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2008 Micro Trends Affecting US - January 2008 |
Micro Trends That Will Affect America in 2008
By Mark Penn and Kinney Zalesne
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WORKING RETIRED
Older Americans today are the biggest, richest and most active group of
seniors in the history of the world. And three out of four baby boomers
say they have no intention of seeking a traditional retirement.
Employers, social-security reformers, Madison Avenue ... is anybody
paying attention?
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SUN HATERS
Sunbathing is still
wildly popular, but there is also a growing group of dissidents who
say: Stop being blinded by the sun's dangers. Going forward, look for
new interest in sun-safe clothing and permanent sunscreen. And look for
more litigation and regulation as the movement gets hotter.
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NEGLECTED DADS
In the late '70s, the
average dad in a two-parent home spent about a third as much time with
his kids as the average mom. By the late '90s, that number had jumped
to 65% on weekdays, and 87% on weekends. Are marketers paying
attention? Where are the ads for dads buying gifts for kids?
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CAR-BUYING SOCCER MOMS
Of course, gender
stereotypes also exist on the other side. Would you know from car ads
that women make up the majority of car-buyers in the U.S.? Someday
soon, smart carmakers, dealers and marketers are going catch on.
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SEX-RATIO SINGLES
Single women are on the
rise and now make up the second-largest group of homebuyers in America,
just behind married couples. Watch for their interests -- in everything
from home security to vacations -- to get some attention.
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OFFICE ROMANCERS
All those single women
are spending lots of time at work -- evidently with attractive peers.
As of 2006, almost 60% of U.S. employees said they'd had an office
romance, up from just 47% in 2003. HR policies could be up for an
overhaul.
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THIRTY-WINKERS
With all that work,
it's hard to get the sleep we need. The average American now sleeps
fewer than seven hours a night, which is about a 25% drop from a
century ago. For the moment, it's big business for the sleeping-pill
people and the caffeine people. But we need to tackle its huge
repercussions for our safety, productivity and civility.
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SOUTHPAWS UNBOUND
Speaking of kids, more and more of them are growing up left-handed.
It's a little about genetics, but mostly it's about liberalized
parenting practices that now stress individuality instead of
conformity. It used to be thought that southpaws were about 1 in 10;
the truth is they may be closer to 1 in 6. Look for more lefty-aimed
products and services.
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PROTESTANT HISPANICS
Thought all Latinos in
America were Catholic? About 25% of them -- some 10 million people --
are Protestant, and more specifically Pentecostal or born again. They
played a big role in re-electing George W. Bush in 2004. Watch them
closely in 2008.
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WEB TO WEDDING
Almost 3 million adults
say they turned online dates into a long-term relationship or marriage.
From DateAGolfer.com to Positive Singles (a site for singles with
STDs), singles now have unprecedented tools for finding the one they
want.
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Source: www.adage.com
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