The Marketing Relevance of Cultural Diversity: A Framework for Understanding Ethnicity and Acculturation.

Abstract

There is a conceptual challenge in establishing a basis for identifying, comparing and aggregating ethnic groups for marketing purposes. Ethnic group boundaries need to be established before any consideration about their marketing relevance can be made. To this effect, this paper presents a framework for examining the importance of ethnicity, involving three dimensions: ethnic origin, ethnic identity and ethnic intensity. The purpose of the framework is to provide a conceptual understanding of how these dimensions develop within the acculturation process, particularly in a culturally diverse society. The relevant literature on ethnicity and acculturation is reviewed as a basis for developing a construct for ethnicity, and relating it to acculturation. The conclusion advocates the need for a dynamic framework for assessing the marketing relevance of ethnic groups and the need for further research using such a framework.