Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.trends From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: trends Wed, Jun 17 1992 Date: Wed, 17 Jun 92 05:19:38 EDT Message-ID: 06-17 0000 DECISIONLINE: Trends & Marketing USA TODAY Update June 17, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network DETROIT GAINING ON JAPAN: The Big Three automakers, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are consistently gaining market share in the USA over Japanese automakers. U.S. automakers can now turn around two decades of losses to Japanese makers. The change began in March after Japanese makers raised prices an average of 3%. The trend seems likely to continue for reasons beyond price. (For more, see special Cars package below.) CBS, GM TEAM TO SPONSOR SHOW: CBS and General Motors are doing business. They have struck a deal with GM paying for some production cost in exchange for discounted commercial time on the summer series "Bodies of Evidence." This deal marks the return of corporate sponsorship to network TV. NBC is following a similar arrangement with GM for its midseason series "Route 66." OTHER SHOWS GET SPONSORS: GM's recent deal with CBS to sponsor "Bodies of Evidence" isn't the first time the automaker has been in this situation. Its "Mark of Excellence" has sponsored many TV movies and theater series on cable's Arts & Entertainment. These kinds of deals are common on cable TV. Example: Mazda has sponsored ESPN's "Sports Look" and Clorox has sponsored Lifetime's "Growing Up Together." CHICAGO JUMPING AFTER DARK: The number of late-night plays available in Chicago in recent years has jumped from one or two to 23 in a recent week. This is not "Driving Miss Daisy" at midnight, though. Titles include "I Love You So Much I'm Going to Tie You Up With Chains and Beat You With Warm Squash." Late-night theater is booming partly because the outings are cheap both to attend and produce. MORE SUSPECT ABUSE OF POWER: The percentage of those who feel that people in power try to take advantage of the general population came close to doubling after Watergate. The 20th anniversary of the break-in is Wednesday. And in 1971, just 33% were suspicious of those in power; in 1974, the year President Nixon resigned, 56% agreed, according to The Roper Center. By 1985, the number was up to 63%; last year, 67%. WE'RE NOT MARRIED: The single population is growing. More people ages 18 and older aren't married, reports the Census Bureau. The percentage of women in 1970 who were single was 32%; by 1990, that number had increased to 40%. The percentage of men in 1970 who weren't wed was 22%; by 1990, it had increased to 36%. PAY-PER-VIEW MOVE SLOWED: The move toward pay-per-view for sporting events, on the rise in recent years, may be slowed by legislation a House committee adopted Tuesday. The provision would limit movement of championship events to pay-per-view by giving local governments, which franchise local cable systems, control over the rates charged for such games. Locally elected lawmakers must answer to local fans. MINORITY GROWTH JUMPS: The minority population grew more than the white population over the past decade. The total population grew to 248.7 million in 1990, up from 226.5 million in 1980. Asians showed the biggest growth, 107.8%, with Hispanics next, 53.0%., followed by Native Americans, 37.9% Blacks showed a gain of just 13.2% and whites 6.0%. CLOTHING GOES GLOBAL: More proof that the population is increasingly thinking globally: Hip looks for summer include a multicultural mix of print patterns in clothing, reports the July issue of Vogue. Prints such as raffia from Madagascar and bold batik prints from Indonesia as well as African-inspired textiles add island spice to casual weekend dressing. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON CARS: BUYING AMERICAN IS IN: It's not just price that's fueling the move toward domestic cars over Japanese these days. "It's the beginning of a new era in the car industry," says Christopher Cedergren of AutoPacific Group. According to Cedergren, ambitious Big Three product plans mean that "buying American might (become) ... the thing to do because they have the most innovative products," not just politically correct. DOMESTIC MARKET SHARE IS UP: `The domestic industry is no longer the weakling it was in the 1980s," says Cedergren. Japanese brands' share of the U.S. car market in March, April and May fell to 32.7% from 34% a year ago, their first spring skid since 1984. Detroit grabbed that and some European for a share of 65% up from 63.6%. Cautions John Hammond of J.D. Power and Associates, "It's a plateau, not a plunge." AMERICAN BRANDS ARE HIP: Surveys show the Big Three still trails Japan, but by a smaller margin. Another reason the Big Three is gaining: A shift in favor of American brands. That's coupled with the trendiness of owning U.S. models. Example: GM's Saturn is in because it fits the tone of the time, hip but economical. A recent survey of college students listed the Saturn as among the least nerdy. (End of package.) Trends & Marketing Editor: Beth Mann. (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