Tuesday, November 9, 2010

What do you watch...and what does that tell us about you?

What you watch says a lot about you, according to new research from Mindset Media. The media company recently researched 25,000 television viewers across 70 different shows. And, what they found out were common personality traits for the viewers of each of the shows.

Let's take a look at the findings:

Mad Men - Creative people are more likely to tune into AMC's smash about the advertising business in the 1960's. And, Mad Men viewers tend to be more liberal.

Glee - "Gleeks" are very open and believe that intellectual and imagination pursuits lead to a good life. Followers of this show search for unique and varied experiences and are more in touch with their own feelings.

Real Housewives of Orange County - Researchers dubbed viewers of this show as "pugnacious." These people are unafraid to tell others what they think--they value honesty over keeping the peace.

The Office - Like the character of Michael on this show, viewers who regularly tune in think that they are superior to others. They also tend to happily brag about their accomplishments and prefer to be in charge.

Dancing With the Stars - Traditionalists are most likely to watch DWTS. These folks are the opposite of the experiential "Gleeks" and instead prefer stability and the tried-and-true. They respect authority and are firmly grounded.

The Biggest Loser - This show is for those who have personalities which fall low on the creativity scale. Viewers also tend to be realists--pragmatic people who live in the present and work with what they've been given.

Now, don't get upset if you're a left-brain engineer and you watch Mad Men. The study groups viewers based upon statistical tendencies, i.e., the increased likelihood that a group of people who watch a particular show will tend to have one or more similar personality traits.

Why is all of this important? Well, consider the ability of advertisers to better target programming based upon this insight into viewership. Mindset Media suggests that certain brands will better fit with the above shows based upon the findings. For example, brands like Apple, Audi, Blue Moon (beer) and American Express would fit best with Mad Men, according to Mindset Media. On Dancing With the Stars, brands like Kraft, Chrysler, Fiber One and Buick Regal would play best. As for Real Housewives, how about Botox? Yes, Mindset Media suggested that this product, along with brands like Nike and Crest Whitestrips, would resonate with the Housewives viewing audience.

1 comment:

  1. So...what if you like and watch all of them??? I think it means you're in marketing....

    ReplyDelete