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Despite these general similarities, Donthu says that too many
companies make the mistake of treating Hispanic consumers as
a monolith when in actuality all Hispanics are not necessarily the
same. “First, their attitudes and behavior differ based on their
country of origin – Mexicans are very different from Cubans;
Puerto Ricans are very different from Brazilians.” Another
distinguishing characteristic is the degree to which they
identify with their Latin roots. According to Donthu, how
strongly they identify with their Latin heritage can influence
their buying patterns.
“Those who identify more strongly with their roots tend to be
more brand loyal, as external perceptions are very important
to them,” said Donthu. Those same external concerns translate
to coupon usage. “They don’t like to use coupons because it’s
seen as a handout, and they are very proud and want the world
to know that they can stand on their own.” However, Hispanics
who have a weaker ethnic identification see nothing wrong with
using coupons. “They are much more assimilated,” said Donthu.
“Their attitudes and behaviors are more closely aligned with
typical Anglo consumers.”
Interestingly, Donthu says that there is a generational boomerang
effect, where first- and third-generation Hispanics tend to
identify strongly with their ethnicity, while second-generation
Hispanics have a weaker ethnic identification.
This is particularly important for advertisers who are most
interested in the coveted 18–34-year-old demographic and
the group credited with driving what has been dubbed the
“Latinization of America.” Ugly Betty is just one example of the
influence this group has cast on America’s mainstream. And
according to Donthu, if the Hispanics continue to make strides
and increase their consumer buying power, advertisers will
continue to target this growing market.
“Things are changing in the U.S.,” said Donthu. “What once was
a big melting pot of people from different backgrounds looking
to assimilate, to form one face of America, has now become
more of a salad bowl where different ingredients or people
from different backgrounds come together to make one salad,
yet each retains their own characteristics.”
Naveen Donthu specializes in marketing research methodology and models,
comparative and outdoor advertising, brand equity, Hispanic consumer
research, cross-cultural issues, customer satisfaction research, and e-consumer
behavior. He has published more than 50 articles in journals and has consulted
for many national and international companies. His professional affiliations
include American Marketing Association and Institute for Operations Research
and Management Sciences.
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