Advertising also takes these differences into account. Billboards, directed primarily at black Americans, for example, often feature black actors and actresses as role models. Advertisements for the same product would not be used in most rural areas. Ethnicity, too, often plays a role in deciding where and how to direct marketing efforts. For example, it was very common to see displays for a particular brand of Jewish rye bread at subway stops through New York City, but a few miles out of the metropolitan area the displays were no longer in evidence.
Throughout the nation, there have been significant increases in the Hispanic population over the course of the past few decades. Projections show that this trend will still continue.
Hispanics (the Spanish-speaking minority in this country) constitute around 52 million people or 16.7% of the nation's total population. About 1.15 million Hispanics were added to the nation's population between July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014. This number is close to half of the approximately 2.36 million people added to the nation's population during this period.
There has been about a 2.1% increase in the Hispanic population between 2013 and 2014 and the projected Hispanic population of the United States in 2060 is 119 million. According to this projection, the Hispanic population will constitute 28.6%of the nation's population by that date. The numbers make a significant point: Hispanic Americans no longer live only in the Southwest and California. And marketing experts, as well as people working as public relations professionals, must keep that in mind.
Producers of products have begun concentrating efforts in these regions on the impact of these groups as consumers. Efforts to reach these new consumers have also started and will be positively expanded throughout the years to come.
As is the case with other races and ethnic groups, Hispanics cannot be categorized simply. They do not fit neatly into one socioeconomic group. To remain ignorant of these key demographic changes would be tantamount to missing the essence of public relations, as it performs an invaluable role to marketing in America in the future.
See the following articles for more information:
- What a Public Relations Person Does Today
- Public Relations Serves Many Functions
- Defining Public Relations
- The Career of Public Relations
