‘I’m a Celebrity’ demographic
TV is still an integral part of people’s lives only now viewers have a greater gamut of choices than ever before. Contrary to popular opinion, TV viewing is on the up. Developments in the medium have stimulated the appetite for television and provided audiences with more accessible, relevant content as and when they demand it.
Whist TV retains its ability to reach large numbers of people over short periods of time; the explosion of channels has enabled targeting of tighter, smaller groups with specific interests, habits and mind-sets. You can now reach discreet audiences such as early adopters, yummy mummies and boys with toys as easily as you can the traditional demographic buying groups.
Television also allows you to tap into the mood of your viewer. Whether you connect your brand to the excitement of a football match, the seriousness of a documentary or the joviality of a comedy, the choices are vast. TV provides a vehicle for you to engage with the right people at the right time in the right frame of mind. It also provides you with a myriad of innovative ways through which to do it.
Girls:
Girls claim to watch 2.4 hours of TV per day, although this increases as they mature and their tastes switch to a broader range of genres such as soaps and reality. Virtually all have access to digital with over 80 per cent claiming to have watched BBC1 or ITV in the last week, although they still watch high levels of terrestrial. 65 per cent of girls have a DVD player in their rooms (Boys are more likely to have DVDs, perhaps as they demand newer technology). Channel 4 proves more popular with girls than boys, largely due to content such as Hollyoaks and Big Brother.
Digitally, ITV2 is proving an increasing favourite for girls, especially amongst the 15-16 year olds. However, their tastes are varied and music, movies, news and documentaries also feature strongly on their programming radars. Drama, soaps, comedy and sitcoms (usually aimed at adults) provide the basis of most of their viewing and this distinguishes them most from boys who favour cartoons.
As girls develop, so do their tastes. Until the age of 9, girls favour children’s channels and cartoons, but music rapidly takes over as they near their teens. As they move through their teenage years, music becomes the primary focus, particularly MTV and the pop based channels, although the older element become more susceptible to entertainment programming across channels like ITV2, Trouble and E4.
Boys:
On the whole, boys claim to watch more TV than girls – 2.7 hours average per night, with a higher consumption of the digital channels (girls watch more terrestrial soaps and entertainment, particularly as they get older.) Boys are also slightly more likely to have a TV in their rooms than girls.
Boys are less inclined to watch BBC1 than girls but their consumption of five is higher.
Sky One is a firm favourite amongst this audience, particularly the 13-14s where it watched by nearly 60 per cent of them. Perhaps surprisingly, news channels are appealing to boys with 27 per cent of 11-16 year olds tuning in. Music and kids channels are as equally important to boys as to girls and continue to form the crux of their viewing. Boys are particularly avid consumers of cartoons with 30 per cent claiming to have watched a cartoon channel in the last week. Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and The Disney Channel remain firm favourites.
Although there is some variation by age, cartoons still rank highly with boys under the age of 12. As they hit their teen years, sports and music become the main focus.
Housewives with children:
There are currently over 6.5 million housewives with kids in the UK. Although there is an obvious cross-over between women 16-34 and ABC1 women, there are also some key points of differentiation.
Firstly, housewives with kids are incredibly media-savvy and exposed to host of different formats and messages per day. 36 per cent of this audience cite TV viewing as their favourite TV pastime and as a result, over 80 per cent have access to digital, well above the national average. This partially reflect the effect of having children in the household (digital take-up is higher amongst young families) but is also indicative of their love of TV as a whole, not only during family time, but as valuable ‘me time’ away from the kids. Commercial channels are particularly well-received and account for two thirds of their viewing. ITV 2, Living TV, UKTV Style, E4 and the children’s channels such as Nick Junior and Cartoon Network are amongst their favourites.
In general housewives with kids have a preference for soaps. Unsurprisingly, Coronation Street EastEnders and Emmerdale are the biggest programmes in terms of volume. Drama and entertainment (especially The X Factor and The Simpsons) also features highly and kids programming is twice as popular amongst this audience as with adults as a whole. Religion, sport and political broadcasts tend to turn this audience off but reality serves the opposite function (especially Big Brother.) News content is also less popular, with many women citing news to be more upsetting when they’ve had children of their own.
Although housewives with kids have the same tendencies to watch in peak as other demographics, they also watch throughout the day, providing ample targeting opportunities. TV if often used as an accompaniment to other activities, particularly household chores – this group are skilled multi-taskers. They also use TV time as time-out from their daily schedules. Breakfast viewing is high, usually to GMTV when the household kicks into gear and the kids are getting ready for school. Coffee time (0925-1200) is also popular, with chat (eg. Trisha Goddard) and magazine formats such as This Morning proving appealing in terms of both entertainment and information. Post school also works well, particularly as a time for shared viewing, where kids and mums can be reached simultaneously.
One unique element of this audience is their propensity to use the TV in a highly varied number of ways. Not only does it serve as entertainment, but provides information and guidance on a variety of issues from parenting to D.I.Y. It can act as an educational babysitter, an accompaniment to household tasks, a talking point and a window on the world. Perhaps for this reason, interactivity is more valued and used by this audience than adults as a whole with nearly 17 per cent of HWWC making use of Sky Digital Interactive.
Although this audience aren’t big consumers of news, nearly a quarter regularly read The Sun or The News of the World, but on the whole newspapers aren’t an efficient way or reaching this group. Magazines prove more popular however and tastes vary between gossip, lifestyle and mother and baby titles depending on mood. Magazines provide another vehicle for relaxation and entertainment. Unlike upmarket and younger women, cinema isn’t a popular choice for housewives with kids.
Women 55+
As the population lives longer, people’s attitudes are staying younger. Whereas 55 may have been considered old a few decades ago, this is no longer the case. With nearly 9 million women over the age of 55 living in the UK today, this large demographic is set to continue expanding and is likely to become ever more appealing to advertisers as a result.
Generally, women in this age bracket are more time-rich than they were when they were younger. Although they still place a significant emphasis on their family and homes, by the time they reach 55 there is a likelihood that their offspring will have flown the nest altogether. With this new-found freedom, mature women use media in very different ways than their younger counterparts – the need to cram viewing around certain dayparts and in amongst other activities is significantly lessened.
Although digital penetration is lower than the national average for mature women (just over half have digital and only 3 per cent have PVRs) take-up is rapidly expanding, partly as a result of the success of Freeview. A third relies on TV to keep the informed about the world around them and the same amount cites TV as their favourite pastime. However, one of the main attitudinal differences between this group and those in the younger age brackets is that TV can be seen as a guilty pleasure. Although mature women generally rely upon it for information and entertainment (and as a result are one of the heaviest viewing groups) they are some of the most reluctant to admit it!
ITV (and its multi-channel extensions) rank amongst the most watched commercial stations for mature women, GMTV is their most popular choice in the morning. They also appreciate the BBC’s output (particularly the Antiques Roadshow, the 10 o’clock News and Bargain Hunt), but tend to turn to commercial channels for news and general entertainment. Half of this group watch Coronation Street, Midsummer Murders and the ITV news regularly. Parkinson, A touch of Frost, Countdown and Miss Marple also feature heavily on their viewing radars.
Around half of mature women read newspapers regularly and the majority are loyal to the titles they read. The Daily Mail and The Mirror are the preferred reads and around 25 per cent of them appreciate the newspaper supplements, particularly those concerned with homes and style. Half listen to the radio everyday (although they are less likely to listen in-car than other groups) and most take a keen interest in the news content. In general, they favour the BBC’s output as well as Classic FM and Mark Goodier and Terry Wogan are amongst their favourite DJs.
The internet has had the least impact on this group than any other demographic. Only 41 per cent have access to the internet at home and broadband penetration is less than half of that of the population as a whole.
Women C2DE:
With over 11 million C2DE women currently living in the UK, this is one of the largest demographic audiences. It encompasses women from across the age spectrum, from young mums to retirees. For this reason, the range of tastes and preferences within this group are broad.
Over half of the women within this demographic group have a yearly income of less than £17,000. Home ownership is lower amongst this audience than most (half own or are buying their own homes, whilst c. 40 per cent rent) but contrary to popular belief, less than 12 per cent claim benefits, even though 34 per cent don’t work. This highlights the high proportion of younger women (mums, students etc.) within this group.
Due to the differentiation between the individuals that fall into this bracket, media slots into their lives in a host of different ways. TV provides a common thread, however and is a staple part of their media diets – indeed almost 20 per cent are self-confessed TV addicts! Nearly half of all women who fall into the C2DE bracket have kids under 15 and as a result, digital penetration is high amongst this audience. Over two thirds have access to digital, with 32 per cent choosing the Sky platform and over 5 per cent opting for Sky+ (reflective of the high percentage of younger women.) Freeview is also gaining popularity and around 28 per cent have a Freeview box. As a result, over half of all C2DE women like the idea of having lots of TV channels and appreciate the choice that digital viewing offers them.
ITV and Five rank amongst their favourite channels, although digital channels such as ITV2, E4 and Living TV also do well. Children’s channels such as Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network are also watched regularly reflecting the high amount of shared viewing between mums and children. Unsurprisingly, soaps and dramas (such as The Bill and Holby City) perform well against this audience – over 50 per cent make an appointment to view Coronation Street, whilst just under half specifically choose to watch EastEnders and Emmerdale. Reality and magazine formats also prove popular. The X-Factor, I’m a Celebrity and Loose Women are all part of the staple viewing of this audience.
In terms of the red button, this group are active interactors! Nearly a quarter regularly interact with their TVs for reasons ranging from programme content to checking the weather. They are also inclined to think interactivity is a good idea. However, they are less driven by interactive advertising than their male counterparts and for this reason; interactive ads need to have a strong appeal in order to encourage them to press red.
Less than a quarter of C2DE women regularly read newspapers, with the majority relying on TV and radio to keep them informed. When they do consume press, The Sun and The Mirror are their preferred titles – nearly 20 per cent read papers for entertainment rather than information. This is reflected in their choice of magazines, with Now, OK and Take a Break featuring amongst their favourites. Radio, however, is a more popular medium. 45 per cent listen to the radio everyday, with Radios 1, 2 and commercial stations such as Virgin and Capital FM featuring highly.
Women in this demographic are generally not as technically savvy as other groups – only 30 per cent try to keep up with developments in technology. Fewer than 35 per cent have broadband access and they use the internet largely for communication, information and practical purposes such as banking.
Women ABC1:
Unlike like younger women, upmarket women have a higher tendency to have children in the household and are more likely to be separated or divorced than their male counterparts. Age undoubtedly proves a factor in this as a large proportion of ABC1 women are over the age of thirty and thus have more settled home-lives than they did in their twenties. As a result of their family status, the majority of ABC1 women juggle part-time work with parenthood and many stay at home to care for their children. ABC1 women are much less likely to work full time than younger women – again this is a reflection of their demanding family lives.
Upmarket women account for just over 30 per cent of all adults and are more likely to live in the south of England (especially London). Their top media choices are magazines (Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Hello! Red) and cinema, reflecting the emphasis they place on ‘me-time’ when they can relax and unwind and escape the stresses of their day. Newspapers prove less appealing and upmarket women are also less inclined to spend time on the net than ABC1 men. In spite of this, over half have access to a broadband connection at home.
Women in this bracket value TV, although they don’t rely on it or regard it as a pastime. This attitude is largely reflected in their tastes and habits. They are much more inclined to watch during late peak when the kids have gone to bed. This is fairly stable throughout the week. Interestingly, this demographic are more susceptible to time-shifted viewing than their male counterparts. Again, their demanding schedules are likely to dictate what they watch and when.
In spite of being pre-disposed towards terrestrial, digital channels rank amongst their favourites. E4, UKTV Style and Living rate alongside Channel 4, ITV and the BBC in terms of preference. They are less inclined to take advantage of interactive TV and tend to me more motivated to press red by programme engagement rather than advertising. Programming tastes vary with documentaries leading the way including How to look good naked? and 10 years younger amongst their favourites. Event dramas such as Desperate Housewives also form the staples of their viewing. It is interesting to note that children’s channels don’t rate as highly amongst this audience as for Women 16-34. Again, this reflects the tendency of upmarket women to have older children whose tastes are developing beyond the realms of just kids’ TV.
Women 16-34:
By definition, young women have an incredibly broad set of media tastes and preferences. More than any other group, this is not just a matter of individual inclination but also life-stage – a young first-time mum will undoubtedly have a different set of objectives to a career focused woman or a student with fewer family ties. However, regardless of whether a woman spends the morning watching CBeebies with her toddler, the chances are she’ll spend the evening using the TV as valuable ‘me-time’ in just the same way as a woman who’s spent her week in an office.
Young women are big consumers of media on the whole, engaging with a variety of platforms on a daily basis. Although they aren’t big consumers of news, magazines (particularly titles such as Glamour, Grazia and the weekly celeb mags such as Heat) rank well and radio, especially commercial stations such as Virgin and Kiss, are firmly placed on their media radars. Compared to men of the same age group, young women generally consume more TV, with nearly half falling into the medium to heavy viewer categories. Predictably, for those with children, daytime viewing is an integral part of their day, with significant peaks during school hours. Late peak also provides a prime viewing opportunity with this group and just as importantly, conversational currency. Shows such as Desperate Housewives form integral foundations of viewing and as a barrage of research demonstrates, young women utilise TV content within conversation to a staggering degree, particularly reality shows such as Big Brother and high impact dramas like Lost.
77 per cent of young women have access to digital TV, although they are less likely to have Sky and more inclined to have Freeview than men of the same age. To some degree, this disparity is fuelled by sports access. Only 12 per cent of women claim to have paid to access a sporting event – half the amount of men. Instead, women generally favour more socially led-content, such as soaps, drama, reality and entertainment and as such are high consumers of channels such as Channel 4, E4, ITV 2, Living and MTV. For example, over 20 per cent specially choose to watch Big Brother whilst 25 per cent regularly tune into This Morning. Coronation Street and EastEnders also prove regular favourites.
Increasingly, young women are wiring up to broadband – nearly 60 per cent have high speed access. However, in addition to the usual internet functions such as shopping and banking, downloading and communications are becoming increasingly important to this group. Nearly 30 per cent use instant messaging services, whilst virtually all women who are online use email. In addition, the TV is increasingly being used alongside the internet in a multi-tasking fashion. Young women are skilled multi-taskers, with online, socialising, housework and childcare occurring alongside the box.
Men 55+:
In an age where we’re all living longer, 60 is no longer the milestone that it used to be and the differences in attitude between the older and younger generations are becoming increasingly less distinct. Once undesirable, this group is gaining prominence amongst marketers as it continues to expand in size and profitability. There are now over 7.5 million men over the age of 55 in the UK.
Although we are working later in life than ever before, the majority of men over the age of 55 are retired and therefore have significantly more free time than they did when they were younger. They have longer to spend on the things that they enjoy and this is reflected in their media consumption.
TV plays a pivotal role in the lives of this audience. For 25 per cent of them, it’s their favourite pastime and over half like the idea of having digital and the many extra channels that come with it. Nearly 70 per cent of this audience have digital in their homes (Freeview has been a significant driver.) Although they are fans of the BBC (BBC1 and 2 rank amongst their favourite channels) they also appreciate the commercial stations. ITV1, UKTV History, Discovery and National Geographic are popular amongst men in this age group, again highlighting their inclination for factual content relating to their specific interests.
Their programme tastes are varied, although they do consume a high proportion of news content. Although reluctant to admit it, they appreciate entertainment programming (particularly Coronation Street and Parkinson) and these programmes often form the basis of shared viewing with their family and friends. Game shows (including Countdown and Millionaire), special interest programmes such as Gardener’s World, documentaries and sport provide the bulk of their viewing schedules.
In addition to TV, over half of the mature men in this age bracket listen to the radio daily. BBC radio (particularly radios 3, 4 and Five Live) are amongst their favourites, but local commercial stations and Classic FM also rank highly. They are also big consumers of newspapers and unlike their younger counterparts, tend to be incredibly loyal to their chosen brand. The mid-markets and broadsheets are their preferred titles (especially The Telegraph, The Mail and The Express) and although they do read the tabloids, they tend to value the press for the information it can provide rather than the entertainment factor.
Magazines are less appealing to this group than to most. Many take the Readers Digest or Saga Magazine but titles tend to be focused around special interest subjects such as gardening, golf or classic cars.
Finally, this group is not the most technologically savvy. Although the younger element often use the web and email for work and familiarity with the technology is undoubtedly growing, only 33 per cent consider it important enough to wire up to broadband (far less than the average adult) and functionality tends to be limited to communication and info-seeking rather than the gamut of other options that the medium affords.
Men C2DE:
This is an exceptionally large and therefore diverse demographic group that includes over ten and a half million men in the UK. Unlike C2DE women, men in this bracket are more likely to be footloose and fancy free or to continue working after the birth of their children. As a result, their media habits generally remain more constant, irrespective of age.
TV forms an integral part of their lives. Although their TV consumption is generally more content-led (they are less likely to channel hop for the sake of it than women) over half of them are classed as medium to heavy viewers. In fact, they watch more TV during the week than on the weekend although this is still higher than the adult average. As a result, they like to invest in TV technology. Over three quarters have digital with Sky being the most popular platform. In addition, 6 per cent of Sky subscribers have invested in Sky+, indicative of their overall appreciation of digital TV.
Technology such as home cinema systems and recordable DVDs enhance their viewing experiences and they place significant emphasis on the quality of their kit. Their ease with technology is perhaps the force behind their higher than average propensity to interact with their televisions and their appreciation of the red button. Nearly 20 per cent have interacted with Sky and although programme-related content if the greatest driver, they also regularly hit the red button for great content in interactive ads.
Although sport forms a sizable chunk of their TV viewing and their weekends are dominated by sporting events (particularly football, rugby and F1), they also watch a good range of other genres, including Films, general entertainment, reality and comedy. ITV, five, Discovery, Bravo, The Sci-Fi Channel and Sky One rank amongst the favourite channels, in addition to the specialist sports stations such as Eurosport and Sky Sports. Their programming tastes are varied. Perhaps surprisingly, a quarter of this group regularly watch Coronation Street, whilst the documentaries on five and event programming such as Big Brother, I’m a Celebrity, Lost and Desperate Housewives also have significant appeal.
In addition to TV, half of all men in this group listen to the radio daily, particularly during the mornings and drive-time on the way to and from work. On the whole, they tune into sport and news stations such as FiveLive and TalkSport, but they also appreciate more music-based stations such as Radio1 and Virgin.
They are less inclined than upmarket males to read a daily newspaper or to rely on the press as their main source of information, preferring the TV, internet and radio to keep them up to date. They do read magazines though. The men’s weeklies (in particular Nuts and Zoo) have done well to secure their places on the magazine racks of C2DE men in addition to special interest titles ranging from PC Format to Loaded.
Finally, the internet has become a staple part of the media day of C2DE men. Unsurprisingly, broadband access amongst this group is high (44 per cent) so in addition to the communication and functional uses, men in this group also use the net for general entertainment from web-based gaming to downloading music.
Men ABC1:
There are 12.8 million ABC1 men in Britain, accounting for over a quarter of all adults. Men in this group are less likely to be separated or divorced than many other demographics with over two thirds Married or cohabiting. Upmarket men place a strong emphasis on their careers and as a result, are more likely to live in the south of the country, particularly London, where job opportunities are plentiful.
Unsurprisingly, men in this group consume vast quantities of media. They are big users of the internet with over 60 per cent having access to broadband and around a quarter have Wireless access. Activities online involve travel, sport, finance and news sites ranking amongst their favourites. Compared to other groups, upmarket men are more inclined to read a newspaper, with the broadsheets (particularly the FT and The Guardian) providing the staples of their daily read. Unlike young men, upmarket men are less inclined towards magazines (although they do consume Men’s Health and GQ) and tend to use the radio for news and sport, particularly Five Live, Talk Sport and Radio 4.
Although this audience is generally time-poor, TV still forms a staple part of their week. Weekend viewing is significantly higher, with 35 per cent of it occurring on Fridays and Saturdays (indicative of their love of sport) and predictably weekday viewing is focused around peak. In addition to sport, men tend to tune into documentaries and news during the week, although water-cooler shows such as Scrubs and The Simpsons always draw them in.
Upmarket men love the idea of being able to access a barrage of channels and as a result, are very receptive to digital TV. Conversely, however, they are inclined to believe that a growth in TV stations is diluting the quality of TV. However, they continue to take full advantage of its services, interacting with both programmes and ads alike and paying for content such as a sports and films. As sport provides the crux of their viewing, Sky is the most accessed platform and favourite channels include Sky Sports, Sky Sports News, BBC2 and ITV4.
Men 16-34:
Young men are traditionally perceived as a difficult bunch to reach through TV, and although they don’t spend as much time with their tele as women of the same age, it undoubtedly plays a significant role in their lives.
Men in this age bracket are significantly less likely to have children in the household than women of the same age (65 per cent of men have no kids in the house compared to 42 per cent of women) and this has a significant impact on their media consumption. Nearly 60 per cent are single and as a result, their social lives and careers provide the focal point of their lives. The majority work full-time, but part-time working is also a factor as the number of students continues to rise. To a certain degree, work opportunities lead to greater concentrations of young men in the south of England. Over a third of men aged between 16-34 live in London and the South East.
Young men remain one of the lightest viewing audiences of TV, and also one of the most profitable. Viewing is centred around their interests and daily schedules and as a result; weeknight viewing is high, particularly during late peak. This group are more likely to watch post-pub than any other, where comedies and general entertainment feature highly, suiting the mood perfectly. Sharing of the remote is also less likely (as many young women will no doubt testify) especially at weekend where sports dominate the schedule.
Predictably, sports are one of the main drivers of viewing against this audience. The Sky platform is popular. 80 per cent have access to digital and around 12 per cent subscribe to Sky+ – well above the all-adults average. Sky Sports, Sky Sports News, Channel 4, Bravo and Kerrang rate amongst the preferred channels, revealing their propensity for sports, (MOTD, Formula 1) comedy, (Peep Show, My name is Earl) and factual (Brainiac, The Gadget Show). Water cooler shows such as 24 and Lost also feature heavily on their content radars.
In terms of other media, newspapers, cinema and radio (largely sport and music) are popular choices amongst young men. Nearly 25 per cent are considered heavy users of newspapers with tabloids forming the bulk of their reading. Magazines are also gaining in popularity due to the explosion of formats aimed at this market. Weekly titles such as Zoo and Nuts are beginning to rank alongside Loaded, Maxim and FHM. This age group is also more likely to buy special interest magazines such as Four Four Two, What Hi-Fi? and PC Format.
As expected, the internet is a prime focus for young men. Almost 70 per cent have broadband at home (well ahead of average take up amongst all adults) and this is reflected in the growing popularity of online gaming. Shopping sites (especially for games and software) are ranking increasingly high amidst the standard favourites of sport, banking and news.
Beth's A Levels 