Articles

2.7.2010 Marketers must adapt to new trends in US

Consumer groups that are typically regarded as "minorities" by marketers will grow to become the majority of the US population over the next three decades.

At the ARF's Audience Measurement Conference Dr Robert Groves, director of the US Census Bureau, argued several seismic shifts are now underway in the country. "Between 2010 and 2050, the US population is projected to grow from 310 million to 439 million – an increase of 42%," he said. "And one in five US residents will be aged 65 or older in 2030."

Moreover, Groves suggested that by 2042, groups that are generally categorized as "minorities" – like Hispanics, Asians and African Americans – will make up the largest number of people living in the US.

As a forerunner of this trend, the 2010 Census is aiming to reach 309 million individuals in six different languages, in the form of English, simplified Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.

In just one example of the future challenges that will face researchers, an attempt by the Bureau to provide bi-lingual surveys has resulted in highly specific difficulties.

Real-time monitoring and management will form part of the on-going assessment programme as the Bureau seeks to deal with data collection problems as they arise. Groves reported that daily online tracking surveys "have given us evidence of the things we're doing right – moving awareness and intent to return, for instance."

B.L. 2.7.2010