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REVIEW QUESTIONS
13-1. What is a subculture?
Consumers’ lifestyles are affected by group memberships within the society-at-large. We
call these groups subcultures, whose members share beliefs and common experiences
(5 minutes, Chapter Objective 1, AACSB: Reflective Thinking)
13-2. What is the difference between a high-context and a low-context culture? What is an
example of this difference?
In a high-context culture, group members tend to be tightly knit, and they are likely to
infer meanings that go beyond the spoken word. Symbols and gestures, rather than
(5 minutes, Chapter Objective 2, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-3. Why is it difficult to identify consumers in terms of their ethnic subculture membership?
The United States is heterogeneous, so it is difficult to separate subcultures from
mainstream society. Further, many people identify with two or more races, refusing to
(5 minutes, Chapter Objective 2, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-4. What is deethnicization? Give an example.
Deethnicization refers to the process whereby a product formerly associated with a
(5 minutes, Chapter Objective 3, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-5. Why are Hispanic American consumers attractive to marketers?
The Hispanic subculture is a sleeping giant that until recently many U.S. marketers
largely ignored. The growth and increasing affluence of this group has now made it
impossible to overlook, and major corporations avidly court Hispanic consumers.
(15 minutes, Chapter Objective 4, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-6. What is acculturation? How does it differ from enculturation?
Acculturation is the process of movement and adaptation to one country’s cultural
environment by a person from another country. This is an important issue for marketers
(5 minutes, Chapter Objective 1, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-7. Who are acculturation agents? Give two examples.
The person’s contact with acculturation agents—people and institutions that teach the
ways of a culture—are also crucial. Some of these agents are aligned with the culture of
(10 minutes, Chapter Objective 3, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-8. Describe the processes involved when a person assimilates into a new host culture.
Several processes come into play as immigrants adapt to their new surroundings.
Movement refers to the factors motivating people to physically uproot themselves from
one location and go to another. In this case, people leave Mexico because of the scarcity
During the acculturation process, many immigrants undergo assimilation, where they
adopt products, habits, and values that are identified with the mainstream culture. At the
same time, there is an attempt at maintenance of practices associated with the culture of
(15 minutes, Chapter Objective 3, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-9. Why are Asian Americans an attractive market segment? Why can they be difficult for
marketers to reach?
Asians not only make up the fastest-growing population group, but they are generally the
most affluent and best educated. Estimates put this segment’s buying power at $253
Despite its potential, this group is hard to market to because it actually is composed of
subgroups that are culturally diverse and speak many different languages and dialects.
(10 minutes, Chapter Objective 4, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding
13-10. How do religious subcultures affect consumption decisions?
In some cases, dietary or dress requirements create demand products, and these items
then may gain in popularity among other groups. For example, less than one-third of the
In addition to food products, religious subcultures in particular may exert a significant
impact on consumer variables such as personality, attitudes toward sexuality, birthrates
(10 minutes, Chapter Objective 5, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-11. What is a nuclear family, and how is it different from an extended family?
The extended family used to be the most common family unit. It consists of three
(5minutes, Chapter Objective 4, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding),
13-12. What are boomerang kids?
Children are more likely to live at home after graduating from college rather than taking
their own places. Demographers call these returnees boomerang kids (you throw them
Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
13-3
(5minutes, Chapter Objective 4, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding),
13-13. What is the FLC, and why is it important to marketers?
Because they recognize that family needs and expenditures change over time, marketers
apply the family life cycle (FLC) concept to segment households. The FLC combine
trends in income and family composition with the changes these demands place on this
(5minutes, Chapter Objective 4, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding),
13-14. What is an age cohort, and why is it of interest to marketers?
An age cohort consists of people of similar ages who have undergone similar
experiences. They share many common memories about cultural heroes (e.g., John
Wayne versus Brad Pitt, important historical events (e.g., World War II versus the 2001
(5 minutes, Chapter Objective 6, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-15. How are Gen Yers different from their older brothers and sisters?
Unlike their parents or older siblings, Gen Yers tend to hold relatively traditional values
and they believe in the value of fitting in rather than rebelling. Their acculturation agents
(5 minutes, Chapter Objective 7, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-16. What are tweens, and why are so many marketers interested in them?
Marketers use the term tweens to describe the 27 million children aged 8 to 14 who
spend $14 billion a year on clothes, CDs, movies, and other “feel good” products.
Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
13-4
(5 minutes, Chapter Objective 7, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-17. What are some industries that stand to benefit most from the increasing affluence and
vitality of the senior market?
Travel and hospitality, car sales and rentals, apparel, banking, and others.
(3 minutes, Chapter Objective 9, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHALLENGE
DISCUSS
13-18. Geodemographic techniques assume that people who live in the same neighborhood have
other things in common as well. Why do they make this assumption, and how accurate is
it?
Geodemography refers to analytical techniques that combine data on consumer
expenditures and other socioeconomic factors with geographic information about the
areas in which people live to identify consumers who share common consumption
patterns. Researchers base this approach on the common assumption that “birds of a
(10 minutes, Chapter Objective 9, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-19. Should members of a religious group adapt marketing techniques that manufacturers
customarily use to increase market share for their secular products? Why or why not?
Most students will probably say that some level of marketing used by churches and
religious groups is fine. After all, without any kind of promotion, how are the members of
(10 minutes, Chapter Objective 5, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-20. Several years ago R. J. Reynolds announced plans to test market a menthol cigarette
Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
13-5
called Uptown specifically to black consumers. According to the company, about 70
percent of black smokers prefer menthol, more than twice the average rate. After market
research showed that blacks tend to open cigarette packs from the bottom, the company
decided to pack Uptowns with the filters facing down. Reynolds cancelled its plans after
private health groups and government officials protested. Does a company have the right
to exploit a subculture’s special characteristics, especially to increase sales of a harmful
product such as cigarettes? What about the argument that virtually every business that
follows the marketing concept designs a product to meet the needs and tastes of a
preselected segment?
The instructor should anticipate a high level of interest and involvement with the issues
represented in the RJR case. As in the case of targeting gays and the handicapped, there
is likely to be a difference of opinion. It would be particularly interesting to hear the
(20 minutes, Chapter Objective 4, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding and
Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities)
13-21. Describe the progressive learning model and discuss why this perspective is important
when marketing to subcultures.
The progressive learning model states that people gradually learn a new culture as they
increasingly are exposed to it. As stated in the text, this model leads us to expect the
(10 minutes, Chapter Objective 3, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding
13-22. Discuss the pros and cons of the voluntarily childless movement.
The percentage of women of childbearing age who define themselves as voluntarily
childless is on the rise. Twenty percent of women ages 40 to 44 have no children, double
the level of 30 years ago. Childless couples are an attractive market segment for some
companies (but obviously not for others, such as Gerber Baby Food). So-called
(5 minutes, Chapter Objective 4, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-23. When they identify and target newly divorced couples, do you think marketers exploit
these couples’ situations? Are there instances in which you think marketers may actually
be helpful to them? Support your answers with examples.
Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
13-6
Responses will vary by student but should address the family life cycle. As people move
through these life stages, we observe significant changes in expenditures in leisure, food,
durables, and services, even after we adjust the figures to reflect changes in income. We
(5 minutes, Chapter Objective 4, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-24. Born-again Christian groups have been instrumental in organizing boycotts of products
advertised on shows they find objectionable, especially those that they feel undermine
family values. Church leaders can encourage consumption but, more importantly, they
can also discourage it—sometimes with powerful effects. The Disney Corporation
discovered how effective these movements can be when the Southern Baptist Convention
voted to persuade all its members to boycott Disney’s operations. The church instituted
its anti-Mickey rebellion to protest the “Gay Days” at the theme parks and advocated a
view that Disney had a radical homosexual agenda that it promoted through its
broadcasts. Soon other organizations joined the cause, including the American Family
Association, the General Council of the Assemblies of God, the Congregational Holiness
Church, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, and the Free Will Baptists.
The fallout from the boycott was significant; Disney was forced to lay off 4,000
employees. Do religious groups have a right or a responsibility to dictate what advertising
a network should carry?
As with many of the previous exercises, the answer to this question is a matter of
individual opinion. As always, the instructor should encourage students to consider both
(10 minutes, Chapter Objective 5, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding and
Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities)
13-25. Religious symbolism appears in advertising, even though some people object to this
practice. For example, a French Volkswagen ad for the relaunch of the Golf model
showed a modern version of the Last Supper with the tag line, “Let us rejoice, my
friends, for a new Golf has been born.” A group of clergy in France sued the company
and the ad had to be removed from 10,000 billboards. One of the bishops involved in the
suit said, “Advertising experts have told us that ads aim for the sacred in order to shock,
because using sex does not work anymore.” Do you agree? Should religion be used to
market products? Do you find this strategy effective or offensive? When and where is this
appropriate, if at all?
In answering this question, students may come up with numerous related incidents to
illustrate the impact of highlighting religion in popular culture and advertising. One
interesting approach to this issue (and related issues of offenses based on any other
(15 minutes, Chapter Objective 5, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding and
Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities)
13-26. The chapter describes efforts by some mainstream marketers to appeal to Muslim
consumers by making halal products. Given the political attitudes some Americans hold
regarding Muslims, is this a dangerous strategy or a courageous one? What are the
potential pitfalls of this approach and how would you handle it?
Students are likely to have different opinions about whether it is dangerous or
courageous, but they should recognize that it is important for marketers that claim to be
(10 minutes, Chapter Objective 5, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding and
Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities)
13-27. This chapter discussed the dramatic changes in family structure today. The reality is that
many other types of families continue to grow rapidly as well. Indeed, some experts
argue that as traditional family living arrangements wane, we place even greater emphasis
on siblings, close friends, and other relatives who provide companionship and social
support. Some people join intentional families, groups of unrelated people who meet
regularly for meals and who spend holidays together. Indeed, for some the act of meeting
together to consume homemade food plays a central role in defining family: It is a
symbolic way to separate a family unit from other social groups by allowing the cook(s)
to personalize the meal and express affection via the effort that went into preparing the
feast. What evidence do you find of the impact of nontraditional family structures? How
will these alternative lifestyles change the way we think about consumer behavior?
Responses will vary by student. The response should recognize the concept of extended
(10 minutes, Chapter Objective 4, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity)
13-28. This chapter describes members of Gen Y as much more traditional and team oriented
than their older brothers and sisters. Do you agree?
Given that the traditional college students of today fall into the Gen Y category, this
should be an interesting discussion. Do students want to see themselves as “traditional”?
(15 minutes, Chapter Objective 7, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-29. Many parents worry about the time their kids spend online, but this activity may actually
be good for them. A study by the MacArthur Foundation claims that surfers gain valuable
skills to prepare them for the future. The study also finds that concerns about online
predators are overblown; most kids socialize with friends they know from other situations
Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
13-8
like school or camp. What is your take on this? Are concerns about excessive Web
surfing unjustified?
Students will likely feel that the concern is overblown. Regardless, the use of the Internet
(10 minutes, Chapter Objective 7, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-30. What are some of the positives and negatives of targeting college students? Identify some
specific marketing strategies that you feel have been either successful or unsuccessful at
appealing to this segment. What characteristics distinguish the successes from the
failures?
According to material found in the chapter, advertisers spend approximately $100 million
per year to try to influence this $20 billion market. As noted, the average college student
has approximately $200 in discretionary funds each month beyond their basic needs. The
As noted in the chapter, one unique way of reaching the college student is the use of
sampler boxes and wall media. Students should be challenged to think of other media
(15 minutes, Chapter Objective 7, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
13-31. Is it practical to assume that people age 55 and older constitute one large consumer
market? How can marketers segment this age subculture? What are some important
variables to keep in mind when we tailor marketing messages to this age group?
Marketers have become convinced that the 55 and older age segment is diverse, with a
minimum of four subsegments represented by the 55–64, 65–74, 75–84, and 85 and older
(15 minutes, Chapter Objective 9, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding)
APPLY
13-32. Locate current examples of marketing stimuli that depend on an ethnic or religious
stereotype to communicate a message. How effective are these appeals?
Students are likely to identify beer companies for their practice of ethnic segmentation in
advertising. To target Hispanic Americans or African Americans, for example,
(25 minutes, Chapter Objectives 4 and 5, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding
13-33. To understand the power of ethnic stereotypes, conduct your own poll. For a set of ethnic
groups, ask people to anonymously provide attributes (including personality traits and
products) most likely to characterize each group using the technique of free association.
How much agreement do you obtain across respondents? To what extent do the
characteristics derive from or reflect negative stereotypes? Compare the associations for
an ethnic group between actual members of that group and nonmembers.
Students should be encouraged to conduct their own research for this exercise and many
(45 minutes, Chapter Objective 4, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding and
Analytic Skills)
13-34. Observe the interactions between parents and children in the cereal section of a local
grocery store (remember to take earplugs with you). Prepare a report on the number of
children who expressed preferences, how they expressed their preferences, and how
parents responded, including the number who purchased the child’s choice.
The report prepared by students will differ based on their experience in data collection.
(45 minutes, Chapter Objective 1, AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Understanding and
Analytic Skills)
13-35. Select a product category and, using the life-cycle stages this chapter describes, list the
variables likely to affect a purchase decision for the product by consumers in each stage
of the cycle.
A life-cycle approach to the study of the family assumes that pivotal events alter role
(10 minutes, Chapter Objective 4, AACSB: Analytic Skills)
13-36. Consider three important changes in the modern family structure. For each, find an
example of a marketer who seems to be conscious of this change in its product
communications, retailing innovations, or other aspects of the marketing mix. If possible,
also try to find examples of marketers who have failed to keep up with these
developments.
Over the years, researchers have proposed several models to describe family life-cycle
stages, but with limited effect because most failed to take into account such important
social trends as the changing role of women, the acceleration of alternative lifestyles,
childless and delayed-child marriages, and single-parent households. There are four
variables that address these changes: age, marital status, the presence or absence of
children in the home, and the age of the children, if present. The examples students
choose will vary, and will their indication of how marketers keep up, or fail to keep up,
with these developments.
Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
13-10
(10 minutes, Chapter Objective 4, AACSB: Reflective Thinking)
Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
13-11
