First Results From BARB’s Lifestyle Survey Published
TV ratings body BARB has announced the first results of its much anticipated lifestyle survey, with data for July, August and September 2004 now available.
Results from the survey included findings that 19% of 25-34 year olds spend over £100 on CD’s and tapes and that around 25% of adults shop online, with 25-44 year olds being the most frequent shoppers. It also found that 4% of all adults had spent more than £100 on computer games in the last year, with 10% of 16-24 year olds spending more.
The new information will allow TV and advertising groups to identify behaviour patterns and motivation of potential consumers and target their campaigns more specifically.
The study covers general interests and leisure activities, holidays and travel, cars, newspaper readership and radio listening, home and money, computers and the internet and business expenses.
Commenting on the study, Bjarne Thelin, BARB’s chief executive said: “This is a major research project, providing high-value insights into the characteristics of the UK population. We expect that advertisers, broadcasters, programme makers, media planners and media buyers will be able to gain valuable information from Lifestyle Insights about the nature of the audiences that are being reached.”.
Tony Wearn, BARB’s research director added: “The findings of the Lifestyle Insights Survey are of interest in their own right, but the real value is the ability to assess viewing figures against the additional panel classifications that are produced.”
The panel used by BARB is representative of the whole of the UK and uses people recruited from all sectors of the population.
The additional panel classifications will allow viewing analysis on groups of people with similar interests, media choices, or spending platforms.
The survey has been commissioned by BARB for a two year period.
Earlier this year Mick Mernagh, director of consumer insight at MediaCom, warned delegates at the Edinburgh International Television Festival that audience measurement surveys are in serious danger of becoming outdated unless they begin working together to address the increasingly important issue of media convergence (see Audience Measurement Must Keep Up With Convergence).
BARB: www.barb.co.uk
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