14 DEFENDER | MAY 9 | 2013
Consumer power has no age limit
I
By CHERYL PEARSON-MCNEIL Nielsen
believe our future is in good hands, despite what recent news headlines would have us otherwise believe. You are as familiar as I am with the barrage of negative stories of violence, drugs, teen pregnancy, bullying and other questionable behaviors of today’s youth. No matter where you live in the country, I’ll bet there are legions more of good kids in your city or town who are shining in every area of their lives, excelling in school, giving back in ways both small and large to their communities, sports and other extracurricular activities. In the spirit of full disclosure, I claim my bragging rights as the mother of one of these outstanding young people, my 16-year-old son. I always talk about how this nation is becoming more and more multicultural day by day. In fact, in eight years, there will be 170 million multicultural consumers in the United States. This nation is a huge melting pot already, but these forecasted numbers are promising for people of color – especially young people. According to the most recent U.S. Census, African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians each make up 42 percent of the youngest demographic age groups: 12-17, 18-24 and 25-34. These same groups of young folks are going to be in our shoes as adults in a few decades and their numbers are on the rise. The 18 to 24 year-old demographic is, in fact, growing faster than any other segment. Businesses and advertisers are paying very close attention to the information I’m sharing with you. All of us know by now how critical everything we purchase, watch, read and listen to is for manufacturers and marketers. The same is true for young people. What are their consumer behaviors? How much are they contributing or will they contribute in the future to the consumer bottom-line? Nielsen research shows that teens have some real purchasing potential – although at this point, that potential has a lot to do with the earnings of their parents, grandparents or guardians, since most kids are not yet making the big bucks. Last year, 29 percent of teens in the U.S. lived in households earning more than 100K. And if you are the parent of teenager(s), you know they are very good at spending our money. Can I get an ‘AMEN’ on that? I’m sure it comes as no surprise that ownership of smartphones and tablets is growing faster in households with teenagers. It seems laptops are cool with young people until they hit their late 20s – even though laptop ownership has increased in all three young adult age groups (12-17, 18-24, 25-34) over the last year. We talk a lot in this column about how much time all of us spend in front of the television or watching our video content on one of the many other fun electronic toys we own. That time spent is money – both for the marketers who want to reach us and the program providers who measure and make decisions based on our viewing habits.
Teens and young adults, like the rest of us, watch most of their shows and videos the old school way – on television. However, according to Nielsen’s most recent Cross-Platform Report, young consumers under 34 watched more video on the Internet and their mobile devices in 2012 than they did in 2011. The “under 34” crowd isn’t a monolithic group, though, when it comes to video consumption. Young teenagers lead in watching content on their mobile phones (I can attest to this).The data shows that in the last quarter of 2012, those in the 18-24 age bracket spent nearly three times more consuming video on the Internet than 12 to 17-year-olds. Whenever I speak to youth groups, I always let them know how much of the sweet target they are to marketers. And I think the information I just shared supports this statement. The youth of today should feel empowered, too. Because not only are they the future, they are the present and marketers are watching.
classified MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL RETARDATION AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY will be accepting Request for Proposal for the following: IT EQUIPMENT FOR MHMRA (Laptop Replacements and Software) Specifications may be secured from MHMRA, Harris County, Purchasing Department located at 7011 Southwest Freeway, Suite 100 in Houston, Texas 77074, telephone number (713) 970-7300, and/or via MHMRA website www.mhmraharris.org beginning Monday, May 13, 2013. The Request for Proposals (RFP) must be submitted to Purchasing Department, Suite 100, 7011 Southwest Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074 by Wednesday, May 29, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. in a sealed envelope. Any questions pertaining to this RFP should be addressed in writing to Joycie Sheba, Buyer II via fax (713) 970-7682 or email questions to joycie.sheba@mhmraharris.org. MHMRA reserves the rights to reject any and/or all offers it deems to be in its best interests, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents and is not obligated to accept the lowest proposal.
NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR INTEGRATED CARE FOR THE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS INITIATIVE The City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services is requesting proposals that may lead to contract award for Integrated Care for the Chronically Homeless Initiative. The proposals are solicited for this project in accordance with the terms, conditions and instructions as set forth in this Request for Proposal (hereinafter “RFP”). This RFP is available on the Internet at the following site: http://www.houstontx.gov/health/rfp.html It is also available at the Department of Health and Human Services, 8000 N. Stadium Drive, 8th Floor, Houston, TX 77054 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The City of Houston, Texas will receive submissions at the City’s Secretary’s Office, City Hall Annex, Public Level, 900 Bagby, Houston, Texas 77002 until Friday, June 7, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. Questions concerning the RFP will be responded to during the PreProposal Conference on Thursday, May 22, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at 8000 North Stadium Dr., First Floor Conference Room, Houston, Texas 77054. All submissions will be required to comply with City Council Ordinance No. 78-1538, passed August 9, 1978, relating to Equal Employment Opportunity Contract Compliance. The City reserves the right to reject and/or accept all or any portion of a submission deemed to be in the City’s best interest.
defendernetwork.com
classified DENTURES $0 CO-PAY! $200 EYEWEAR ALLOWANCE! Must Have Medicare and Medicaid to Qualify. For Details Call 1-800-704-3307 24 hrs, for Free Report.
MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL RETARDATION AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY will be accepting Request for Proposal for the following:
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
CONSUMER RELATED SERVICES FOR ECI Specifications may be secured from MHMRA of Harris County, Purchasing Department located at 7011 Southwest Freeway, Suite 100 in Houston, Texas 77074 and/or via MHMRA website www.mhmraharris.org beginning Wednesday, MAY 8, 2013. Responses to Request for Proposal must be submitted to the Purchasing Department, Suite 100, 7011 Southwest Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074 by 11:00 a.m., TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2013 in a sealed envelope marked "PROPOSAL - DO NOT OPEN UNTIL – TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2013, “CONSUMER RELATED SERVICES FOR ECI ”. Any questions pertaining to this solicitation should be addressed in writing to Marguarette Washington, Senior Buyer via fax (713) 970-7682 or email to marguarette.washington@mhmraharris.org cc: sharon.brauner@mhmraharris.org. MHMRA reserves the rights to reject any and/or all proposals it deems to be in its best interests, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents and is not obligated to accept the lowest proposal.
Competitive Sealed Proposal Notice for Renovations at Barnett, Butler, and Delmar Stadiums Project Number: 13-04-04CS
Houston Independent School District (HISD) The Houston Independent School District will receive Competitive Sealed Proposals from contractors for Renovations at Barnett, Butler and Delmar Stadiums. The work includes, but is not limited to, site, civil improvements, ADA improvements, MEP improvements, roofing repairs, interior renovation, structural repairs, data security, and miscellaneous repairs. Proposals are due no later than Tuesday, May 21, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. at 4400 West 18th Street, Office of Board Services, Houston, TX 77092. The price proposals will be opened and the amounts read aloud. Barnett Stadium is located at 6800 Fairway Drive, Houston, TX, 77087 Butler Stadium is located at 13755 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77035 Delmar Stadium is located at 2020 Magnum, Houston, TX, 77092 The Request for Competitive Sealed Proposal (RFCSP), which includes plans and specifications, will be available beginning Monday, May 6, 2013, and may be obtained from A&E The Graphics Complex, 4235 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77027 / Phone (713) 621 0022 /Fax (713) 621-2537 upon refundable deposit of $150.00 for each set of plans and specifications. Documents in portable document format (pdf) are also available from A&E on disk for a deposit of $50.00. Deposit checks should be made payable to HISD. Any questions regarding bid documents are to be addressed to NATEX Corporation, 2500 Wilcrest Drive, Suite 300, Houston, TX 77042, Carolina Weitzman (carolina@natexarchitects.com) or Yoelki Amador (yamador@natexarchitects.com), v. (713) 975-9525, f. (713) 7807824. The Competitive Sealed Proposal process will be utilized as authorized in H.B. No. 628, Legislative Session 82 (R)-2011. The Competitive Sealed Proposal process enables HISD to select contractors on the basis of price and qualifications/methodology. M/WBE Forms, schedules and statements, as required by Section AB of the RFCSP and in accordance with the Office of Business Assistance, will be received at 12:00 p.m., May 23, 2013, at the Board Services Office, 4400 West 18 th Street, Office of Board Services, Houston, TX 77092. PROPOSALS SUBMITTED WITHOUT M/WBE FORMS PROPERLY COMPLETED, WILL BE CONSIDERED NON RESPONSIVE. A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held on 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 9, 2013, at Butler Stadium Field House located at 13755 Main Street, Houston, TX 77035. A walk-thru of Butler Stadium facilities will be conducted following the pre-proposal meeting. A walk thru of Barnett Stadium has been scheduled for Friday, May 10, 2013, at 9:00 a.m., and a walk-thru of Delmar Stadium has been scheduled for Friday, May 10, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. All bidders are to meet at the main entrance of the Field House at the scheduled times. For additional information regarding this project, please contact Mr. William “Earl” Finley, at 713-556-9306, or wfinley@houstonisd.org. Drawings and Specifications for the RFCSP may be reviewed at the following Houston locations: Associated General Contractors, 3825 Dacoma Street, Houston, TX (713) 843-3700 HISD Construction Services Office (Bond), 3200 Center, Houston, TX 77007, (713) 556-9250 McGraw Hill Construction/Dodge, www.construction.com Virtual Builders Exchange, 3910 Kirby, #131, Houston, TX 77098-4151, (832) 613-0201