Branding The New America

 

The 2020 census has confirmed an “explosion of diversity”, with people of color representing 43% of the total U.S. population, up from 34% in 2010.  Over the past 10 years, the share of non-Hispanic whites has shrunk by 6 percentage points, down to 57% of the overall population.  The fastest growing segment is the Hispanic or Latino minority, now 19% of the population, followed by Asians who make up 6% of the total (Blacks held at 12%).

We have become more of a society of minorities, even beyond our racial and ethnic groups – i.e. by religion (Christian, Jewish or Islam), by sexuality (gay or transgender), even by political beliefs (conservative, liberal, “socialist” or “libertarian”).  Historically America was founded and dominated by Protestant denominations such as Episcopalians and Methodists, but they have shrunk in size and influence.  White evangelical Protestants have declined to only 15% of the country and feel like strangers in their own land today.  Most voted for Trump because they feel like an oppressed minority fighting for survival.

Fifty years ago brand management (versus “product management”) became the norm for the consumer packaged goods world.  Much of the success of this discipline can be attributed to the sophisticated use of market segmentation, which differentiates audiences using a wide variety of demographics (age, sex, location, etc.), plus buying habits, attitudes, and values.  This type of research enables branding in business and politics to be more relevant, especially for developing an emotional connection with the target audience.

This diversity explosion has made segmentation and marketing more important, and challenging, in today’s polarized, passionate society.  David Brooks from the NY Times recently described four different minority mindsets that are helpful for understanding the dynamics marketers face today:

1. Assimilation – they don’t want to be identified as a minority or part of an outsider group, and prefer to be seen as individuals who are willing to shed traits associated with that specific segment.
2. Separatism – this group wants to preserve the authenticity of their own culture, proud to have a strong cohesive identity, even sending their kids to special schools with their own kind.
3. Combat – these people see life as a struggle between oppressor and oppressed groups. Bigotry is pervasive, with no hope of integration.  They perceive life as a battle against others who despise them and try to push their values on them.
4. Integration – they are more proactive than assimilators in that they are eager to add to the national whole. These members celebrate pluralism and the mixing of groups where each person contributes to an American identity.

Many social thinkers believe that politics has become so nasty because the combatants in the third mindset are obsessed with the fear that the minorities are merging to dominate their values and freedom.  For example, the British political scientist, Mathew Goodwin, finds that right-wing populism is focused on the white working class and they believe the left-wing minority groups have now become the dominant oppressive majority.

This group of combatants is also the most distrustful of our basic institutions, which unfortunately exists to some degree throughout all segments – e.g. our judicial system, Government and Congress, Wall Street, police, religion, and sources of information.  Misinformation has further inflamed polarization, especially on social media where anyone can find opinions or information that supports their views.

The truth is that within each group, the diverse individuals share a richness of their particular culture and are struggling in their own way to live a life of dignity and meaning.  The ideal mindset for America, however, is “integration” which builds on the magic from diversity.  They are at their best for adding creativity and innovation to sustain a truly dynamic America.