Cha-cha-changes

This week's lead story on Advertising Age is a good read for any marketer. Written by the editor of American Demographics (part of the trade pub), the story provides a good summary of what is going on with consumer demographics and the data paints a very interesting picture for any brand seeking to forge a lasting relationship with today's changing consumer landscape. While it is no secret that the U.S. is increasingly diverse, the piece examines just how by even comparing population metrics among regions. From this, two big statements emerge for those of us who work in and with multicultural and/or Hispanic markets: the Latina mom, as covered on this blog before, is young and part of a very influential segment and teens (particularly in the South) show the greatest ethnic diversity. Also, the piece talks about the challenges of reaching the new consumers by traditional research means since many are now connected by cellphones and very adept at screening calls and protecting themselves from intrusions. (It goes to far as to suggest the CMO may soon have a new team member solely focused on consumer segmentation.)  This is more pronounced among Hispanics who largely rely on cellphones as their #1 communication tool, making it an even more elusive group.

At the end of the piece, writer Peter Francese makes five conclusions about what is a 'must know' for the top 5 segments he covers and two pertain to our day to day work: immigration and new faces. His counsel is brief and in summary encourages brands to engage on the immigration debate and embrace new cultures. This is really at the heart of success, paired with cultural sensitivity, the desire and ability to adapt to changing tastes, and an understanding that consumers have changed and are continuing to change FAST and only those brands that remain relevant will thrive.  What do you think?