New Persuasion

We Are Not the Only Ones...

I discovered a very surprising article released by BBC News recently regarding the obesity epidemic around the world (below):

Overweight 'top world's hungry'

There are now more overweight people across the world than hungry ones, according to experts.

US professor Barry Popkin said all countries - both rich and poor - had failed to address the obesity boom.

He told the International Association of Agricultural Economists the number of overweight people had topped 1bn, compared with 800m undernourished.

Speaking at an Australian conference, he said changing diets and people doing less physical exercise was the cause.

Professor Popkin, from the University of North Carolina, said that the change had happened quickly as obesity was rapidly spreading, while hunger was slowly declining among the world's 6.5bn population.

The biggest increases are being seen in parts of Asia with certain populations more susceptible than others Professor Tony Barnett, of Birmingham University

He told the conference at the Gold Coast convention centre near Brisbane: "Obesity is the norm globally and under nutrition, while still important in a few countries and in targeted populations in many others, is no longer the dominant disease."

He said the "burden of obesity", with its related illnesses, was also shifting from the rich to the poor, not only in urban but in rural areas around the world.

China typified the changes, with a major shift in diet from cereals to animal products and vegetable oils accompanied by a decline in physical work, more motorised transport and more television viewing, he added.

And he urged governments to begin to develop better strategies to combat the problem.

He said food prices could be used to manipulate people's diets and tilt them towards healthier options.

"For instance, if we charge money for every calorie of soft drink and fruit drink that was consumed, people would consume less of it. "If we subsidise fruit and vegetable production, people would consume more of it and we would have a healthier diet."

And University of Minnesota's Professor Benjamin Senauer, who has compared lifestyles in the US, which has high obesity rates with Japan, which has low rates, agreed.

"The average Japanese household spends almost a quarter of its income on food compared to under 14% in the US."

'Cheap food'

While a direct tax on food in the US to reduce obesity would not be politically acceptable, agricultural subsidies which resulted in cheap food could be reduced, he added.

But he said other factors, such as exercise, also played an important role.

"Japanese cities are based on efficient public transport and walking. The average American commutes to work, drives to the supermarket and does as little walking as possible."

Professor Tony Barnett, head of the diabetes and obesity group at Birmingham University, said: "It is becoming increasingly clear that the number of overweight outnumbers the malnourished.

"What is also clear is that this is not just happening in developed countries, the developing world also has serious problems.

"The biggest increases are being seen in parts of Asia with certain populations more susceptible than others. If we do not get to grips with this, problems associated with obesity, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, are going to increase rapidly."

It is very shocking to know that although we see so much in the news about America when it comes to obesity and overweight citizens, other countries are having big problems too.  This is a serious problem with serious consequences to come...

How Big is Your FOODprint?

There was a great TreeHugger post last week about conflicting opinions and reducing your global economic footprint when it comes to food and meal habits.  Vegetarians often feel that they are doing the best possible job of reducing their global impact by avoiding all types of meat, but a study using the state of New York showed that this may not be true-- depending, of course, on where you live as well as other outside factors.

In New York, the diet combination with the smallest possible footprint includes portions of both dairy and meat products.  According to the post,

Cornell scientist Christian Peters is the lead author on the study showing that although a low-fat vegetarian diet has a much smaller footprint than a typical New Yorker, a little meat can go a long way in reducing the ecological footprint. By taking advantage of crop rotation and better land management strategies, grazing animals actually decrease the amount of land needed to obtain the same calories.

The recommended 'dose' for a sustainable small foodprint is to eat only about 2 oz cooked meat or eggs a day. A single serving of meat is often estimated to be about 3 oz, or the size of a deck of cards. (insert quick math calculation here) This, leaves you with eating about 2 servings of meat every 3 days.

It is great that someone took the time to research many different aspects of a person's ecological footprint and has calculated other options for people that love the taste and the health benefits of eating a diet which includes meat.  Americans are usually willing to make minor changes as opposed to major lifestyle alterations, and knowing that it's not necessary to completely cut out meat in order to do something good for our planet is a big step.  While we are becoming more aware of our surroundings and of the health of our planet, it is important to note that there is sometimes more than just one option to consider-- many of which are positive. 

Baby steps add up to big strides over time.

Firsts

Here at McGinn MS&L we find it important to keep track of the first time important things occur in our society.  These changes tell us a lot about things that may be surprising or even overdue, and are a great indication of where we stand.

Some recent firsts that are significantly important are:

Ø      On July 25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown, the world's first successful "test-tube" baby was born in Great Britain.

Ø      For the first time at least since World War II, there were more failed marriages than lasting ones at the 25-year mark: Slightly more than half of the men and women who got married in the late 1970s were separated or divorced -- or widowed -- before they reached their 25th anniversary.

Ø      The 2008 edition of “America’s Best Black Colleges” marks the first time U.S. News & World Report has released a stand-alone ranking of historically black colleges and universities.

Ø      John Edwards appeared in the first MySpace/ MTV candidate forum. The Democratic presidential hopeful was the first in a string of candidate dialogs planned by those two stalwarts of modern culture.

Ø      The number of violent crimes increased by a larger amount than expected last year, extending the first significant rise in murders and robberies in a dozen years.  Robberies surged by 7.2% and murders rose 1.8%.

Ø      The number of people living past 100 in England and Wales reached almost 9,000 last year for the first time ever.  The number of Centenarians had increased ninety-fold since 1911 when there were only 100 total in the country.

What does this all mean?  Well, advances in technology have made things like the "test-tube baby" and the record number of Centenarians possible.  It also is the main factor behind the MySpace/ MTV political influence which signals a huge shift in society and the things that we emphasize as a nation.  Technology is changing everything about our world and we are taking notice.  It's great to see that we are taking advantage of our ability to communicate to mass audiences and political leaders are taking the time to speak to these audiences-- young and old.

The rise in the number of murders and robberies could be because of a larger issue, such as Hurricane Katrina or the terrorist attacks on September 11th.  We are starting to realize that we should stop and enjoy life, and how important is really is to remember that everyone is an individual with their appreciation for the world around them.  This could be the reason for the record number of failed marriages as people begin to explore what they find most important in life.  We are encouraging individuality and uniqueness, as well as embracing positive changes such as the first edition of U.S. News and World Report releasing a ranking specifically for the nations Black Colleges and Universities.

As new firsts emerge and these changes continue to become an integral part of the way we live, it's important to just stop and take in these shifts before years go by and we never even realize they occurred.

Luxury in the Dorm

This past weekend I had the occasion to visit a dorm at George Washington University.  I hadn't been in a dorm in years and was shocked at how nice it was.  Each room in this particular dorm had its own kitchenette and bathroom.  Some rooms have their own washer and dryer.  Apparently, this is the norm.  When I was in college we were crammed into tiny rooms with no amenities and  sharing a bathroom with 6 other girls was the norm.  We shared the laundry room with the entire dorm. 

Apparently, today's college students have grown up with certain standards and aren't going to lower them just because they are in college and away from the comforts of home.  In fact, they expect those comforts to follow them there.  When deciding where to go to college, dorms and dining halls play as much a part as do the classes and football team.

A recent article in the LA Times studied this trend:

Back-to-school shoppers will spend $5.4 billion this year, a figure that has nearly doubled since 2003, according to the National Retail Federation. On average, about $1,500 of that will come from each freshman gearing up for life in a residence hall that is nicer than most parents  ever imagined.

The trend toward the four-star dorm is a convergence of several factors: a generation of
students who have grown up sharing neither the bedroom nor the bathroom with siblings, parents who are accustomed to high tuition costs and don't object to paying a few hundred more per month for better accommodations, and universities competing for enrollment and using posh new residence halls as marketing tools.

Callaway Villas, in College Station next to Texas A&M, is a gated ACC complex of three-story town houses plus a 16,000-square-foot clubhouse, a resort-style pool, basketball courts, a sand volleyball court and shuffleboard. Living units have faux-hardwood floors, ceiling fans and, for those light sleepers, white-noise generators.

Another trend that I find amazing is that more and more schools are furnishing dorms with
double beds!  An article in today's Washington Post explains:

University officials hoping to keep students on campus and compete with off-campus housing are trying new room designs and all manner of amenities to appeal to the millennial generation, especially those seeking the comforts of home while in school. Some have given single rooms to students not used to sharing. Others have offered maid service and microwaves. Now they're giving them a larger space on which to lay their heads.
At AU, the move toward double beds came after complaints by students that the twins were too small and too childish, said Rick Treter, director of residence life. When a dorm designed with suites of larger single bedrooms was built, the double beds were the ticket.

I think this is just another trend showing that luxury really is everywhere in society.  Gen Y
students have grown up expecting certain things and living quarters are no exception. They are not willing to compromise and expect college dorms to be no different than what they are used to.  Colleges have taken notice and in order to attract the best students, have outfitted dorms accordingly.  I can only imagine what they will think of next.

The Importance of Home

Ikea's latest advertising campaign features the tagline "Home is the most important place in the world...it's a place where holidays are celebrated, where friends and family meet to celebrate life's happiest moments."  They conducted a survey and found that:

     94 percent of us say home is the most important place in the world.   

The IKEA campaign goes on to say:

     IKEA believes that homes are not just made of bricks and mortar with four walls.  Home is an emotion - a feeling of security, safety, comfort, peace, about being yourself and being together with your loved ones. Home is the place where memories are made, relationships are built, where children and families grow together. IKEA believes that regardless of where you live or who you are, home is the most important place in the world.

This is a trend we've been seeing a lot of here at New Persuasion.  Over the past several years, and maybe because of 9/11, people are investing more money in their homes and spending more and  more time there. 

• In the U.S., about 2 million children are being homeschooled today, and that number is growing 7 to 15% each year.
• In 1992, 2 million Americans worked from home. Today, there are 24 million working from home.
• Ten years ago, four million women with young children were working outside the home. Today, that number is down to about three million.
• The average size of an American home has grown from 983 square feet in 1950 to 2,349 square feet in 2006.
• 17.5% of Adults currently engage in what the Census Bureau calls “cooking for fun."
• Movie attendance is down as people instead watch more movies from home.

What we used to have to leave home to do we can now easily do in the comforts of our own homes. We like the security and predictability of our own homes.  We have designed them to our  likes and dislikes and want to enjoy them.  There is so much chaos in the world outside of our homes that we will do what we can to avoid that chaos by staying home.   Anything that can add to the luxury and comfort of home will surely be a success.

Skip work, make babies

In case you missed it, yesterday was a quasi-national holiday in Russia yesterday. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared Wednesday as a national holiday for conceiving children.  Putin is concerned about Russia's declining population -- it's been dropping by 700,000 people a year.

Nine months from now, on June 12, is Russia Day, Russia's independence day.   Prizes such as cars and electronics will be given to couples who give birth on this day.

This is just the latest effort countries with declining populations have made in an effort to reverse the trend.  Between now and 2050, 51 nations will lose population.  These countries include Germany, Italy, Japan, and Poland.  In the meantime, 9 countries will be responsible for more than 50% of the world's growth.  The United States is the only one of these nine that is not in Africa or Asia.

How does this affect us?  Well, if these trends continue, industrialized countries will soon be overtaken in numbers by devoloping and third world countries.   The balance of power in the world will shift from countries like England and Japan to countries like Ethiopia and Uganda.  These countries are known for poor education rates, poverty and high rates of childhood illness.  We will have fewer resources to help these countries and ourselves.   

The new normal

Hallmark is not usually a company associated with things that are hip and edgy.  They are more likely known for birthday cards you send your elderly aunt and graduation cards for your niece.
However, they seem to be trying to update their image a bit.  They have realized that there is a new "normal" in life.  Hallmark has a relatively new line of cards that are for:

Real people dealing with...and talking about...real stuff.  That's life in the "new normal".
It's maybe not what our mothers thought normal would look like.  But it's the way life really is today.

These cards cover topics such as having cancer, staying sober, being on a diet, getting divorced, being stressed, not being able to have children, and caring for aging parents.

Hallmark gets that life happens and isn't predictable.  These days life milestones are more than birthdays, graduations, births and marriages.  And good for Hallmark for recognizing "the new normal." 

Who's in your family?

We've been talking lately around here about the "new American family" and what constitutes a household or family. If nothing else, we know that there is no more "typical" American family. All the rules are changing. Consider the following:

• Married couple households have fallen from 79% in 1950 to 53% of households in 2006.
• Households consisting of married couples with children have fallen from 43% in 1950 to 23% in 2006.
• Single person households have risen from 10% in 1950 to 26% in 2006.
• In 2007, for the first time, a majority of women are single.
• The annual national divorce rate has dropped to 3.6 per 1,000 people, the lowest since 1970 and well off its peak of 5.7 in 1981.
• Marriage is down 30% since 1970, with the number of unmarried couples living together up 10-fold since 1960.
• 3.6 million married Americans live apart That’s a 40% increase since 1999.
• In 1960, a typical American family had an average of 2.33 children. Today, that typical family has an average of 1.86 children.
• Nearly 40% of all babies born in the United States last year were out of wedlock.
• The average household size in 2006 was 2.57 people, down from 3.14 in 1970.
• In 2006, 33 percent of males and 26 percent of females 15 and older had never married, up from 28 and 22 percent in 1970.

What does all this mean?

There is no such thing as a “typical American family.”
Traditional societal influences no longer apply.  Society can no longer tell women they “need” to be married and have children by a certain age.
Families will choose the best arrangement for themselves – often without taking into account “tradition.”
Many women who choose to be single are also living with a partner and have children.
The ability to set our own schedule and things on our own terms is important to us.

Companies that think things aren't changing are in big trouble.

Sports Participation -What's Up, What's Down

We were talking yesterday about what sporting activities were gaining in popularity and what was falling away. 

Flickr photo by DistortedSmile

UP SPORTS since 1998
Pilates has increased 512%
Yoga has increased 158%
Lacrosse has increased 78%
Skateboarding has increased 58%
Rock wall climbing has increased 89%
Surfing has increased 93%

Flickr photo by SouthernBelladonna

DOWN SPORTS since 1998
Basketball has decreased 25%
Baseball has decreased 16%
Softball has decreased 29%
Volleyball has decreased 22%
Cross-country skiing has decreased 43%
Fishing has decreased 8%
The sports that are UP, are almost all individual activities, not dependent on others’schedules.   Source:  Sports Participation Topline Report, 2006, Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, 2006

So we tried to figure out what was going on here, and these are the conclusions we came up with:

The UP sports, with the exception of lacrosse, are not competitive – they’re more about self-improvement, self-actualization than winning or losing.

The UP sports, again with the exception of lacrosse, are individual activities that we can do on our own time. 

Yoga and Pilates, which have increased dramatically, can be easily done in the home.

Yoga and Pilates can be done by all age groups too – and with the aging population, that is a plus.

Lacrosse is seen as an elite sport, and though it's been around for a long time, it has only been in the public eye for a short while - which makes its less traditional.  It's still seen as different from mainstream sports.

The UP sports give Americans a lot more freedom and flexibility.

The DOWN sports almost all require a team – which means aligning the schedules of lots of different people.

The DOWN sports require more equipment.

The DOWN sports require a specific physical space that is marked out and used for that sport alone.

The DOWN sports are more “traditional” American activities.  We are not satisfied with traditional anymore, we want to be different.

I'm sure these aren't all the conclusions you can draw from these lists.  But it's a good start.

The Landline Telephone Fading Away

I still have a landline telephone - I have a cell phone, but don't use it much.  The landline represents security to me, I'm not sure why.  But so many of my younger relatives and colleagues don't bother with a landline, their cellphone is it.  And now comes some numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics, confirming my suspicion that landlines are gradually fading.

• During the last 6 months of 2006, more than 3 out of every 20 American homes (15.8%) did not have a landline telephone.
• One in four adults aged 18-24 years (25.2%) lived in households with only wireless telephones.
• Nearly 30% of adults aged 25-29 years lived in households with only wireless telephones.

So gradually, we're going mobile.  I would feel sorry for the telephone companies except they're making a killing on text messaging and cell phones.  Will hotels eventually take out the landlines in their rooms, expecting their guests to have cell phones?  Will airports remove phone booths? 

How do you tell time?

What time is it? Believe it or not, how you find the answer to that question says something about your age.   Did you look at your watch? Or perhaps you looked at your ipod or blackberry?  A recent study by NPD Group found that 25% of people under age 25 no longer wear watches while at least 25% have never worn watches.   According to Simmons Research:

In 2000, watch sales among 18- to 24-year-olds reached nearly $1 billion in the USA; by 2005, sales had dropped 34%. Even among 35- to 49-year-olds, who spend the most on watches, sales decreased 28% over five years, from $2.4 billion to $1.7 billion.

As a result of all this, watch makers are having to market watches more as accessories and jewelry than actual timepieces.  They are having to adapt to today's society and update their products accordingly.   If they don't, sales of watches will only continue to decline.

Tweens Love Club Penguin

I had never heard of Club Penguin until a few months ago when I was listening to NPR's All Things Considered. It introduced me to a whole new world.  Literally days later, my 10-year old daughter Amanda asked if she could join.  Now she is hooked and schedules appointments with friends at school to meet online at a certain time of day.  I have to limit her time or she’d be on Club Penguin instead of doing her math homework, cleaning her guinea pig’s cage, or tracking down her soccer cleats for the 6:00 pm practice.

I may be old-fashioned, but I have mixed feelings about websites that target kids aged six to 12.  Personally I would rather have my kids outside playing tag or riding bikes or drawing with chalk on the sidewalk than inside, staring at a computer screen.  In cold or rainy weather, painting a picture or playing Scrabble appear more beneficial than meeting other children in a virtual world.  But Club Penguin, and other sites like Webkinz, is not going anywhere and as a parent I have to be realistic.  Kids use computers at school, at home, and at the library;  every day they are absorbing the skills they will utilize in high school, college, and eventually the working world.

Created by a couple of Canadian dads, clubpenguin.com is now the most popular website for kids and is aimed at both boys and girls.  Safety appears to be a top priority of the creators.  When registering, the website collects minimal information about children –  primarily age and sex.  The site tells children that they cannot share any personal information online, such as their address or the name of their school.  If they do, another “penguin” or online monitor will report them and ask them to leave the igloo.  For its safety standards, it is one of the few children’s websites approved by the Better Business Bureau.

Interacting with other kids – or penguins – is the primary goal of the site.  Club Penguin runs no ads and runs on subscription fees only.  For $5.95 a month, kids can create a penguin name and password and jump in.  Once online, Club Penguin is a virtual world of waddling birds with names such as Booger1427, MrYellow30, CutiePie, FuzziePuzzie, and TwoKool4u (I have changed a few to protect the identity of the “owners” but you get the idea). 

But what’s so great about it?  According to my Club Penguin expert, the site is fun for a couple of reasons:

Number one:  You can act like a penguin, not a kid!
Number two:  You can make new friends.
Number three:  Sometimes you meet those friends in real life at school and that is really cool.
Number four:  You can buy funny looking pets called Puffles, and also cool stuff with which to decorate your igloo.

Amanda likes to monitor other penguin’s behavior and recently reported a girl for being too bossy.  That penguin was immediately removed from the igloo, so I guess the system works!  She has 15 names on her buddy list and likes to play games with her Puffles, which are pink and blue pretend pets.  Kids can also play games like Jet Pack Adventure, which involves flying penguins with rockets on their backs who fly through the sky collecting coins.  Bean Counters is another game that depicts a tired looking penguin unloading sacks of something (penguin food?) from a truck to a platform.  With the winnings, kids can buy clothes, including warm weather gear like ear muffs and boots, or igloo decorations.  Igloos can get quite elaborate, with drum sets, dance floors, home stereo systems, and ice sculptures.

Webkinz is another popular site for kids.  This one requires the purchase of a real stuffed animal first, which includes a collar with a website password.  On a recent Girl Scout outing, three of Amanda’s friends had their Webkinz animals with them.  So if computer gaming increases the likelihood that children will engage in real play – whether that is with stuffed animals or by simply creating the social networks that emerge offline – perhaps these sites are just modern day versions of hide-and-seek or tag. 

I still limit the Club Penguin time to Fridays after school and weekends.  I think good old fashioned running around is still better than screen time.  Kids will have plenty of that when they grow up.  Or maybe I’m just envious – on a beautiful spring day, like today, I would most certainly give up my screen time in order to be outside, chasing a butterfly or playing tag.

To Be a Kid Again...

I had a discussion with a friend this morning about tatoos and about the thought that goes into getting one-- or sometimes lack thereof.  But what about making a decision about ink for someone else?

An article on TrendHunter.com covers the trend of tatoos in the children's demographic.

The trend of tattoos and body modification is still going strong as artists branch out to include just about every demographic including children. In fact, there are shops opening up that specialize in body art specifically for kids. One such shop is called "Tattoos 4 Toddlers."  They offer a special needle-free process that lasts for up to a decade and is pain free.... they claim to have tattooed babies as young as 6 months old. "Needles and Diaper Pins" is another shop geared towards kids. They specialize in piercings and body modification for children. It’s really not surprising that these shops are opening up. What is suprising is how popular they are among parents who are all too eager to rush out and make (or allow their little kids to make) long-term decisions on a whim.

This tells us a lot about the way we are changing.  Fifty years ago a tatoo parlor aimed at children and parents with young kids would probably not have stayed in business.  We seem to accept new ideas and embrace new ways of thinking now more than ever.

Boomers Defined

Baby boomers have always redefined every life stage they've gone through.  Marketers have constantly tried to keep up with them and figure out the best way to reach them.  However, though they are all in the same generation, boomers cover every spectrum of the rainbow in terms of lifestyle, hobbies, spending habits, family and household situation, financial stability and so on.   Trying to reach them as a consumer has been quite a challenge.

I came across a fascinating post at The Boomer Blog that does a good job of explaining what boomers actually have in common and key points that marketers should pay attention to as this generation reaches retirement and redefines "old age."

So here, paraphrased, are seven qualities Intel has found that all aging individuals want to have in their lives. These make intuitive sense—but may be so much the water we boomer marketers swim in—we forget that they can be named. Individuals aging around the world want:

1. To be physically safe
2. To be able to choose the environment in which to live (i.e. “aging-in-place”)
3. To be connected to others
4. To be useful in some way—to have meaning in their lives
5. To be able to get the help and care they need
6. To have healthcare in the home environment, whenever possible
7. To get the support they need to partake in physical activities

Basically, as they age and head into retirement, boomers want to maintain the same lifestyle that they have now.  They don't want to be restricted as to where they live, what activities they participate in, who they spend their time with, or how they receive healthcare.  They want to maintain autonomy.  Marketers that realize this and create products that enable boomers to continue their current lifestyle will come out ahead.

Do you speak Chinese?

My husband recently started taking Chinese classes.  At first, I thought he was crazy for even attempting such a feat.  However, I think he may be on to something.  With the Chinese population at 1.3 billion and growing, learning how to speak Chinese seems to be a smart way to connect with the over one-sixth of the world who speak this language.  However, only a small fraction of our country have taken efforts to learn Chinese.  The Christian Science Monitor recently ran an article examining this problem:

Of course, American students desperately need to study non-English languages. Everyone who cares about our national future should consider this appalling fact: Less than half of American high school students even take a foreign language. Compare that with almost every other developed nation, where foreign-language study is compulsory. Our problem is especially embarrassing when it comes to Chinese, which is spoken by 1.5 billion people around the globe - and studied by fewer than 50,000 Americans. More than 1 million American students study French, by contrast, while only 70 million people in the world speak it.

24,000 students in grades 7 to 12 study Chinese, a language spoken by 1.3 billion people wrldwide. (More than 1 million students learn French, a language spoken by 75 million people.) However, 200 million children in China study English. 

This disparity is almost embarrassing.  Luckily, schools and students are catching on to the benefits that speaking Chinese can bring and these numbers are increasing, albeit slowly. The number of programs in Chinese in US schools in the last 10 years has tripled and 100 million people around the world will be taking Chinese lessons by 2010.

"People are always trying to gauge what languages are going to be useful for the future," says Marty Abbot, director of education at the National Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

The need to understand and accept cultures other than our own has never been greater than in today's society.  The world is indeed becoming a smaller place and making efforts to communicate with such a large portion of the world can be nothing but beneficial.  We can't assume others will always be fluent in English and we need to step up efforts to keep up with the world.

Marketing to Muslims in America

As we've discussed plenty of times before, our society is constantly changing and marketers and businesses also need to constantly change and evolve to keep up with their customer's needs and wants.

Along these lines, a recent article in the New  York Times really caught my eye. 

For years, few advertisers in the United States have dared to reach out to Muslims...That is beginning to change. Consumer companies and advertising executives are focusing on ways to use the cultural aspects of the Muslim religion to help sell their products...Grocers and consumer product companies are considering ways to adapt their goods to Muslim rules, which forbid among other things, gelatin and pig fat, which is often used in cosmetics and cleaning products.  Retailers are looking into providing more conservative skirts, even during the summer months, and mainstream advertisers are planning to place some commercials on the satellite channels that Muslims often watch.

Like many minority groups, Muslims tend to cluster in certain areas where there is an already established Muslim community.  Detroit is one such area and many national companies there have taken note and changed their products accordingly.

A McDonald’s there serves halal Chicken McNuggets; Walgreens has Arabic signs in its aisles. And now, Ikea, which recently opened a store in the suburb of Canton, Mich., that has had trouble  attracting as many Muslim customers as it had hoped, has been touring local homes and talking to Muslims to figure out their needs.

Certain Ikeas have designed and produced a 'hijab' – a Muslim headscarf - that would fit in with their current uniform for Muslim employees.

At the McDonalds that sells halal McNuggets, McNugget sales are about double the restaurant chain's average, and 65 percent of the orders are for the halal version.

The stats that really caught my eye and should be a red flag to marketing execs everywhere are that:

Muslim Americans spend about $170 billion on consumer products; this figure is  expected to grow rapidly as the population expands and younger Muslims build careers. Ignoring this group — estimated to be about five million to eight million people, and  growing fast — would be like missing the Hispanic market in the 1990s.

I think these numbers say it all.  This group is rapidly growing and yields extensive buying power.  Any company would be foolish to ignore it and think the Muslim community will be any less powerful in the years to come.  Companies like Ikea and McDonald's that have realized this trend will build customer loyalty and be a frontrunner in attracting this growing segment of the population.  We all know how large the Hispanic market of the 1990s has grown!   

One Muslim blogger definitely concurs:

So if you’re listening to me corporate America, I’m just letting you know that I’m willing to pay for Eid and Ramadan decorations. I want you to reach out to me and convince me to buy your products that have been tailored to my needs as a Muslim American woman.

Staying at home...

Every mother experiences the big decision of whether to stay at home or go back to work after a child is born.  Obviously, every situation is different and every woman has to do what is right for her and her family.  However, over the past several years, more and more new mothers are staying out of the workforce.  According to a recently published report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

In recent years the labor force participation of married mothers, especially those with young children, has stopped its advance.  Sixty percent of married mothers of preschool children are now in the work force, four percentage points fewer than in 1997.  In 1995, their labor force participation rate had reached a high of 70 percent. In fact, married mothers accounted for most of the increase in total labor force participation during the post-war period.  After reaching a peak of 59.2 percent in 1997, the participation rate for married mothers of infants fell by about 6 percentage points to 53.3 percent in 2000 and has shown no clear trend since then.  The declines have occurred across all educational levels and, for most groups, by about the same magnitude.

There is no clear cut answer as to why all these women are "opting out" of the workforce.  A recent New York Times articles tries to explain:

What has changed in the last decade is that the job of motherhood has ramped up. Mothers today spend more time on child care than women did in 1965, a time when mothers were much less likely to have paying jobs, family scholars report. The pressure to increase mothering is enormous.

A new book by  Leslie Bennets, The Feminine Mistake, criticizes stay-at-home mothers and claims that by not working outside the home they are making a huge mistake and are financially, emotionally, and medically at risk.   Probably not too surprisingly, there has been a backlash from stay-at-home mothers everywhere.  The author tries to defend herself from the backlash:

My goal was to gather into a single neat package all the financial, legal, sociological, psychological, medical, labor-force, child-rearing and other information necessary for them to protect themselves. My reporting revealed that the bad news is just as ominous as I'd feared; so many women are unaware of practical realities that range from crucial changes in the divorce laws to the difficulties of reentering the work force and the penalties they pay for taking a time-out. I devoted two chapters to financial information alone.

So, what does all this mean? Well, there is no right answer. More and more women are opting out of the workforce, at least on a full-time basis.  They have decided being at home with their children is easier or better for them.  They are willing to take the risks of any possible financial or other consequences.  That is what works for them. And that is all that matters.

Lonely Society?

A recent study, as published in American Sociological Review, has found that our circle of friends is rapidly shrinking.

In 1985, the average American had three people in whom to confide ] matters that were important to them. In 2004, that number dropped to two. People who said they had no one with whom to discuss such matters more than doubled, to nearly 25 percent. The percentage of people who confide only in family increased from 57% to 80%, and the number who depend totally on a spouse is up from 5% to 9%, the study found.

Even though Americans seem more connected than every before with email , myspace, text messaging, and online chat rooms, in reality we are more disconnected than ever before. We lack the basic need of people we can count on when we need them the most. We talk to people halfway around the world yet don't know who our neighbors are.

Websites like PostSecret have become a major outlet for people to share their inner most secrets with the world, instead of sharing with those who they know best.

Last week Ryan Fitzgerald, a regular 20-something guy who lives at home, posted a video on YouTube offering his cell phone number for anyone to call him about anything at any time. He just wants to "be there" for anyone who may need someone to talk to or just chat about the weather. His video has resulted in over 5,000 phone calls from all over the world in less than a week. He has received so many text messages he can't respond to them all. Behold the power of YouTube.

Yet, what does this say about society?  Have we really come a society comprised of individuals who are just co-existing with their neighbors and society at large?  What does it mean that the basic human desire for companionship and relationships are being dismantled and reconfigured into a society where strangers have become our outlet for support?  The number of households comprised of just one person has skyrocketed in the past several years.  We really have become our own best company, and I'm not sure that's a good thing.  Maybe we need to disconnect from technology and reconnect with actual people. 

Pass the Salsa, Por Favor

If you're a typical American household, there is a good chance you have either salsa or tortillas in your fridge.  There has been an explosion recently in sales of Mexican food products.  A recent report from AC Nielsen found that

Tortillas remain the most popular [Mexican food] product. Sales rose four straight years, and culminated in a 4.3 percent climb to $1 billion in the 2006 period. Mexican salsas and sauces ran a close second at $945 million--up 2.8 percent from last year.

What's really unbelievable is that

About 42 percent of U.S. households have tortillas in their refrigerator--yet only 14 percent of households are Hispanic.

But it's not just tortillas that are on the rise- salsa passed ketchup in sales years ago.

"Latin flavors are hot, and they're hot across all market segments," says Bill Briwa, an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America who notes that the rise of Hispanic flavors has been sudden and fast. A decade ago, chipotle was virtually unknown in the mainstream.

Food manufacturers have picked up on this trend and are coming out with new flavors and products at a rapid pace.  Sargento Foods found that the number of chipotle-flavored menu items at national restaurant chains had tripled to 2,800 between 2004 and 2005.

It's all part of a trajectory similar to that of organic foods, says Walter Heller, a grocery industry consultant and former research director of Progressive Grocer magazine. Both have moved from the specialty aisles to being woven throughout the supermarket.

Consumers tastes (both literally and figuratively) are constantly evolving and we are constantly looking for the next big thing.  We have a phrase at Undercurrents we call "Assimilation by Addition" and I think this is a perfect example.  Instead of immigrants losing the characteristics (flavors) of their home countries, they are sharing them with us and not only are we accepting of these new flavors but demanding more of them.  Luckily, food manufacturers have realized this and are keeping up with our ever changing and growing palate. 

Family Togetherness

Two recent trends caught my eye:

• Warren (RI) Times Gazette, 3/20/07: The rise of family inclusive programs is one of the biggest trends in summer camps, according to the American Camp Association (ACA)...much of the demand for family camps is coming from, yes, the families themselves. "Parents are juggling -- balancing work and family. They like spending time with their kids, unplugged and away from home," said Ms. Norvell [Director of Public Relations, ACA].  (Thanks to Iconoculture's Iconowatch for the pointer.)
• Wall Street Journal online, Real Estate Journal, 4/16/07:  Developers are putting a new spin on an old-money idea: Hailing nostalgia and togetherness, they're pushing preplanned compounds -- properties with multiple dwellings that let extended families stay separately yet together -- with layouts that typically include a main house, guest cottages and common recreation areas. Unlike the retreats of East Coast clans with names like Kennedy, Cabot and Forbes, the latest renditions are being developed in the Sun Belt and other year-round vacation spots. Also marketed as "family gathering houses" or places for "new family traditions," some are being pitched as full-time homes for retirees.

People actively seeking time to be with their families - on both a temporary and permanent basis - I think it's nice.

Tea - Health & Serenity

Tea is gaining in popularity here in the U.S:

U.S. tea sales are expected to grow to $10 billion by 2010 from $6 billion in 2005, according to the World Tea Expo, a trade show...Nationally, the number of tea cafes has boomed to 2,000 from 200 in the past decade, according to the Tea Association of the USA.

What's under this growth in tea consumption?  A few things:

• Health Benefits - .According to WebMD, antioxidants make up a third of the weight of green tea leaves. Tea may help fight cancer, Alzheimer's, even tooth decay. And tea has less caffeine than coffee.
• The Yearning for Balance - One tearoom worker said that "Just as yoga and spas have emerged as a way to find balance, so too has tea."   Brandchannel writes about Teazana, a chain of 'tea emporiums':  For shoppers looking for a Zen  alternative to the zoom-zoom payoff of Starbucks' uber-caffeinated coffees, Atlanta-based Teavana has constructed an image that draws liberally on the calming allure of the Far Eastern lifestyle and the purported health benefits of its products.

Green tea is not a fad.  Tea drinking is in, and will be in for a long time to come.  It's another indication of our move toward wellness.  It fits in with a spiritual search and a simpler life.  And it parallels the aging of our population. 

Who's moving in?

A new report issued by the Census Bureau last week indicates that without immigrants, many major US cities would have lost population over the past few years.   Cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Boston all would be losing population if not for immigrants moving into the cities.   

The International Post blog confirms:

In some of the fastest growing cities, such as the Dallas-Fort Worth area, immigrants accounted for nearly 80 per cent of population growth over the last six years.  New York and its suburbs absorbed one million immigrants from 2000 to 2006, the census data show. Without them the region would have shrunk by nearly 600,000 people. Immigration to Los Angeles prevented an expected decline of 200,000. The Boston area took in 163,000 immigrants, saving it from negative population growth.

A CNN article quotes Mark Mather, a demographer at the Population Reference Bureau, a private research organization.

"Immigrants are filling the void as domestic migrants are seeking opportunities in other places."

So what does this mean in a New Persuasion world? Maybe these cities need to think about what it takes to attract and, more importantly, keep domestic migrants from moving elsewhere.   Perhaps businesses in these cities need to incorporate the influx of immigrants into their plans and models and not assume immigrants are the same as non-immigrants in their wants and needs.   Maybe the Chamber of Commerce needs to get involved and try to have programs and opportunites that appeal to all audiences.  It will be interesting to see how these cities continue to respond to their new residents.

Healthy & Local Baby Food in Seattle

Here at UnderCurrents we track eight markets we consider to be bellwethers of American society:  San Francisco, CA;  Denver, CO;  Las Vegas, NV; Seattle, WA; Birmingham, AL;  Los Angeles, CA;  Miami, FL and Houston, TX.

Here's the latest from Rich Rydecki on Seattle:

In the past two years two new baby food companies have emerged to provide local residents access to fresh infant and toddler food.  Both Sprouts Baby Food and Full Tank Foods have launched, and subsequently expanded, food 'menus' that have been met with a positive public response.  While a Seattle Post-Intelligencer article from August '06 noted that the organic baby food trend is not new (sales of organic baby food grew 51% from 2001-2005), the rise in home-grown, local companies that produce this food is notable. 

Both Sprouts and Full Tank worked with a team of Registered Nurses, trained Chefs, nutritionists, and pediatricians to create healthy meals that are viable options to jarred baby food that sometimes sits on a supermarket shelf for up to two years.  While Sprouts offers a choice of meal plans that are delivered to customers' homes, Full Tank products are only available at local grocery chains, including Wholefoods.  Full Tank also caters to parents with busy schedules who want to feed their children healthy meals as they incorporate vegetables into kid-friendly dishes such as mac and cheese. 

This growing trend represents a new breed of parents who want/need to juggle their parenting duties with careers without resorting to feeding their children 'fast' or processed food.  Both Sprouts and Full Tank package their products so that they can be consumed away from the home with little inconvenience.  These parents, while they may not have the time to make their own baby and toddler food, still want to be in control of the amount and type of chemicals that their children are exposed to.  That these products can be delivered to the home and are available at local markets demonstrates the changing expectations of a consumer who is no longer blindly allegiant to mainstream brands such as Gerber.