Ethnic food in global markets: The new venue for international business in Latin America. Mexican Food in the Dominican Republic

This paper addresses the findings of the impact of ethnic products in global markets, focusing on the Dominican Republic, and moderated by the country-of-origin effect (COO), consumer characteristics and consumption context. Qualitative and descriptive data were analyzed to conduct this empirical study, based on a mixed method research (MMR). Virtual ethnography was performed to examine motivations, attitudes, consumption and purchase habits using online focus groups, participating as an observer and being an active visitor of Mexican business Facebook pages, web pages, writing field notes, and conducting an online survey. Based on an online survey, demographic variables such as age, gender, and level of education were used and cross-tabulated to understand different generation cohorts regarding the decision-making process and preferences. The outcomes of this research will be beneficial for both product managers and manufacturers; for product managers, using different strategies for diverse cultures and increasing opportunities of positioning new products; for the manufacturer, to understand that local consumer behavior toward ethnic products will improve their production and marketing strategies.