VIPer Research To Offer Advertisers Insight Into Rich And Influential
Britain’s affluent and influential have been put under the marketers’ spotlight in a new collaborative market research survey called VIPer – Very Important People exclusive research (see VIPer Research Targets ABs). The VIPer study represents the beginning of the first in-depth look at the attitudes, lifestyles and media habits of those at the top end of the social scale – the ABs.
ABs account for 21% of the population but 36% of the nation’s total household income, at £50,000 or more per home. They are highly-educated, with 60% holding a degree or higher qualification, and they are on the increase: the number of ABs has grown by 7% since 1994 to ten million. The VIPer survey, however, concentrates on the 25-54 year old ABs, of which they are around six million.
The first wave of VIPer research was unveiled yesterday by its commissioning consortium of Channel 4, Condé Nast, Times Newspapers, Classic FM, More Group and media agency Mediapolis. The survey, which will run self-completion questionnaire fieldwork three times a year, aims to offer advertisers, agencies and media owners a qualitative and quantitative insight into ABs’ lifestyles and media consumption.
The information gained from VIPer is intended to be used as a tool for learning more about this growing group of people in order predict or react to trends in their media consumption and purchase decisions. VIPer is not intended to be used as a trading currency by media planners, but is seen as complimentary to the existing industry currencies such as the NRS and RAJAR.
VIPer takes a nationally representative panel of 1,000 ABs aged 25-54; these 1,000 people will fill out a self-completion questionnaire three times a year. Richard Marks, director of RSGB, the agency which conducted the research, says that sections of the questionnaire could be sponsored by a media owner in order to glean specific information about the group’s disposition to a particular product or subject. The VIPer consortium is now welcoming feedback and ideas from interested parties so that future research waves can cover the areas about which advertisers and media owners wish to learn more.
The first wave of VIPer research has illuminated seven sub-categories that exist within the AB group, dispelling the myth of a homogeneous ‘rich and successful’ class. According to Peter Bowman, research director at Mediapolis: “ABs are not only very different from everybody else, but are also very different from each other.” People in each of these seven categories place different levels of value on the areas of career, money, altruism and leisure. Their placings are shown in the chart below.
The early data also shows that ABs, or VIPers, are driving the take-up of digital television and the internet: 42% have access to the Net at home; 28% of these access the internet on a daily basis. A tenth of ABs have bought into digital television (7% Sky Digital), higher than the national average. This contrasts with the launch of analogue satellite television, which was predominantly driven by the CDE groups.
According to Julie France, sales and marketing director at the More Group, VIPer is attempting to “understand rather than enumerate” this group of people. Over time it will be possible to track trends and run comparison reports across the VIPer data. The survey will also interchange qualitative and quantitative research.
The findings of the VIPer study can only be accessed by contacting the members of the consortium. These groups will then run analyses based on the requirements of each client. The next wave of research will be available in February 2000.
Channel 4, Sean Kelleher: 0171 396 4444 Mediapolis, Peter Bowman: 0171 393 9000 Classic FM, Katie Rastrick: 0171 518 2648 More Group, Yvonne O’Brien: 0171 478 2306 Condé Nast, Jean Faulkner: 0171 499 9080 Times Newspapers, Stuart Corke: 0171 782 7514