Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.trends,americast.usa-today.trends From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: trends Mon, Oct 26 1992 Date: Mon, 26 Oct 92 04:43:26 EST Message-ID: 10-26 0000 DECISIONLINE: Trends & Marketing USA TODAY Update Oct. 26, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network FILM CALLS COUNTRY STARS: Col. Tom Parker, legendary manager of Elvis Presley, was the first to start harping about the movie-star potential of country singer George Strait. "He kept tellin' me, `George, you gotta do movies,' says Strait. Now Strait makes his debut in "Pure Country," If Strait's foray into movies succeeds, more country stars are likely to take the plunge. (For more, see special Country package below.) CARIBBEAN GETAWAYS GO DOWN: Not as many peopled flocked to the Caribbean this year. The Caribbean Tourism Association reports tourism to the Caribbean fell last year for the first time in 10 years. The islands still had more than 11 million visitors. SINGLES ARE ON THE RISE: The Census Bureau reports the number of single people (over age 18) has increased sharply over the past 50 years while the number of people per household has dwindled. In 1940, there were 2.6 million singles in the USA. The latest figures show that has grown to 23.5 million. In 1940, the number of people in a household averaged 3.7. The latest figures show that's down to 2.6. NBA GOES ALL OUT TO SELL: Marketing an NBA team means more than selling the home team. Take the New Jersey Nets, whose ads play up the signing of Olympic Dream Team coach Chuck Daly. "He conquered the world," reads the ad's headline. "Isn't it worth $100 to see him battle 5 major cities?" Several NBA clubs used the Dream Team to sell tickets. Packages were built around seeing the Team's individual members. TEAM PROMOTIONS VARY: With NBA attendance expected to average more than 90% of capacity, many clubs aim simply to generate interest rather than just sell tickets. Atlanta will add an indoor blimp that drops gift certificates and have a one-night price promotion to mark the club's 25th anniversary. The L.A. Clippers are refurbishing urban basketball courts and providing players for playground clinics. SOME MODELS MAY FOREGO EYEBROWS: "Bald Eyes." That's what designer Calvin Klein, in Paris revealing his spring '93 collection, calls the hot new no-makeup look. That means no mascara and, quite literally, no eyebrows. Most models must pluck and shave off their eyebrows. VIOLENT CRIME ON THE RISE: Violent crime rates rose 3% in the first six months of 1992 vs. the same period last year, continuing an eight-year upward spiral of violence, the FBI said Sunday. However, after setting records for murders in 1990 and 1991, the first half of 1992 showed a 3% decline in the nation's murder rate. Driving the pace of violence: A 4% rise in forcible rape and 6% hike aggravated assault. MALARIA ON THE RISE: Health experts from around the world meet Monday and Tuesday in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to consider adopting a global malaria control strategy. Malaria has been on the rise, especially in Africa, Latin America, parts of South America, Afghanistan, and Cambodia. Annually, about 100 million new cases of the tropical disease occur globally, killing more than 1 million. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON COUNTRY: YEARWOOD TO APPEAR IN MOVIE: More country stars are taking the plunge into acting. Lyle Lovett had a role in Robert Altman's "The Player." Newcomer Trisha Yearwood was signed last week to appear in Peter Bogdanovich's "The Thing Called Love." She'll essentially play herself, with River Phoenix as a songwriter. TRAVIS CONSIDERS ACTING: Randy Travis, long wooed by Hollywood, is mulling roles as a gunfighter and a trick shooter but isn't sure he wants to be a leading man. "I'd rather be a small part of something that's successful rather than the main character in something terrible," he says. STARS DO TV MOVIES: TV movies also are making a country connection. Lorrie Morgan stars next year in The Nashville Network's first made-for-TV movie, while K.T. Oslin recently finished a CBS-TV movie, "Blind Angel," with Harry Hamlin. Travis Tritt and Naomi Judd premiere in CBS' upcoming "Rio Diablo" with Kenny Rogers. (End of package.) Trends & Marketing Editor: Michele Coleman. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM