Pulling out the card: Latinos using credit for necessities

February 8, 2010 – 5:59 am

thumbnailby Abelardo de la Peña Jr.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

  • Another recession situation: Latinos are pulling out the credit cards more often for everyday necessities, but also worrying about not being able to pay down the debt, according to a National Council of La Raza report (ChicanoNews.net 1.19.10).
  • The report, based on findings from focus groups conducted in Chicago, Atlanta, and San Antonio, shows that Latino card users are relying on their credit to pay for groceries and household emergencies like hospital bills or auto repairs.
  • Other key finding include Latinos’ belief that credit is important and should be used responsibly; their collective concern about overspending when jobs are unstable and income unpredictable; and the fact that they don’t always read the fine print of credit contracts, which sometimes leads to negative consequences.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

  • Like all credit card users, Latinos are struggling to keep their spending under control, reduce their debt and build or maintain their credit history. Using their credit cards for necessities may not be the best option, but applying for cards with lower interest rates and fees, utilizing other payment methods and comparing costs will serve them well.

RESOURCES

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By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumers, Latino, Money/Spending | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Target and Wal-Mart think out of the box for installation services

February 5, 2010 – 7:53 am

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by Nissa Hanna

WHAT’S HAPPENING

  • As if shopping for a new TV isn’t hard enough, there’s also the major hurdle of at-home set-up. Target and Wal-Mart have launched new services to help their shoppers with this post-purchase phase of buying electronics.
  • In mid-January 2010, Target rolled out a national TV and videogame console set-up service (BizJournals.com 1.18.10). In-store shoppers can have the product sent to their homes and installed by pros from Zip Express. The retailer will also recycle old TV sets.
  • In fall 2009, Wal-Mart partnered with NEW for home theater and PC installation — sans delivery option (Twice.com 10.22.09). Shoppers purchase the service via prepaid cards found in the home theater and computer aisles.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

  • Consumers are turning to big box and discount stores to find good deals on items that would cost more at specialty stores, but that doesn’t mean they’re willing to sacrifice all the bells and whistles of the specialty-store shopping experience.
  • As product offerings become more homogenous and prices more competitive, retailers need to think of creative ways to stand out.

RESOURCES

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By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Retail | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Wine tasting gone wild: Pairings for the drive-thru set

February 4, 2010 – 10:12 am

thumbnailby Tory Davis

WHAT’S HAPPENING

  • It’s hard to speak pretentiously about terroir with secret sauce dripping down your chin. Los Angeles-based Learn About Wine’s Blind Date tastings pair a variety of respectable reds with beloved In-N-Out Double-Double cheeseburgers (UrbanDaddy.com 1.5.10).
  • The tastings are held on assorted Friday nights in a downtown loft and boast 20 one-ounce blind pours. Each night of the series features a different red: merlot, cab, zinfandel, pinot noir and Rhone. Afterwards the wines are revealed so that tasters can ensure they pair the right bottle with their next combo meal.
  • But you can’t get fries with that — wine tasting has to retain some level of class!

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

  • Californians, with their own lively vinoculture, know that wine is not just for snobs, and most oenophiles know the scene at the end of the movie Sideways speaks the truth: Wine goes with just about anything, including a hamburger.
  • Mainstream consumers are curious about wine, but are often intimidated by the snooty reputation and endless rows of bottles on the shelf. A class that pairs vino with fast food opens the door to massclusivity and welcomes all to swirl and sip.

RESOURCES

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By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Food/Beverage | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

“Go ahead, kid. Throw rocks!” 50 Dangerous Things parents should allow

February 3, 2010 – 8:41 am

thumbnailby Hans Eisenbeis

WHAT’S HAPPENING

  • We’ve been tracking for some time the “Free Range Kids” movement — an idea spawned by blog and book to loosen the apron strings of today’s obsessively protective moms and dads. That mindset is strongly nostalgic: Let kids play outside unsupervised, give them building blocks for birthdays instead of video games, basically let them be kids the way their grandparents were 50 years ago.
  • But 50 Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do) is decidedly more scientific and contemporary, arguing that many dangerous activities are “interesting, eye-opening, enlightening or just plain fun.”
  • Included among the 50 ideas: superglue your fingers together, play with fire, spend an hour blindfolded, and put strange things in the microwave.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

  • Why should parents try to insulate their kids from all risk? They may actually be robbing them of important and educational experiences. This countertrend to extreme, hands-on parenting is growing.
  • Kids will be kids, and giving them straight dope on how to avoid catastrophic outcomes — play with fire outside, away from buildings and cars — may benefit them more than simply stifling all urges.

RESOURCES

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By Iconoculture | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

TILL GREEN DO US PART?

February 2, 2010 – 1:14 pm

by Sarah Fazio

What’s good for the earth isn’t always fun for your dinner party — hosting green friends can sometimes feel more like a guilt trip than a pleasure cruise. And the pressure from the environmentally sensitive Joneses is well documented. But now greener-than-thou tension is moving from interpersonal to intimate with reports of a green-fueled gap growing in some couples.


“The danger arises when one partner undergoes an environmental ‘waking up’ process way before the other, leaving a new values gap between them,” says marriage and family therapist Linda Buzzell (New York Times 1.17.10). This values gap may lead to a behavior gap, with partners having different standards for being “green enough.” The position of the thermostat has long been fodder for disagreement among housemates, and we’ve seen green-values shifts turn bickering over bills into a sustainability argument of planetary proportions. We’ve also seen several new tools for monitoring home energy use come to market this winter — from a Smart Grid-connected videogame to a whole-house monitor that pairs electricity-consumption tracking with weather reports and a Facebook app.


At Iconoculture, we talk about green as a journey — for many consumers, the focus is on becoming greener, not on being perfect. After all, there’s no such thing as the ideal environmentalist or the perfect partner. But if your better half is green enough, it just may come down to “It’s me or the Prius.”

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Bilingual promotoras making healthcare less intimidating

February 2, 2010 – 8:22 am

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by Abelardo de la Peña Jr.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

  • Latino immigrants living in California’s San Joaquin Valley are more likely to seek and get healthcare services if someone helps them overcome language and systematic barriers. Promotoras — bilingual community health educators — are fitting the bill.
  • A study by the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at California State University, Fresno showed that both documented and undocumented immigrants are intimidated by the enrollment process to apply for healthcare services and had experienced poor treatment at doctors’ offices (FresnoBee.com 1.14.09).
  • Immigrant patients that had an average of 10 hours of contact with a promotora increased their access to preventive health services, such as mammograms, prostate checks and physicals.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

  • Because promotoras are trained to use culturally competent approaches and outreach methods, health policy makers and planners could better utilize their services for both routine care and emergency response planning.
  • Ensuring that immigrant Latinos have access to preventive health services not only keeps them well, but lowers the overall cost of healthcare by keeping them out of doctors’ offices and emergency rooms.

RESOURCES

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By Iconoculture | Posted in Health/Beauty, Latino | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Americans buy less stuff, experience more life during recession

January 29, 2010 – 6:51 am

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by Hans Eisenbeis

WHAT’S HAPPENING

  • Before the Great Recession hit, we’d already documented a shift among aspirational consumers from buying goods to collecting experiences. Now that trend has mainstreamed in a big way, as financially strapped Americans are cutting their spending and replacing it with low-cost, high-value experiences.
  • The U.S. Department of Labor tracked consumer time-usage from 2005-2008, and found that Americans are spending less time shopping and more time cooking and participating in social activities like church and sports (NYTimes.com 1.2.10).
  • That trend continued through 2009, and has been reflected in rising attendence numbers at museums and movies. The Walt Disney Company even reports that sales of goods are down, but attendance at amusement parks is up.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

  • A shift from products to experiences doesn’t necessarily mean Americans aren’t spending money. They’re just trying to get more bang for their buck through memorable experiences and strong relationships.
  • Consumers are also wary of the expensive junk they’ve surrounded themselves with. Experiences take up room in the heart, not in the house.

RESOURCES

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By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

KangoGift: Instant presents over the phone

January 28, 2010 – 6:38 am

thumbnailby Nissa Hanna

WHAT’S HAPPENING

  • Beta site KangoGift is now providing the hookup for what might be called presentexting. The service lets gift givers send text-message (SMS) vouchers for real presents.
  • KangoGift (located in Cambridge, MA) is currently only partnering with businesses in Harvard Square; though they hope to eventually roll out to other areas.
  • The gift sender has his pick of a flower store, a bakery, a jewelry boutique, ice cream shop or a couple of restaurants. Suggested purchases and their prices are listed on the site.
  • A gift-receiving resident of that neighborhood presents her voucher to the store or restaurant to redeem the gift.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

  • Convenience-minded gift givers are looking for solutions that streamline the gifting process for them and their present recipients. They want their thoughtfulness to shine without sacrificing a lot of energy.
  • Easy-to-redeem, instantaneous gifts are a good way to show care and concern for friends and family who need a little love in a hurry.

RESOURCES

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By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumers, Retail | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Primal urge: The hunter-gatherers of New York City

January 27, 2010 – 7:34 am

thumbnailby Nina Elder

WHAT’S HAPPENING

  • A small subset of New York City dwellers is going back — way back — to a prehistoric way of life (NYTimes.com 1.10.10).
  • These elemental 20- and 30somethings (called cavemen, paleos or hunter-gatherers) believe in a lifestyle that’s more similar to that of our very ancient ancestors. They eat large quantities of meat, skip carbs and processed foods and often fast for days at a time to re-create prehistoric famines. To keep in shape, they do cavemen-esque workouts like scrambling through the woods on all fours and playing catch with stones. We are not making this up.
  • Paleos believe that ancient humans were stronger and healthier than humans today and that agribusiness and civilized living has made us stressed, soft and prone to chronic diseases. Going back to basics is supposed to bring the body back into balance.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

  • For years, consumers have been eschewing processed foods in favor of whole, local, organic grub. The caveman movement is a way of pushing that envelope (much) further.
  • Everything old — canning, making your own bread, gardening — is new (and cool) again. Caveman-style living takes this idea to the logical extreme.
  • In a marketplace where the Primitive Diet is gaining steam and urbanites are signing up for deer-hunting lessons, living like a prehistoric human makes a little more sense.

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THE NEW HEROES

January 26, 2010 – 11:33 am

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by Stefania Revelli

No one can argue the talent of today’s pro athletes, but unless you’ve been hiding in a golf hole, you’ve also been a victim of Fan Letdown, otherwise described as a disappointing scandal that knocks your favorite sports star down from hero status. And what better place to revisit the definition of a hero than … Canada.

As Vancouver gears up for the 2010 Winter Olympics, athletes and fans prepare to unite in the name of sportsmanship and breakout stars. Not only are American viewers curious to see a host city push the eco envelope, as well as witness the fruits of unprecedented media support (like Stephen Colbert’s sponsorship of the U.S. speed skating team); they’re eager to watch returning overnight legends like Shaun White and Apolo Ohno.
More than 250 Americans will compete in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. What will keep fans on the edge of their seats will not be the behind-the-scenes stories of overplayed superstars, it will be the motivating stories of human struggle and sacrifice that take athletes to heroes in a matter of milliseconds.
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After Katrina, an organization bridges Latino struggles and success

January 26, 2010 – 7:14 am

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Abelardo de la Peña Jr.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

  • Before 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans’ Latino population hovered around 3%; it’s now around 4.5%, according to a 2008 census survey (CNN.com 8.19.09). The nonprofit Puentes (Bridges) New Orleans, founded in 2007, helps established and newly arrived Latino residents in the rebuilding city, bringing visibility to their struggles and success.
  • The org offers homebuyer training courses, credit review services, a public safety initiative and leadership training. Their LatiNOLA website lists volunteer opportunities, conducts voter education and registration, provides leadership growth opportunities, organizes events and hosts blogs.
  • We saw a Puente-organized storefront photo display at the Riverwalk Marketplace called “Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors,” which shares insight into the lives of 15 Latin American immigrants living in the region (Iconoculture observation 12.19.09).

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

  • Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Latinos lived in the New Orleans area as a forgotten minority. The disaster not only brought with it an influx of immigrant Latino laborers, but a willingness to become more self-sufficient and to be part of the city’s rebuilding.
  • Brands that step up to assist organizations like Puentes help bring stability and optimism to the still-struggling region.

RESOURCES

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By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumers, Latino | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Generosity: The career strategy

January 25, 2010 – 6:53 am

thumbnailby Hans Eisenbeis

WHAT’S HAPPENING

  • Researchers looking into the biology of charity have found that brain chemistry is actually altered by acts of charitable giving. Now business strategists and professional coaches say that being generous can pay big dividends career-wise too (WSJ.com 12.20.09).
  • Nice guys really don’t have to finish last. Jonathan Fields, author of Career Renegade, argues that acts of daily kindness are a great way to build professional networks, business and social capital.
  • Fields suggests that simple things can be big career boosts, such as mentoring younger or inexperienced workers, or offering to help a cash-strapped client without charging them.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

  • There are social, emotional, physical, and even professional reasons to embrace a culture of Gross National HappinessSM.
  • Generosity flies in the face of a take-no-prisoners approach to upward mobility, but it fits better in a workplace scarred by the Great Recession.

RESOURCES

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By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah: Her bossy husband

January 22, 2010 – 12:28 pm

thumbnailby Tory Davis

WHAT’S HAPPENING

  • More husbands are eagerly navigating the dinnertime waters, as their spouses waver between gratitude and irritation in this latest evolution in gender roles. Though many wives are relieved another household task is knocked off the list, they’re unsettled when their culinary skills are criticized (DoubleX.com 12.15.09).
  • Writers Sandra Tsing Loh and Hanna Rosin call the type a male “kitchen bitch” — referring to the bossy nature of the role rather than the more typical submissive meaning (TheAtlantic.com 7/8.09, DoubleX.com 12.15.09).
  • In the last 40+ years, the average amount of time American married men spend cooking has tripled from seven to 22 minutes a day (Time for Life: The Surprising Ways Americans Use Their Time 1999).
  • In Chicago, the African American “Real Men Cook” movement celebrates and encourages men to cook and care for their families and communities.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

  • It’s not Donna Reed’s kitchen anymore: Between the feminist movement and the rise of the (usually male) celebri-chef, being proficient in the kitchen is downright macho today.
  • As busy families find themselves strapped for time and/or cash for dining out, efficiency increasingly trumps traditional gender roles. Many men have realized that cooking offers a creative respite from kid wrangling, while satisfying a desire to provide for their family — literally. Especially when they might have lost their job.

RESOURCES

  • Real Men Cook, a non-profit organization based in Chicago, IL
  • Time for Life: The Surprising Ways Americans Use Their Time, by John Robinson and Geoffrey Godbey, Pennsylvania State University Press 1999, is available via Amazon.

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By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Food/Beverage | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Sour economy spurs Millennials to save

January 21, 2010 – 6:39 am

thumbnailby Cree McCree

WHAT’S HAPPENING

  • They may have boomeranged to their old bedrooms, but young adults are looking ahead. Despite (or perhaps because of) a worrisome economy, more Millennials are saving, Ohio State University researchers found.
  • Though under-30s save less in real dollars than their elders, they sock away a bigger percentage of income. 61% spend less than their income, compared with 56% of 45- to 53-year-olds (New York Times 12.21.09).
  • The new research dovetails with a 2009 Fidelity Investments study, in which 18% of employed 22- to 33-year-olds called saving for retirement their “most crucial goal“ — up from 13% in 2008.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

  • Teens and young adults have never been known for their frugality. But when the going gets tough, even spendthrifts start to save. Great Recession lesson learned: living within their means.
  • As we recently reported, text-message reminders help consumers save. And what better group to receive them than text-crazy Millennials? Mobile nudges could push savings rates even higher, especially if banks amp them with age-appropriate incentives and rewards.

RESOURCES

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By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Money/Spending | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

AFTER THE DISASTER

January 20, 2010 – 11:33 am

thumbnailby Abelardo de la Peña Jr.

Before the holidays, my wife and I traveled to New Orleans to visit family. We’d never been before, and the city didn’t disappoint. For the most part, 2005’s Hurricane Katrina seemed long ago and far away. Yet we were stirred by the sight of hundreds of still-vacant and gutted homes in the Lower Ninth Ward.

And now we have Haiti, where a 7.0-magnitude earthquake has wrought profound destruction. The sights of dead bodies and frightened crowds are only somewhat tempered by scenes of search-and-rescue squads and planes filled with provisions. One only hopes the difficult lessons learned from Katrina relief efforts will help in speeding aid to those who need it most.

After the bodies are buried, the wounded treated and the rubble cleared, Haiti will join New Orleans in the arduous task of rebuilding. And governments, organizations and businesses will have ongoing opportunities to help strengthen the literal and social infrastructures in these places that people just want to call “home.”
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By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumers, Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off