As a nation, the United States is becoming older and more affluent. The birthrate is falling, and subculture populations are rising. People express concerns about the environment, buying ecologically friendly products that reduce pollution. They value the time at home with family and friends, watching videos and eating microwavable snacks. These types of events help to shape marketings’ social-cultural environment—the relationship between marketing and society and its culture.
Marketers must cultivate sensitivity to society’s changing values and demographic shifts such as population growth and age distribution changes. These changing variables affect consumers’ reactions to different products and marketing practices. For example, people are more health conscious today than they were a generation ago. They watch their diets, eating more fruits and vegetables and limiting fat consumption. As a result, both food companies and restaurants have added low-fat or fat-free versions of many items. In fact, an entirely new line of frozen, meatless sandwiches and dinner entrees emerged to meet the demands of vegetarians and nutrition- conscious consumers. Gardenburgers, the first entrant in the meatless sandwich line, was launched with the support of a $12 million TV and print advertising campaign. BocaBurgers and Harvest Burgers now compete aggressively with Gardenburgers in their marketing efforts. Staying abreast of changing consumer tastes is a necessary task of new-product marketers. Says BocaBurger’s vicc president of marketing Kate Torres, 1Years ago, it was enough to just be on the shelves, and people who didn’t eat meat would come and find you. Today, that’s changing. More and more consumers are aware of healthy alternatives, but they need to be informed about brands.”25
Another social-cultural trend has raised the importance of cultural diversity. The United States is a mixed society composed of various submarkets, each with its unique values, cultural characteristics, consumer preferences, purchasing behaviors, and differences in age and place of residence. Some companies find it highly profitable to target these submarkets. Many firms have found success selling many different products, from ethnic foods to music, to small, well-defined groups of customers. Ford Motor Co., for example, recently spent $1 million on its first advertising campaign specifically targeting Hispanic consumers. The new campaign theme, which carries the headline, “I am not a stereotype,” appeared in popular Spanish-language magazines. Each version in the campaign features average Hispanic consumers talking about their collective identity and concerns, and what it means to be Hispanic. Ford marketers hope to connect with the heart of the Hispanic community by recognizing their unique heritage.
Creative marketers of products for the U.S. population of the 21st century must take into consideration all the segments of their market. G+.J USA Publishing targets not just women, but women in various life stages with magazines such as those shown in Figure 2. 11 that are edited specifically for teens, active women, expecting and new moms, home enthusiasts, and household decision makers.