2008 Behavioral, Demographic and Geographic

Demographic and Geographic datas-

• Income
  Real median income (adjusted for inflation) for black and non-Hispanic white households rose between 2006 and 2007, representing the first measured real increase in annual household income for each group since 1999.
  Real median household income remained statistically unchanged for Asians and Hispanics.
  Among the race groups and Hispanics, black households had the lowest median income in 2007 ($33,916). This compares to the median of $54,920 for non-Hispanic white households. Asian households had the highest median income ($66,103). The median income for Hispanic households was $38,679.

• Income by States
  In the 2007 American Community Survey, median household income ranged from $68,080 for Maryland to $36,338 for Mississippi.
  Median household incomes for 18 states and the District of Columbia were above the U.S. median in 2007, while 29 states were below it. Real median household income rose between the 2006 ACS and the 2007 ACS for 33 states, while one state (Michigan) experienced a decline.
  For counties with 250,000 or more people, median household income ranged from $107,207 for Loudoun County, Va., to $29,347 for Cameron County, Texas. (Median income for Loudoun was not significantly different from that for Fairfax County, Va. In addition, median income for Cameron was not significantly different from that for Hidalgo County, Texas.)

• Earnings
  Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Alaska had median earnings above $50,000 for men who worked full time, year-round in the 2007 ACS. No state had median earnings for women above $50,000, but the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut had median earnings for women who worked full time, year-round above $40,000.
  For each of the 50 states, women had lower median earnings than men in the 2007 ACS. The District of Columbia had the highest ratio of women’s-to-men’s earnings (93.4 percent). In fact, there was no statistically significant difference between women’s and men’s median earnings in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Department of Commerce, (2008, Aug 26). Household Income Rises, Poverty Rate Unchanged, Number of Uninsure Down. Retrieved October 13, 2008, from U.S. Census Census Bureau News Web site: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html

Consumer Behavior-

In 2008, consumers continue to have high expectations for companies, even during poor economic climate. The sag in overall economic environment decreased the consumption and saving money becoming the new shopping philosophy. Companies offer goods full of variety and different price range in order to attract consumer’s attention. Online shopping grows fast than the past. Consumers place the order online and the sellers don’t need to provide a physical store, both save a lot of time and labors, and gasoline to drive around. “More than half (52 percent) of Americans feel companies should maintain their level of financial support of causes and nonprofit organizations. Another quarter (26 percent) expects companies to give even more. They will reward companies that give back both with their goodwill and their wallets:

• 85% of Americans say they have a more positive image of a product or company when it supports a cause they care about (remains unchanged from 1993) 85% feel it is acceptable for companies to involve a cause in their marketing (compared to 66% in 1993)



• 79% say they would be likely to switch from one brand to another, when price and quality are about equal, if the other brand is associated with a good cause (compared to 66% in 1993)
  
  
• 38% percent have bought a product associated with a cause in the last 12 months (compared to 20% in 1993).”
  

Cone LLC, (2008, Oct 01). Corporate Social Responsibility News. Retrieved October 12, 2008, from CSRwire Web site: http://www.csrwire.com/News/13326.html