Waahh!
The cries you hear are coming from the Midwest, which, says the U.S. Census, is no longer the heartland. Instead, metro areas increased by nearly 11 percent over the last 10 to 12 years, as did western and southern regions.
Some other numbers that count:
- Latinos, along with a more concentrated Asian upswing, lead the people growth surge by major margins – like 65 percent in Texas, 55 percent in Florida, and, yes, nearly half the increase in Arizona and Nevada. [That’s not so good for the GOP.]
- City hoods have become more integrated, with the most prominent example being Atlanta. [That’s great news for promoting the U.S. of A. as a true melting pot.]
Other drool-worthy stats for demographers and psychographers range from Detroit’s “credit negative” status (a 25 percent decline) to the year 2041, the so-called date for the “majority minority” switch in this country. [Translation: At that time, whites of European ancestry will make up less than 50 percent of the population.]
We could spend even more time pondering the population shifts and transitions. What becomes crystal clear to us, in our professional roles as chief communicators and change mavens, are the implications to our work (not to mention the companies we work for).
A few of our top-of-mind thoughts:
- Families and personal life take center stage, with policies and advertising and communications reflecting that focus.
- Diversity gets real. Nope, not a simple nod to mixing color and gender. Rather, language and visuals and behaviors become keenly attuned to everyone’s needs and inclinations.
- Words and pictures matter. Partnering with human resources experts, draw up different kinds of guides that segment and introduce messages and design and translations that will resonate with the various employee populations.
- Internal and social-media communities will form naturally, gravitating towards like-minded colleagues who share specific values, yet welcoming other more diverse individuals and teams.
Is this a vision, an evolution, or a brand-new world?