With roughly one-third of the total U.S. population and at least three-quarters of the country’s land area, rural America is a diverse and important marketplace for marketers of consumer products, Doug Anderson, EVP, Research & Development, Nielsen, argues in the January issue of Nielsen’s “Consumer Insight” online newsletter.

Marketers intent on reaching rural Americans should pay attention to marked differences in media usage and consumer preferences that distinguish rural and metro America, Anderson advises.

“As rural America continues to transform and diversify, makers and sellers of consumer products need to adapt their strategies in concordance,” Anderson writes.  “Ethnic diversity, together with ongoing economic instability and technology-driven developments, will continue.  Understanding how these changes impact rural life allows marketers to stay ahead of the curve.”

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View the latest issue of “Consumer Insight.”