1998/1999 Winter Issue

Running was the major exercise trend of the 1970s. The '80s meant aerobics and in the '90s, fitness buffs stepped over to cardiovascular machines such as treadmills and stair climbers. During 1997, 67.2 million Americans used cardiovascular equipment, up from 41.2 million in 1987. The first chart below shows the most popular fitness activities in 1997; the second chart lists the top five reasons men and women exercise.

A key ingredient in marketing to the diverse Latino market is finding a neutral Spanish for the message. Ads which thank customers for their business and transmit a message of respect and appreciation are also shown to be effective with this audience. Cultural similarities among Latino groups include the importance of family, community and religion.

Spanish-language ads have better recall and persuasion rates than English-language ads among bilingual Hispanic audiences. However, be aware that a Spanish-language ad directed to younger Hispanic Americans may have drawbacksóthey see the ad as implying they do not speak English.

Internet Affects Business Strategy

A survey, conducted by Andersen Consulting in North America, Europe and Asia, shows most businesses still focus on the product, which means they dictate prices and standards to consumers. Since the Internet transfers power to consumers (consumers can compare prices quickly, choose from a large selection of companies and make purchases without talking to a person), consumer needs are expected to shoot to the top of strategy considerations. Currently, 18% of businessesí strategies revolve around the needs of the consumer; by 2002, 50% will focus more on customer needs and customer retention issues.

Women-Owned Businesses

The number of women-owned businesses is increasing at almost twice the national average of new businesses. Women who left the corporate world did so for more flexibility (51%) and cited 'glass ceiling' issues (29%). Over half (58%) say that nothing would attract them back to the corporate world; however 24% may return for more money and another 11% for more flexibility. Women are more likely than men to have turned a personal interest into a business (14% versus 2%).

The World's Population

Sometimes it is easy to forget oneís place in this large, diverse world and the following numbers can help put it all in perspective. Imagine the Earth's population reduced down to a village of 100 people while maintaining all existing human ratios. In this world, we would have 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from North and South America, and eight Africans. Seventy of these people would be non-white and 70 would be non-Christian. Half of the world's wealth would be in the hands of just six people(all of them U.S. citizens. Fifty people would suffer from malnutrition and 80 would live in sub-standard housing. Thirty people would be literate and just one person would have a college education.

Characteristics of Internet Users

Certain characteristics are attributed to the typical Internet user. These include having a more positive attitude about technology, being more likely to tinker with things or products they cannot figure out and being less insistent about buying American products than the general population. Recent research also shows that Internet users are not necessarily leaders in the early adoption of other consumer products as previously thought.

Internet users are more likely than the average American to use print rather than television as their source for news. They are also more likely to read the business and travel sections of the newspaper, and more likely to read national newspapers like USA Today, or The Wall Street Journal.

Favorite Leisure Activities

Adults report having an average of 19.4 hours of leisure time per week, down from 19.5 hours in 1997. The following chart shows their favorite ways (multiple replies allowed) to spend this time.

Activity	1998	1997
Reading	30%	28%
Television watching	21%	19%
Gardening	14%	11%
Spending time with family/kids	13%	12%
Fishing	11%	12%

Bullets

• The number of fast-food outlets has grown 164%, to 132,000 in 1998 from 50,000 in 1970.
• Radio stationsí websites have been visited by one in four Americans and almost 70% of these visitors have visited more than once.
• The number of corporate chief executive officers running in the New York City Marathon increased from 256 in 1993 to 378 in 1998.
• Almost 44% of people age 55+ (24 million people) volunteer at least once a year. Annually, they give an average of 4.4 hours per week to non-profits. This totals 5.5 billion hours worth $70.5 billion.
• Forty-two percent of golfers choose the game because it is challenging to them. Only 8% consider it fun and another 8% believe itís good exercise. For 24% of golfers, the main attraction is being outdoors; for 19% itís being with friends.
• According to Simons Research, Americans from Asian and Pacific Islander ethnic groups are 143% more likely to read computer magazines than the average American adult.
• Fifty percent of adults (97 million people) attended at least one of seven arts activities in 1997 compared to 42% in 1992. These activities included jazz, classical music, opera, musical plays, non-musical plays, ballet and art museums.
• Americans eat their way through 3.5 million tons of candy per year. This is more than one-fourth of the 12.8 million tons consumed around the world.
• More than five million vending machines collect $31 billion in the U.S. each year.
• The largest proportion of people who classify themselves with a political label say they are Independent (37%). Thirty-four percent say they are Democrats (down 42% from 1976); 28% are Republicans (up from 20% in 1976).
• Among Generation Xers, for the first time women are more likely than men (27% versus 26%) to have bachelorís degrees.
• Half of Americans believe most people try to be fair. Only one-third (34%) believe that most people can be trusted.
• Password is the password most commonly used by workers to access computers and voice mail. Other popular passwords include secret and God.
• More than two-thirds (69%) of businesses offered flexible work scheduling arrangements in 1997, compared to 58% in 1992.
• One in four employees of Silicon Valley high-tech firms changed jobs in 1997. This rate is double the national average and up 60% from 1989.
• Electronic commerce is an increasingly important tool for selling books. Amazon.com sold $148 million in 1997, up 825% from $5.3 million in 1996. The 1998 sales figure is expected to be double that of 1997.
• Consumers spend 24 minutes in the supermarket on an average shopping trip, down 25% from five years ago. During this trip, they visually scan 917 items per minute.
• Five years is the average length of time between automobile purchases. New car buyers take about six weeks to buy once they begin looking; used car buyers take 4.5 weeks. Most new car buyers (58%) know what brand of car they want in advance compared to only 38% of used-car buyers.
• Forty percent of workers think that using flextime and taking time off for family reasons harms their chances for job advancement.
• Over half of Americans (55%) have prayed for career guidance. Women are more likely than men to have prayed (64% versus 47%) and college graduates are more likely than those with a high school education or less (61% versus 48%).
• Almost three out of four (73%) of college students own personal computers. Of these, 79% surf the Net frequently and 83% regularly receive e-mail.
• Most students (76%) are optimistic about finding a job after finishing college. Almost as many (69%) say the nature of the work is of higher consideration than pay in selecting a job.
• One-fourth of American adults were cellular/personal communications system phone users in 1997.
• Bra sales increased almost 50% between 1993 and 1997 to $39.3 billion while total apparel sales rose only 20% over that same period.
• Allergies affect one in 10 workers. Of these, 40% are absent from work one to five days per year because of their allergy symptoms.
• More than half of consumers are brand loyal or very loyal when buying soft drinks (59.8%), health and beauty aids (54.1%) and bath soap(53.9%).
• In the U.S., agriculture accounts for more than 50% of land use and 80% of fresh water consumption.
• Three-fifths (59%) of American teens can name three of the Three Stooges (Curly, Larry, Moe, Shemp and Curly Joe) compared to 41% who can name the three branches of government (legislative, executive and judicial).
• Fifteen percent of shopping visits result in an unsatisfactory experience and almost one in 10 of these shoppers will then change retailers. In a given store, only 42% of previously dissatisfied customers will make a purchase compared to 82% of previously satisfied customers.
• Over one-quarter of U.S. adults (49 million) purchase a watch in a typical year.
• One in every 70 households declared personal bankruptcy in 1997. This reflects a 19.1% increase to 1.4 million from 1.2 million in 1996. Business bankruptcy filings increased only 1% during this same period.
• In 1997, Americans gave more than $109 billion to non-profit organizations, up 7.5% from 1996. Most money is donated by people who are not wealthy, and low-income people donate a higher percentage of their income than the wealthy. Research shows that most wealthy people donate to things that serve wealthy people.
• The number of motorcycles sold rocketed from 280,000 in 1991 to 356,000 in 1997. Almost half of all motorcycle owners earn more than $50,000 a year, and nearly 25% have annual salaries above $75,000. About 60% are between ages 35 and 64.