Hasta La Creative!

It’s been said for years that the demographic makeup of the U.S. is headed for a seismic shift — that the non-Hispanic white majority would eventually become a minority. A recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that this is happening even faster than anyone thought before. Projections for the tipping point when non-Hispanic whites would no longer account for more than 50% of the population were initially pegged at the year 2050.

As reported in a recent Ad Age article, updates from the Census Bureau have pushed this date up to 2044. While the overall rate of population growth is slowing due to declining birth rates, because of years of steady immigration the country is diversifying at a pace never before seen in our history. In 2044, the U.S. will be 49.7% white (compared with 63% today), 25% Hispanic (compared with 17% today), 12.7% black, 7.9% percent Asian and 3.7% multiracial.

As an industry that exists to communicate with consumers of all backgrounds and walks of life, the advertising industry stands to benefit more than most by cultivating a highly diverse and inclusive environment that reflects the changing demographics around us. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 582,000 Americans employed in advertising and communications in 2014, less than half are women, 6.6% are black or African American, 5.7% are Asian and 10.5% are Hispanic. Together, we can change this.

Continue reading at AdAge.com