RJ Reynolds
Prospectus. Special Markets - Asian Americans.
Fields
- Date Loaded
- 27 Feb 1998
- Type
- REPORT
- Site
- Smith Vp
- Sr Secretary
- Marketing
- Marketing Support-Media
- Attachment
- 8178 -8190
- Request
- Minnesota
- 1rfp93
- Box
- Rjrc2724
- Referenced Document
- Population Reference Bureau. 1980 (800000) U.S. Census.
- Named Person
- Us Census
- Rjr
- Dun & Bradstreet
- American Demographics
- Westinghouse
- Julliard School
- Harvard
- Protestant
- UCSF Legacy ID
- maz24d00
Document Images
Prospectus
Special_ Markets Asian Americans
Introduction
The 1980 U.S. Census revealed a fundamental shift in the growth patterns
of the U.S. minority population. For the first time, the growth rate
among Americans with an Asian heritage was greater than that of all
other ethnic/racial groups. This growth resulted from several factors,
including:
1. Liberalized immigration laws which removed previously erected
barriers to Asian entry into the U.S.
2. Political and economic upheavals in Southeast Asia (Vietnam,
Cambodia, Laos, Thailand)
3. Fconomic.and educational advances in the Pacific Rim countries
(Japan, Korea, Tawain, China), resulting in increased travel
to and contact with the U.S.
As a result of the growth engendered by these factors, Asian Americans
now rank as the third largest minority group in the U.S. Moreover, the
population of this group is expected to expand exponentially over the
next several decades.
This growth, coupled with a high level of cultural/ethnic identification,
has caused increasing interest in the viability of developing specialized
campaigns to target the Asian American market. This perspective is
being undertaken to provide information usable in determining whether
the Asian American market presents such a marketing opportunity for RJR
lobacco.
a

Prospectus
Special Markets - Asian Americans
Po~~._ ulation
__ _..___..____._.__...._.._....
The 1980 Census estimated that roughly 3.3 million Asian Americans
resided in the U.S. at the time of their sampling. According to Dun and
Bradstreet, the Asian American population has grown 14 times faster than
t6-,e general American population since that time. They estimate that
between 1980 and 1985, the number of Asian Americans increased by 55%,
exceeding five million in 1985. These five million people consist
primarily of 8 nationalities--Chinese, F"ilipino, Japanese, Vietnamese,
Korean, Asian Indians, Laotians and Kampucheans.
Nationality Population
within U.S. % of
Total
Chinese 1079.4 21.0
Filipino 1051.6 20.4
Japanese 766.3 14.9
Vietnamese 634.2 12.3
Korean 542.4 10.6
Asian Indian 525.6 10.2
laotian 218.4 4.2
Kampuchean 160.8 3.1.
Other 169.2 3.3
5147.9 100.0
Source: Population Reference Bureau
The majority of these Asian Americans reside in the large metropolitan
areas of California, Hawaii, New York, Illinois and Texas. Reflecting
intinigration entry points for the majority of Asians, California is home
to 36% of all Asian Americans, with almost half this number residing in
or around Los Angeles.
Unlike the two largest minority groups, Blacks and Hispanics, the Asian
American population growth is being fueled by immigration rather than
fertility rates. In 1980, just over 400,000 Asians immigrated to the
U.S. E3v 1983, annual Asian immigration into the U.S. reached 700,000, a
level representing well over half the legal immigration into the U.S.
and exceeding total Asian immigration into the U.S. during the three
decades spanning 1931 to 1960. This trend is expected to continue over
the next several decades, with the heaviest concentration of new
immigrants expected to arrive from Korea, The Philipines and Southeast
Asia. By 1990, the Asian American population is expected to grow to 5.9
million people and to exceed 8 million by the year 2000.

Pros.L_'ectus
_______. ____.-----
Special_Markets - Asian Americans
Uemo .9 _. _
_. ra h.i. . _c_s
_ T'_....___
In general, Asian Americans tend to be better educated, with higher
family incomes than the general U.S. population.
Age %
18-2.4 20
25-34 32
35-49 28
50-f 20
Income ($)
Less than 15,000
30
Mean 26.4%
15,000 - 24,999 25 Median 22.7%
25,000 - 49,999 36
50,0004 9
Educati on
l.ess_than High School
25
HS Grad/1-3 Yrs. Coll. 38
College Grad. 37
Source: 1980 U.S. Census
While the 1980 Census figures can be used to provide a snapshot view of
the Asian American population, difficulties do exist in interpreting and
using this data. These difficulties exist for three reasons. First,
differences exist between the various nationalities/ethnic groups
comprising this market. For example, while the median income for
Japanese Americans exceeds $27,000, that of the Vietnamese is less than
$13,000. Similarly, older Asian Americans tend to be less well-.educated
than younger Asian Americans.
Second, the fluid nature of the Asian American market impacts one's
ability to accurately read it. Most importantly, the differences in
education between the various subgroups of Asian Americans will continue
to grow as the Asian immigrant population continues to be comprised more
of Southeast Asians (who tend to be less educated) and less of Japanese,
Indians and Chinese. This expected shift in education levels has
important ramifications for any marketing effort air;ied at the Asian
American market in that less education generally translates into lower
incidences of English usage. For example, American bemoqra_phics esti-
mates that 93% of all Southeast Asian immigrants~ to the U.S. speak a
language other than English at home, compared to 44% of Japanese Americans.
As the Asian immigrant population increasingly consists of less-educated
Vietnamese, Thais, Laotians and other Southeast Asians, this language
barrier will become increasingly significant.

Prospectus
Special Markets __yAsian Americans
Demoqraphi_cs (cont'd)
Third, correlations which often exist between demographic traits in
other market segments, do not exist in the Asian American market. For
example, the Asian American population contains a large number of
well-educated professionals who are not licensed in the U.S. As a
result, they are forced to work in menial jobs at low pay. Because of
this circumstance, the correlation between education/income which exists
among most market segments does not necessarily exist in the Asian
American market.
Psychoqraj hics
In light of the difficulties in reading and interpreting Asian American
demographic data, psychographics must necessarily be of paramount
importance to the marketer attempting to reach this growing segment.
While slight differences do exist between the various nationalities
comprising the Asian American population, research indicates that three
common threads run throughout the population segment.
First, the Asian American typically holds a strong belief in the value
of the family. This sense of the importance of the family reaches
beyond the nuclear family to the extended family and often translates
into a strong identification with the commur,ity. As a result, Asian
Americans have traditionally centered their lives close to hemo in
enclaves of other Asian Americans. Additionally, this identification
with family/community tends to enhance their receptivity to ads using
Asian models.
Second, the Asian American generally believes that education is the key
to successful intergration into the American society. This emphasis on
education is evidenced by the high percentage of Asian Americans with
college degrees (37%). In addition, the Asian American's commitment to
education can be seen in the disproportionate number of educational
attainments/awards achieved by them. As example, although only 2% of
the U.S. population, Asian Americans represented 18% of last year's
Westinghouse Science Talent Search Finalists, 10% of the Julliard
School's enrollment and 11% of Harvard's Freshmen class.
Third, Asian American's mainta in u hel ief in the value and benefit. of
work which is often compared to the Protestant Work Ethic. This belief
translates into a high number of self-employed Asian Americans (as
example, I in 8 Koreans own their own business) relatively low levels of
unemployment and high degrees of success among Asian Americans who have
resided in the U.S. for substantial periods of time.

r. .
Pros ~e_ ..s
--._._._.....I_...c_......tu... _
Special Markets - Asian Americans
Psycho~ raphics (cont'd)
These three values/beliefs are important to Asian Americans because they
believe they will ultimately result in the achievement of their main
objective--to effectively assimilate into U.S. culture/lifestyles. This
desire to assimilate leads, in turn, to a high level of identification
with those products and symbols which they view as "American." Importantly,
this identification leads to brand name purchasing patterns and a highly
developed sense of brand loyalty.
Other Considerations
In addition to the demographic/psychographic make-up of the Asian
American, other factors impact a marketer's ability to effectively reach
this segment. Among these factors are:
The inability of many Asian Americans to read/speak English. Many
older Asiarl Americans do not read English Language print, watch
television or listen to the radio. Therefore, advertising efforts
may have to be placed in Asian Language publications, with copy
varying with language used by each publication (See Exhibit I and II
for list of available media).
Cultural and language differences between many nationalities/ethnic
groups. These differences may prevent using a single marketing
campaign to reach all Asian Americans. Many Asians, especially
Southeast Asians, are even unfamiliar with the concept of advertising.
Imagery has not been used by Asian marketers. It is, therefore,
often not accepted well by newly arrived Asian Americans.
Conclusion
Given the size, growth and psychographic homogeneity of the Asian
American population, this market segment would appear to be a candidate
for further study by MDD and other research groups to determine whether
the benefits to be derived from targeting them outweigh the potential
problems and pitfalls mentioned above. Keeping in niind the high degree
of brand loyalty shown by this market segment, if this target group were
deemed an opportunity, actions should be taklen to ensure that RJR is the
first tobacco company to specifically target this group.
.

EXHIBIT I
Page 1 of 2
ASIAN AMERICAN NFWSPAPERS
KORE:AN AMERICAN
__.._._ _a ime . 7 .- :- - s-
Kore - Circulation
Cir30,000._... Frequenc;/
daiT
Y _ _..-. Markets
L.os. Angeles
orea Street Journal
0,000
aily San Francisco
New York
Chicago
Houston
Seattle/Vancouver
Los Angel es
Don-A-Ilbo
10,000
daily New York
San Francisco
West U.S./EastU.S.
Chosun Ilbo 8,000 daily New York
Korea Street Journal 30,000 weekly L.os Angeles ADI
Korea Business News 10,000 weekly Los Anaeles
CHINESE AMERICAN
World Journal _.__._.
35,000
daily
l.os Angeles
nternational Daily
0,000
aily New York
San Francisco
Seattle/Vancouver
Houston
Honolulu
L os lingel es
entre Daily News
0,000
aily San Francisco
Seattle/Vancouver
Houston
l.os Anqeles
Chi na ? ;,mes Weekly
New Kwong Tai Press
Seattle Chinese Post
PHIL.IPPINE AMERICAN
30,000
25,000
35,000
125,000
weekly
weekly
weekly
weekly New York
San Francisco
West U.S./East U.S.
California
Seattle
L.os Angeles
Honolu
San Francisco
San Jose
New York
New Jersey
Chicago
Seattle
Uanc;luVc.r
Philippine American Herald
Philippine American News 10,000
35,000 weekly
biweekly Seattle
West Coast
California Examiner
Philippine American Medical 25,000 biweekly L.os Angeles
San Francisco
Journal 1 1 20,000 monthly National

EXHIBIT I -
Page 2 of 2
ASIAN AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS
VIETNAMESE Circulation Frequenc
y Markets
Niquoi Viet 12,000 ,
--. c~aiTy . _. __._ .. ._ . . _ __
Los l~ng6! 1 es
Vietnamese Chinese News
10,000
weekly South Dokota.
Orange County
l_os Angeles
Viet Press 20,000 weekly Southerr California
JAPANESE AMERICAN
R__a..___uSh.._.._...___i___.mpo_____,_..-_____.._._..
f
40,000
daily
L_os Angeles
Kashu Msinichi 18,000 daily Los Angeles
Hokobei Mainichi 25,000 daily San Francisco Bay Area
Nichi Bei Times 25,000 daily San Francisco Bay Area
U.S. Japanese Business 30,000 weekly National
OCS News 25,000 weekly New York
New York Journal Japan 25,000 weekly East Coast
GENERAI. MARKE:T
E:ast-West
25,000
weekly
San Francisco
Asian Week 25,000 weekly Los Angeles
ereechon (lhai)
0,000
eekly San Francisco
San Jose
South Dakota
West Coast
Indochinese News 1.0,000 weekly West Coast
Pacific Citizen 20,000 weekly West Coast
i

E:XHIE3IT II
Page 1
ASIAN AMERICAN Mf1GA7.INES AND PERIODICAE S
Circulation Erecuency Markets
Korean People 35,000 monthly National
Jade 50,000 quarterly national
Asian Entrepreneur 100,000 monthly National
Japanese Travel Guide 125,000 annually Japan
Business Directories ....................................... Korean
Japanese
Chinese
Yellow Pages ............................................... Filipino
Japanese
Thai
