Mexican Hispanic consumers

The United States Hispanic Internet user is a growing and relatively unexplored segment in the marketing literature. This research addresses this void by assessing how key cultural characteristics of U.S. Hispanic consumers influence their behaviors online. Examining a multi-cultural sample of Mexican Hispanic and non-Mexican Hispanic consumers, this study examines the influence of acculturation and cultural confinement, defined here as communal isolation, on repurchase intentions and positive word-of-mouth intentions in the context of Spanish-language websites, as well as their influence upon online social communication. The results indicate significant effects of both acculturation and cultural confinement on the behaviors of Hispanic online consumers, especially highlighting noteworthy differences between Mexican and non-Mexican Hispanic consumers regarding the interaction of these effects. The study provides implications for marketing to Hispanic consumers and future research directions.

Abstract A43: Comparison of colorectal cancer perceptions among two different predominantly Hispanic community populations

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States (Healthy People 2010 Report). According to the Texas Cancer Registry, CRC is the third most prevalent cancer in the El Paso area. Research has shown that 50–60% of CRC cases can be prevented if screening is done as recommended. Although adequate quantities of CRC health literature are available, the majority of Hispanic health consumers needing CRC screenings lack adequate education of the various CRC procedures and their benefits (Beeker, et al., 2000; Kim & Morera, 2002; Pollack et al., 2006). A report conducted by Kim and Morera (2002) found that Hispanics had different beliefs about CRC screening than their non-Hispanic counterparts. Active patient involvement in their medical decision making has been shown to lead to improved medical outcomes (Greenfield et al., 1995). The present study reports qualitative data on colorectal cancer and screening decision aids for Hispanic Americans living in border towns adjacent to Mexico to try to understand the existence of any barriers. Methods: A qualitative study consisting of 19 focus groups was conducted. A total of 11 groups were conducted in English, 5 in Spanish and 3 in both languages. The criteria for eligibility consisted of being 50 years or older and El Paso county resident. Focus groups were held at the University of Texas at El Paso, community based clinics, and senior centers throughout the County. Sessions lasted 1 hour. Participants were asked to sign a consent form and completed a demographic questionnaire. After each focus group session, participants were debriefed. Each focus group session was lead by a trained moderator, using as a guide a set of questions previously established by the team of researchers. All focus group sessions were recorded with the consent of all participants and kept confidential. All recordings were transcribed by two different assistants and evaluated to find major themes and sub-themes. A coding framework was developed based on the participants’ comments. Broad topics and salient points were identified to evaluate overlapping themes. Results: A total of 102 individuals participated in the focus groups. The majority of the participants (53.9%) were women. In the English-speaking groups more than a third of the participants had some college training (40%), where as in the Spanish-speaking and bilingual groups 51.9% had a 9th grade education or less. There were six major themes covered across focus group sessions: current knowledge, barriers, external controls, desired information, decision aid tools, and elements of persuasion. We found that not only participants lacked education about CRC and screenings but across focus groups, participants had some misleading information such as Hispanics are not at risk for CRC, men are more prone to CRC, CRC is not hereditary, and CRC cannot be diagnosed on its early stages. Furthermore, participants shared, based on their past experience, various means to communicate and educate the community in an effective manner. In spite of the large body of information on CRC and screening, there were many misconceptions and lack of meaningful knowledge across focus groups. However, faith, fate, and family play a large role as decision aid tools in getting screened. Furthermore, networks of family and friends seem effective dissemination tools to advocate CRC screening. These networks would be efficient in dissipating misinformation and reducing fear of procedures with the accurate information. Furthermore, according to their suggestions, several decision aid tools should be incorporated and presented together as one large and more comprehensive decision aid tool to help individuals make informed decisions. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011;20(10 Suppl):A43.

Hispanic Consumers' Willingness to Purchase Aquaculture Products Directly from Farmers: Results from a Recent Survey

A survey of Hispanic consumers was conducted in Kentucky to evaluate their willingness to buy fish and crustaceans directly from farms. The data showed that 72% of respondents were willing to travel to farms to buy food products. In addition, 85% of respondents were willing to support vendors bringing food products from farms to their communities. Of various fish and crustaceans cultured in Kentucky, tilapia was the most popular item. Whole fish was the most popular product form. The stated willingness to pay for tilapia suggests that the direct-to-consumer sale of tilapia is a profitable alternative for aquaculture farmers.

Hispanic Acculturation: Conceptual And Modeling Issues

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Batang; font-size: x-small;">The aim of this paper is to clarify conceptual and modeling issues concerning Hispanic acculturation using Berry’s (1980) four varieties of acculturation. Although the bulk of the Hispanic consumer literature assumes the assimilation type of acculturation, most respondents in the study report following the integration route to acculturation (73%). Study findings suggest that Berry’s (1980) two acculturation dimensions appear to be independent of the level of acculturation of the sample except for place of residency; and that strength of ethnic identity may be a misleading indicator of acculturation, higher acculturation does not always mean weaker ethnic identification.</span></p>