Thursday, February 20, 2014

Country Radio's Diversity Problem

I have been writing about the coming of the Millenials into country's target for more than twenty years, so this week's revelations from Edison Research at the Country Radio Seminar should not come as a surprise to anyone who's been paying attention to our evolving target.

Today (from the country/new country section of Nielsen's State Of Audio Today 2014):
Tomorrow (from Edison's CRS research as reported by Inside Radio):


It's not going to be simple or easy as our creators of music open their sights beyond the traditional themes and sounds of America's South, as our personalities evolve to understand how to be relatable and entertain in broader ways and today's upper demos accept these changes.

Of course, it has to happen in a way that "country" remains uniquely "country" or we'll be surrendering the values which make us so appealing and strong, but anyone who would predict that it can't happen or won't work doesn't know our listeners very well.

The evolution has already begun, it's helping us grow right now.

The intelligent way to see and embrace this change is to see it as "country's diversity opportunity."

1 comment:

Nielsen (click to read more) said...

While they make up the same amount of the U.S. population as Boomers, the similarities end there. Only 21 percent are married, compared with 42 percent of Boomers, and Millennials make up 20 percent of same-sex couples. They prefer to live in dense, diverse urban villages where social interaction is just outside their front doors. They value authenticity and creativity, and they buy local goods made by members of their communities. They care about their families, friends and philanthropic causes.

Millennials also make up the most racially and ethnically diverse generation (19% Hispanic, 14% African American and 5% Asian)—and this growth in diversity will only increase as they start their families. While the Boomer population was fueled by high birth rates, the Millennial population has been driven by immigration.

Millennials are 14 percent first generation and 12 percent are second generation, indicating strong ties to their home country–from food choices to language and media preferences. These ties keep Millennials connected to their ethnic and cultural backgrounds, as 71 percent say they appreciate the influence of other cultures on the American way of life, compared with 62 percent of Boomers.