Introduction
Cultures refer to the entire population that exhibits a common system of beliefs, behaviors, attitudes and social practices. Subculture on the other hand is a subset of the total population having both sexes, diverse age groups and institutions as can be discerned in the whole society. America can be classified into the following subcultures; Hispanic, African American, Asian American etc. These groups exhibit different patterns of lifestyles, values, demographics and consumer behavior which are important for the marketer to note so that she/he can come up with a strategy that caters for the needs and propensities of a particular group. Hence marketing to Hispanic would require a different appeal from that which is directed to African American even for the same products Cole (1996).
It is upon the companies in America to identify these subcultures that exist within its domestic market so that it can come up with different marketing strategies. The marketing segmentation would require marketing analysis that will identify the behavioral patterns of a subculture within the total market so that specific approaches to fulfilling their consumption preferences can be based. For the product to appeal to a given subculture then the marketing strategy should support relevant belies, lifestyles and values of that particular subculture Deborah (2000).
Asian American
This subculture is the third largest and its population is growing at a faster rate among the minority groups in United States. Immigration is considered the reason behind increase in Asian American population. Hence marketing institutions in United States are faced with the challenge of reaching this diverse subculture. The Asian Americans have different cultures and languages within it but they however share some particular unifying traits. The Asian Americans are seen to be urbanized and they will always be found living in clustered communities Kenneth (2004).
Therefore to develop a marketing strategy aimed at attracting the Asian Americans is to make use of the existing advertising agencies that target Asian American consumers. These agencies are normally established and run by people of the ethnic segment. To supplement effective advertising, it is crucial to know where they are located in order to reach them easily. Since the Asian Americans have strong language preferences it becomes quite easy for one to reach them. The native language TV programs are considered to be the most reliable source for reaching Asian Americans living in the United States.
To give an example almost all marketers in America targeting the Asian American market do involve themselves in creating a campaign for the Lunar New Year which is the Chinese biggest holiday Kenneth (2004).
Conclusion
We can therefore say that for a company to meet the needs of its diverse customers it must break its market into segments. In our case it becomes imperative to subdivide market (culture) into subcultures. United State is a country inhabited by people from various backgrounds and therefore for companies to meet the demands and broaden the consumer base they will opt to breakdown culture into subculture. Hence market segmentation involves breaking down larger target market (culture) into smaller segments (subcultures) with specific needs. Therefore every group will have quite different marketing mixes and promotion strategies based on the fact that each segment demands different products. Segmentation is vital for it makes companies to customize their products and services or marketing mix to satisfy particular needs of a specific customer. Thus market segmentation will have a net effect of increasing sales which will go together with profit increase Cole (1996).
Reference
Cole, M. Psychology of Culture. New York: McGraw Hill Company, 1996.
Deborah, M. Consumption Behavior. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Kenneth, A. Consumer Behavior: Construction of Marketing Strategy. New York: McGraw Hill Company, 2004.