As you have learned in this chapter, the growing diversity of a country’s population is a major driver of change and is an important consideration for marketing strategists. Our membership in ethnic subcultures as well as the constitution of our households often guide our consumption choices, and may affect the products companies offer, where they are sold, and how promotional messages are communicated.

Looking at the British advertising history, for example, the white British (opposite sex) married couple with a stay-at-home mum, a working dad, and an average of 2.4 children was presented to consumers for decades if not centuries. From chips to ketchup to cars, many brands relied on the “traditional family” for their promotional activities.119 But demographics are changing, and quietly revolutionizing the British community statistics. According to the 2011 Census, the population of England and Wales rose from 52 million in 2001 to 56.1 million in 2011 and even further to 58.4 million in 2017.120 Within this development, ethnic diversity grew: the mixed and multiple ethnic population of England and Wales has increased from 1 percent

(660,000 people) in 2001 to 2 percent (1.2 million people)

in 2011.121 In June 2018, 15 percent of the UK population was estimated to be born abroad. The background of couples (i.e., people either living as a married couple, in a civil partnership, or cohabiting) changed, too: the percentage of couples comprising persons of different ethnicities rose from 7 percent to 9 percent (2.3 million people) 2016 saw 2 percent of the UK’s population being nonheterosexual, with more than 11 percent of those living in a partnership (either civil-partnered or married). 123 Family compositions became multifaceted as well: with the 2011 census, the UK’s Office for National Statistics reported that around 11 percent of couples with children had stepchildren.124 More and more English mothers with children are in employment: the number of working mums, either full- or part-time, increased significantly between 1996 (61.9 percent) and 2017 (74 percent).125 Of all families in the UK, 22 percent were lone parent families and 0.2 percent were same-sex families with dependent children in 2017.126 Likewise, family sizes changed: from 1996 to 2017, the percentage of families with only one dependent child has gone up from 42 percent to 45 percent in the entire United Kingdom. Families with 2 children have stayed the same and families with more children have decreased from 17 percent to 15 percent.127 Many brands account for these new living situations and arrangements in their promotional activities nowadays.

The Swedish car manufacturer Volvo acknowledged the changes to the nuclear family in its 2018 British advertising campaign for its V60 model, a typical family car. The company recognized that families have evolved into all shapes and sizes and wanted to convey that whatever the composition of your family, this car will keep your loved ones safe. Along these lines, the company portrayed

“new families” of today: it showed men living in long-term relationships, lone fathers and mothers with their children, families with step-children, etc. in several of its TV spot.128 South Korean car producer Hyundai went down a similar path when presenting its 2019 Santa Fe SUV as an automobile that provides space for quality time to all kinds of families. The company’s series of TV ads, e.g., shows the car being used by a father driving his daughter to her wedding with another woman, or a dad on a camping trip with his mixed-race children where mum can only join via video call as she is working.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS CS 13-1 Think of recent advertising campaigns you have seen. Do you think the modern population constitution has been reflected in those? If not, what may be the reasons for not portraying current family and household compositions?

CS 13-2 Some specialists argue that acknowledging the

“modern family household” in promotional messages is just lip service. Do you agree? What potential positive outcomes could be realized with campaigns reflecting today’s society?

CS 13-3 What can marketers do to stay informed about trends in the population?

AppendixLO1