America's New (Minority) Mainstream Has Arrived... 4 decades ahead of forecasts

By now, all Americans are aware of the stunning 2000 Census data citing that minorities—groups  spanning Hispanics, African-Americans and Asians—currently represent 1 in 3 Americans and will grow to constitute 50% of the U.S. population by 2050.

But what many companies may not yet know is that in much of the country these forecasts are already a reality… 4 decades ahead of schedule.

Recent Census data heralds that a new “majority-minority” has arrived in 1 out of every 10 of the nation’s 3,000+ counties. In other words, 303 of the nation’s counties already have more than 50% minority-status residents, with cities like Los Angeles already totaling over 70%.

In explaining the sheer gravity of these shifts, Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon drew this comparison, “To put this into perspective, there are more minorities in this country today than there were people in the United States in 1910. In fact, the minority population in the U.S. is larger than the total population of all but 11 countries.”

Indeed, markets are changing at remarkable clips, and well ahead of schedule. As brands struggle in this economy, the good news is that the cultural markets that are sweeping the nation are opening a host of new opportunities for today’s food and beverage marketers.

Just look at the other trends fueling more demand for specialty and ethnic offerings...