Posted by Elena del Valle on May 8, 2014
In 1914, Congress designated the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day thanks to the efforts of Anna Jarvis, who first organized observances in Grafton, West Virginia, and Philadelphia on May 10, 1908. Four million (4.1 to be exact) women between the ages of 15 and 50 gave birth in the past 12 months, according to U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey (Table B13002).
Almost half of women (47 percent) between 15 and 50 had no children. One in five women in the same age range had two children, 17 percent had one, 10 percent had three and about 5 percent had four or more, according to Fertility of American Women: 2010 (Detailed Tables, Table 1).
In 2012, the average age of women when they had their first child was 25.8 up from 25.6 years the previous year. There was a relatively large decline in births to women in their teen years and their twenties. Jacob and Sophia were the most popular baby names that year.
Less than one third of new mothers (29.5 percent) had a bachelor’s degree or higher while 84.6 percent of said they have at least a high school diploma (source: 2012 American Community Survey, American FactFinder, Table S1301).
In 2011, 35.7 percent of births were to unmarried women age 15 to 50. The metro areas with birth rates to unmarried mothers that were among the highest in the country included Flagstaff, Arizona (74.6 percent), Greenville, North Carolina. (69.4 percent), Lima, Ohio (67.5 percent), Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, South Carolina (67.4 percent) and Danville, Virginia. (67.3 percent).
In 2013, there were five million stay at home moms or about the same percent as in the previous two years. That year, almost one quarter (24 percent) of married couple families with children under 15 had a mother at home, up from 21 percent in 2000.
In 2011, Mother’s Day was described as the largest card sending and money sending occasion for United States Latinos of the year, according to a Univision article by Graciela Eleta. She believed that many Latinos who leave their mothers behind when they immigrate take advantage of Mother’s Day to send greeting cards and money transfers (funds are double those of an average month) to their mother in their country of origin.
In 2011, there were 63 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, a low number, led by the drop in births among immigrant women. In 1957, by comparison, it peaked at 122.7 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age. The recent decline in birthrates was greatest, 25.7 percent, among Mexican American women and Mexico born women, according to a 2013 Herald Tribune article (Hispanic pregnancies fall in U.S. as women choose smaller families) that cites Pew Research Center data. In 2010, Hispanic birthrates reached the lowest level in 20 years, according to Pew data.
Posted by Elena del Valle on April 2, 2014
2014 Relative Population & Households with Children – click to enlarge
In the United States, two thirds of Millennials have never been married, according to Marketing to Millennials US February 2014 Executive Summary, a Mintel report. Those who got hitched are in their late twenties. The median age for first marriage is about 29 for men and 27 for women. Thirty-two percent of households with children are Millenial households. At the same time, 43 percent of Millenial households include children.
Although 25 percent of Millenials 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree and 9.5 percent have a graduate degree compared to 11.1 percent of all adults, unemployment among that market segment is higher than for the national average. At the time of the report, 10.3 percent of Millennials between 20 and 24 years old, and 6.8 percent of Millennials aged between 25 and 34 were unemployed. The national unemployment average is 6.5 percent.
There’s a notable difference in household income between younger and older Millenials. While Younger Millennials, those under 25 years of age, have a median household income of $30,604, the median income of Older Millennials, those 25 and older, is about $51,381. The former may be still be studying or in an entry-level job, whereas Older Millennials may be working full-time and more advanced in their career. Mintel researchers believe the 2008 financial crisis caused median income for those aged 15-24 to decline 13 percent between 2007 and 2012, and decline 9 percent for adults aged 25-34.
At the same time, annual spending for Younger Millennials is 40 percent less than for all adults, while among Older Millennials, average expenditures are about 4 percent less. Younger members of the market segment spend less on everything except education. Older Millennials spend a good deal more than all adults on alcoholic beverages and apparel and services, and significantly less on healthcare.
Posted by Elena del Valle on March 20, 2014
U.S. Population by Generation Percent – 2014 – click to enlarge image
In 2014, there were 78.3 million Americans aged 20 to 37. This market segment, often described as Millennials, represents a quarter of the country’s population. Almost one in five (19.4 percent) Millennials is Hispanic, 14.8 percent is Black, and 5.2 percent is Asian, making the group among the most diverse, according to Marketing to Millennials US February 2014 Executive Summary, a Mintel report.
While Baby Boomers protect their private data, 60 percent of Millennials who responded to Mintel questions said they would be willing to provide details about their personal preferences and habits to marketers. Even for private information these young adults are open minded. Among respondents to the Mintel questions, 30 percent of Millennials said they would share personal information in exchange for a financial incentive such as a $10 discount. Only 13 percent of Baby Boomers who answered the question said they would be willing to do the same.
“Millennials are predisposed to share their personal habits and contact information with marketers, but they do so only when the perceived benefits outweigh the risks. Given that their generation accounts for nearly a quarter of the population, the implications for businesses are tremendous, because as Millennials go, so goes the US economy,” said Fiona O’Donnell, category manager, retail, multicultural, lifestyles and leisure, Mintel, in a press release.
Millennials said they are more likely to share cell numbers and social media profiles with companies than Baby Boomers (30 percent compared to 14 percent and 27 percent compared to 10 percent, respectively). Baby Boomers said they were more willing to share a mailing address, 40 percent versus 38 percent of Millennials. For the most private information, credit scores, 17 percent of Millennials and 8 percent of Baby Boomers were willing to provide the information.
The generational groups represented in the Mintel report are Baby Boomers (23.6 percent), Emerging (9 percent), Gen-X (15.4 percent), iGeneration (16.9 percent), Millenials, Swing (10.5 percent). Baby Boomers are aged 50 to 68, Emerging are under seven years old, Gen-X is 38 to 49, iGeneration is seven to 19, and Swing are 69 and older.
Posted by Elena del Valle on February 5, 2014
Consumer prices, selected areas December 2013, percentage change on the same month of the previous year – click to enlarge
Image: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Annual inflation rose in the United States to 1.5 percent up from 1.2 percent, according to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) figures released this week. In Canada, the change was 1.2 percent in December 2013 up from 0.9 percent in November 2013 while in Germany it went to 1.4 percent up from 1.3 percent; and Japan it went to 1.6 percent up from 1.5 percent. It remained at 0.7 percent in France and Italy and dropped in the United Kingdom to 2 percent down from 2.1 percent. The overall Euro area annual inflation increased to 0.9 percent in December, compared with 0.8 percent in November.
In the OECD area, consumer prices went up by 1.6 percent in the year to December 2013, compared with 1.5 percent in the year to November 2013. This minor increase in the annual rate of inflation was driven for the most part by energy prices which increased by 1.7 percent in the year to December, compared with stable prices in November. The annual price inflation of food was steady at 1.5 percent in December. The OECD annual inflation rate excluding food and energy was also stable at 1.6 percent in December.
The OECD tracks changes in developed countries and provides a forum for member governments to compare policy experiences, search for answers to common problems, identify good practices and coordinate domestic and international policies.
Posted by Elena del Valle on January 1, 2014
Wishing you a New Year filled with health, joy and prosperity.
Posted by Elena del Valle on December 2, 2013
The Indio billboard by Arturo – click to enlarge
Photos: Heineken USA
Heineken owned beer brand Indio marketers created a billboard campaign to reach target consumers, bicultural Hispanic millennials 21 years of age and older “who consider themselves to be original individuals and place an importance on expressing themselves through everything they do, whether it’s art or music.” They invited artists in several states to submit art around an Indio bottle theme to compete. At the conclusion, a few winners had their artwork displayed on billboards as part of the campaign.
The Indio bottle
The Indio billboard by Saul
Company representatives promoted the Indio Gallery campaign across digital media, with heavy emphasis on Facebook. The brand’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/IndioBeer) was the primary gate for consumers to submit their Indio themed artwork. Each entry from among the hundreds of submissions was judged on creativity, originality, composition and inclusion of Indio brand imagery such as the Indio logo or colors.
The Indio billboard by Benjy
The Indio billboard by Ignacio
Nine artists were invited to participate in the campaign. Inspire, Indio’s Dallas advertisement agency, developed 47 billboard ads with the artwork. MediaVest’s MV42, the brand’s media agency, placed them.
Each artist is credited for his work on the billboards, which feature their name and hometown, as well as the brand’s tagline, beer bottle and Facebook address.
The billboards were on display for four weeks in the Chicago, California, and Texas markets in October 2013. Grand Prize winner Arturo Rios received a $5,000 cash prize.
Gustavo Guerra, brand director, Tecate, Indio and Bohemia brands
“Public relations efforts generated coverage across media consumed by our target, while our panel of judges promoted the contest amongst their networks via social media and flyers,” said Gustavo Guerra, brand director, Tecate, Indio and Bohemia brands, by email, in response to questions about promotion and coverage. “We looked at the number of entries we received, as well as engagement on our Facebook page and paid media.”
Indio billboard by Nasim
Indio billboard by Ricardo
The judges, who were compensated for their time, were Gil Cerezo (the lead singer of Mexican band Kinky), Diana Garcia (a Mexican illustrator and actress), Federico Archuleta (an Austin street artist), Juan Angel Chavez (a Chicago artist), the president of the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, and the Indio brand team. The Indio Gallery contest was open to residents of California, Texas and Illinois, the states in which the company launched Indio in 2012. Indio is also distributed in Phoenix and Las Vegas. The resulting billboards were placed across key cities in those markets in October 2013.
Indio is imported from Mexico. A company representative declined to disclose the number of bottles sold in the United States per year or the percent of the Hispanic market segment among fans of the beer brand. Launched in 1893 under its flagship brand, Cuauhtémoc beer, the label featured an Aztec emperor. Consumers nicknamed it the “beer of the Indian.” This led to the current name, which is Spanish for Indian, in 1905.
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 18, 2013
U.S motorization study by Michael Sivak
In 2011, based on the most recent data available, the average driver in the United States consumed 585 gallons of fuel or 1,033 gallons per household. Recent studies indicate that Americans, in general, own fewer light-duty vehicles, drive each of them less, and consume less fuel than in past years.
According to the results of a study (one of three on the subject conducted) released this month, researchers believe fuel consumption rates per person, per licensed driver, per household, and per registered vehicle and distance-driven rates peaked in 2003 or 2004, before the ongoing economic downturn.
By 2011, they had decreased by 13 percent to 17 percent. The researchers believe the long term peak was reached around 2003 or 2004.
They concluded Americans drive fewer light-duty vehicles, defined as cars, pickup trucks, SUVs, and vans; they drive each of them less, and consume less fuel. They also estimate that current fuel consumption rates are lower than they were in 1984 when they began to track the information.
The 17-page report, titled Has Motorization in the U.S. Peaked? Part 3: Fuel consumed by light-duty vehicles was authored by Michael Sivak, director, Sustainable Worldwide Transportation, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. Earlier this year, he published two reports in which he looked at recent trends in the numbers of registered light-duty vehicles in the United States and the corresponding distances driven.
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 14, 2013
Three researchers examined TIGER indexes for 23 countries
Is the world economy improving? Yes, sort of. After examining key economic indicators of a group of advanced and emerging markets three researchers concluded the economic turn around remains slow and uncertain. Eswar Prasad, Karim Foda and Arnav Sahu, authored the October 2013 Update to TIGER: Tracking Indexes for the Global Economic Recovery published this month by The Brookings Institution and the Financial Times.
Growing confidence in advanced economies and stable growth in emerging markets are driving the economic climate. The analysts are convinced that the economy “remains just a shock or two away from turning into another slump.”
They shared TIGER indexes for 23 countries and charts for the indicators indexes, each including real activity, financial and confidence indicators. The countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States.
The Overall Growth Index, the Real Activity Index and other charts for the United States, for example, show a deep slump in 2009 with varying degrees of recovery since. The confidence index was the most worrisome.
It appears the worst is over for advanced economies including Europe, Japan, United States, and United Kingdom. The latter “is experiencing surprisingly good growth.” Overall in advanced economies although jobs creation is weak and financial conditions are mixed confidence in the private sector has increased and inflation is modest. We’re not out of danger, seems to be the cautionary message which points to the need for growth.
At the same time, emerging market economies, such as China, India and Brazil, which had stopped growing are looking stronger. Private sector confidence in these countries had been poor recently and has improved somewhat.
Eswar Prasad is senior fellow, Global Economy and Development
new century chair in International Trade and Economics. Karim Foda is research associate, Global Economy and Development,
and Arnav Sahu is a student at Cornell University.
Posted by Elena del Valle on August 19, 2013
Up to 20 percent of broccoli’s nutritional content is from protein
Photos: HispanicMPR.com, Truth Be Told
Although only seven percent of people in the United States claim to be vegetarian and increasing number of consumers indicate they are purchasing meat alternatives, according to Meat Alternatives US June 2013, a Mintel report available for purchase at $3,995. In 2012, sales of meat alternative products across a variety of conventional and specialty channels, reached $553 million, according to the survey company’s data. That was equivalent to an 8 percent growth compared to 2010.
Popular meat alternatives include seitan, almonds, soy and soy derivative products such as tempeh and tofu, legumes and beans, dairy products such as cheese, milk and yogurt, quinoa, and broccoli to name a few. Some people consume these items to cut back on the costs of expensive meat products. Some shoppers like their health benefits while others seek to replace meat and protein in their diets.
Tofu Shirataki noodles
One such product promoting health and variety is Tofu Shirataki noodles made with tofu and Japanese yam powder or konnyaku. The products are touted as a low-calorie healthy alternative to wheat pastas since each four-ounce serving has only 20 calories and three grams of carbohydrates. The promotional materials point to the benefits of soy and added protein. Similar examples cram the shelves of supermarkets and health food stores.
Thirty-six percent of respondents to a March 2013 survey of 2,000 adults by Mintel said they buy meat alternative products. Those consumers indicated they purchase such products for their health benefits rather than as meat substitutes.
Many respondents (67 percent) who didn’t say they purchased meat alternatives indicated they preferred real red meat while 34 percent said they didn’t enjoy the flavor of alternative products and 20 percent said they didn’t like the texture.
Asians and Hispanics rely more heavily on the use of meat alternatives compared to other consumer segments and Hispanics want variety, according to Mintel findings. These market segments appear to consume meat alternatives more than once per week.
White shopper who responded to the survey over index in their consumption of meat alternatives because they believe they are healthy. Respondents from other race groups said the are more likely to buy the products for their the taste.
Asian (45 percent) and Hispanic (46 percent) shoppers who took the survey said the are more likely than average to cook with meat alternatives in addition to meat and less likely than average to use the products as meat substitutes. Hispanic and Asian survey takers said they are also more likely to serve meat alternative products as a side dish than as mains.
In addition, the report indicates Hispanic shoppers who took the survey said they are interested in information about these products. They would like to know about the ingredients they are made from and how to cook with them.
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 24, 2013
States with Majority Minority Toddler Populations 2012 – click to enlarge
For years there has been debate about the demographic face of America. Experts have estimated growth, births, deaths and juggled data to predict what our country will look like in coming decades. Newly analyzed Census 2010 information points to an unprecedented change in our nation’s racial and ethnic profile in 14 states. Data on ten of the states is represented in the graphic in this article. Four additional states were excluded to keep the graphic size manageable: New Jersey, New York, Mississippi and Delaware.
Non Hispanic whites are dying at a faster rate than they are born. This was anticipated. The speed at which it is happening is what is unexpected. Three states, Texas, New Mexico and California, have already reached majority-minority status, according to The Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization.
William Frey, senior fellow there, indicated in a recent article (Shift to a Majority-Minority Population in the U.S. Happening Faster than Expected) that the country is at the beginning of “an inevitable transition that affords us new opportunities.” Booming minority births, fewer births and more deaths among whites, and immigration are driving these changes, according to his article.
