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Increasing opportunities for multicultural marketing are
being created by demographic, technological, social and media
changes occurring in consumer and business environments within
the United States. The main goal of this course is to build
your expertise in cultural analysis of consumers in these
groups. We will examine similarities and differences among
consumers in different subcultures based on age, ethnicity,
sexual orientation and other consumer characteristics. We
will also explore new strategies for building relationships
with consumers in this multicultural society. The readings
and assignments have been developed to meet the specific goals
below:
1. To show how consumer identity is related to market and
media choices in a multicultural society.
2. To investigate attitudinal and behavioral characteristics
of specific cultural groups who are likely to constitute important
future markets in the US.
3. To review media & marketing decisions as tools for
building relationships with consumers in a multicultural society.
4. To study the roles of advertising and marketing as socializing
institutions that influence social and group identity in a
multicultural society.
This class is operated as a seminar. Each student is expected
to be an active participant in class discussions. There will
be a few lectures by the instructor, but most classes will
consist of discussions of the assigned readings and sites
on the Internet, in-class exercises, "Q & A"
sessions with guest speakers, or student presentations of
papers. You should be prepared to discuss the assigned readings
for each class period. Much of the quality of a seminar depends
on the thoughtfulness of each class member's contribution
to discussions.
A combination of chapters from books, visits to sites on
the World Wide Web, journal articles, publications of the
US Census Bureau, current magazine articles, and company case
histories will constitute the readings for the semester. The
required textbook is: Marye Tharp (2001). Marketing and Consumer
Identity in Multicultural
America. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. (ISBN:
0761911030). The other readings will be available as in-class
handouts and a packet that can be purchased at Longhorn Copies,
2520 Guadalupe Street, 476-4498.
Market Profile Paper. The purpose of this individual assignment
is to build your in-depth knowledge of the preferences, habits,
and responses of one of the emerging subculture markets. Pick
any group that interests you and about which you'd like to
know more. A secondary goal of this paper is for you to become
familiar with the types of information sources that provide
insight into subcultures & group behavior. Groups other
than those listed below are possible as the focus of this
profile, but they must be approved in advance by the instructor.
An organizing framework for the paper is the following: who
and where they are-demographics & geographics of the group;
what cements this group's identity: beliefs, habits, values,
behaviors; marketing and media habits, options, preferences,
attitudes and responses of the group; and last, your marketing
and communication recommendations to organizations interested
in building relationships with members of this group. Format:
2 copies of the complete paper, maximum 10 pages, double-spaced,
typewritten, with full citations of research sources at the
end. This paper will be due on various class days throughout
the semester. A sign-up sheet will let you pick when you would
like to turn in your paper. On that day in class, you will
be asked to share at least 5 new things you learned about
your group (maximum 5 minute presentation).
Group Choices for Market Profile: Generation X, Chinese Americans,
Baby Boomers, African Americans, US Smokers, Jewish Americans,
Mature Americans, Italian Americans, Texan Americans, French
Americans, Obese Americans, Cuban Americans, Southerners,
Native Americans, Children, Japanese Americans, the Disabled,
Arab Americans, Single Parents, US Latinos, US Teens, Generation
Y, Gays & Lesbians, New Yorkers, Korean Americans, Asian-Indian
Americans, Filipino Americans, Mexican Americans.
Communications Program for a Multicultural Market. This semester
our class will develop cultural insights into a social/marketing
problem affecting Texas teens. We have not yet determined
what the focus will be, but there will a separate handout
on the second week of the semester to describe the situation
in more detail. This project will be completed as a group
assignment in two phases during the semester. First, each
team should choose 2 sub-groups of Texas teens they want to
study (inner city/small town/suburban teens; African American/US
Latino/Asian American/Anglo teens; straight/gay teens; male/female
teens; pre-teens/13-15/16-18/19-20 year olds). After initial
analysis of background information and secondary data, your
team must pick and justify one group to focus on in primary
research. You will then meet with the TA and/or professor
to develop a research strategy for your groups. The cultural
and consumer insights you derive from the research will be
presented in-class to complete phase I of
the project.
The second phase begins with a detailed description of the
cultural groups or communities, and communications media that
influence your target groups. You then will build a communication
platform around which you can suggest ideas for messages and
media to reach the teens you want to influence. These communication
recommendations will be presented by each team at the end
of phase II.
Your choice of which groups to target and what communication
tools to use will be the foundation of your group strategy.
Format for each phase of the project: 2 copies of a complete
presentation deck, with full citations of any secondary research
sources at the end. Due Dates:
I. Consumer Insight: Thursday,
February 22, 2001
II. Communications Program: Thursday, April 19, 2001.
Market Profile Paper 20%
Multicultural Communications Program
I. Consumer Insight 20%
II. Recommendations 20%
Exercises & Quizzes 20%
Class Participation 20%
Your contribution to class participation will be measured
in three ways. First, there will be several unannounced quizzes
during the semester covering assigned readings and class discussions.
Second, your class attendance and the number of times you
comment in class will be noted. That information is a yardstick
for the quantity of your class participation. Third, your
quality of contribution will be judged on three criteria:
evidence of having understood the major points made in assigned
readings (sample student comment: "In the first part
of the article they were arguing that . . ."); ability
to integrate concepts (sample student comment: "Here
is how I think . . . case/article is related to what we read/discussed
last week: . . ."); ability to apply concepts and/or
to make them personally relevant (sample student comment:
"I think it might be useful to take . . . idea and use
it to achieve . . . objective.").
Unless stated otherwise, all work in this course is to be
completed on an individual basis. Any deviation from this
policy will be considered academic dishonesty and will not
be tolerated. Acts that constitute academic dishonesty are
defined in publications of The University of Texas Dean of
Students Office. All incidents of academic dishonesty will
receive at minimum a "zero" grade for that assignment,
and they will be reported to the Dean of Students Office.
Copyright Notice: All materials presented in lectures in
this class are copyrighted by Marye Tharp. No materials may
be directly or indirectly published, posted to Internet and
intranet distribution channels, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast
or publication or
redistribution in any medium. Neither these materials nor
any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for
personal and non-commercial use. Further, these materials
may be used only by University of Texas students who are officially
registered for ADV 378 (Unique # 05100) this semester.
Date/Class Topic
01-16-01 Introduction to Class Format & Topics
01-18-01 Crossing Borders in the US
01-23-01 What Is a Multicultural Society?
01-25-01 "
01-30-01 Consumers in a Multicultural Society
02-01-01 "
02-06-01 What Is American Culture? Defining the Mainstream
02-08-01 "
02-13-01 Marketing & Communication Strategies for Multicultural
Markets
02-15-01 "
02-20-01 US Latinos
02-22-01 "
Phase I Consumer Insight Report Due
02-27-01 Consumer Insight Presentations
03-01-01 "
03-06-01 Generations X & Y
03-08-01 "
03-13-01 SPRING BREAK
03-15-01 "
03-20-01 African-Americans
03-22-01 "
03-27-01 Mature Market
03-29-01 "
04-03-01 Asian-Americans
04-05-01 "
04-10-01 The Gay Market
04-12-01 "
04-17-01 Other Subcultures in Multicultural America
04-19-01 "
Phase II Communications Program Recommendations Due
04-24-01 Communications Program Presentations
04-26-01 "
05-01-01 Ethical Issues in Multicultural Marketing
05-03-01 "
1. What forces are contributing to the US becoming a multicultural
society?
2. What is a multicultural society? What are the key elements
of cultural value systems?
3. How does advertising "teach" cultural values
and reinforce mainstream culture?
4. What IS mainstream American culture? What are some important
values of mainstream America?
5. How should marketers adjust their strategies in multicultural
settings?
6. In what ways have today's subcultures changed in the ways
in which they relate to mainstream American society/culture?
7. What is 'ethnic identity' in the United States? What is
its relationship to marketplace behavior?
8. What are the characteristics of consumer identity?
9. What are the ethical dilemmas in multicultural marketing?
Dr. Marye C. Tharp
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