To what extent does ethnic marketing theories apply to multi-ethnic consumers? : A qualitative study examining the impact of the consumer acculturation process on ethnic marketing within a multi-ethnic country (Sweden)

Ethnic marketing highlights the significance of ethnic and cultural influence on the perception of the advertisement by the end customer. Ethnic marketing has existed for a long time, companies worldwide have been trying to excel at implementing ethnic marketing in an effort to target ethnic minorities. Along with immigration to a multicultural environment, comes the process of consumer acculturation which is developing a multi-ethnic identity. This implies that ‘Ethnic marketing’ theories are only viable to a certain extent. This challenges marketers in apprehending the knowledge required for actually implementing ethnic marketing. Furthermore, since the comprehension and significance of one’s ethnic identity is considered to be a complicated paradox, this study outlines the most important aspects to consider when targeting ethnic minorities. Due to Sweden welcoming a considerable amount of immigrants every year, this study is conducted with the intention of analysing the connection between ethnic marketing theory and developing a multi-ethnic identity from the consumers’ perspectives