Insight, Analytics and the New Marketing
2010 America
We’re all about to hear a lot more about the US Census. A $400,000 grassroots campaign encouraging people to participate is about to break, leading up to “Census Day”, on 1st April, 2010.
Although this is a vital institution (be sure to fill in your form!), most of what it will reveal can be already be predicted with amazing accuracy from existing data published by the Census Bureau.
This is what Peter Francese does. For six years now, I’ve had the privilege of working with Peter, Ogilvy’s Director of Demographics, the founder of American Demographics magazine and one of the leading demographers in the country. He has just published a paper: 2010 America; What the 2010 Census Means for Marketing and Advertising, available from Adage. It’s a fascinating snapshot of the constantly changing structure of America.
Peter identifies three main themes.
Firstly, “We are increasingly Southerners and Westerners.” Three out of five residents live in these two regions. And two-thirds of immigrants are headed there.
Secondly, “We are truly a multicultural nation.” Although, at one level, I knew this, I didn’t realize the extent to which it was true: “In our two largest states (California and Texas) and all ten of our largest cities, no racial or ethnic category describes a majority of the population”.
Lastly, “We are a more multi-generational society living in an ever-wider variety of household types”. Again, something I knew, but didn’t fully understand: “The iconic American family – married couples with children – will account for a mere 22% of households”, for example.
For those interested in a truly in-depth study, Sam Robert’s ‘Who We Are Now’ is a detailed breakdown of the structure of the population from the Urban Affairs correspondent of The New York Times. Roberts gives good historical reasons for why the population has shifted in the way it has. It’s six years old now. But, hey, this is demographics, it doesn’t change that fast!
The overall picture we get, reading Peter’s study is one of complex fragmentation. Society, more than ever, is a series of shifting, overlapping mosaics with smaller and smaller pieces. It’s fascinating, but difficult to comprehend.
What’s the implication for marketing? Well, you can argue it either way.
The obvious lesson is that messages should be micro-targeted. We should use more digital marketing and low production costs to version the heck out of every ad, with different support points, offers and even colors for different audiences. And that is undoubtedly part of the future.
Or you could say that such fragmentation calls for marketing with big messages that can transcend different micro audiences with big, universal human truths.
Both views are right.
What most marketers need are sophisticated, integrated campaigns. The sort that can speak broadly and make us feel part of a big group, but who can then switch to talk very specifically us as individuals. These, of course, are the most difficult to create.
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