Can't Touch This!

Toronto, ON - It appears that the top of the Egyptian pyramids have piqued (or peaked) the interest of Canadians, according to a new LG Electronics Canada / Ipsos Reid poll. Given the opportunity, and a list of options, nearly half (45%) of all Canadians would most like to touch the very top of the ancient wonder. Perhaps reflective of Canadian heritage, two in ten want to touch the Stanley Cup, and an equal number (18%) would most like to touch the Holy Grail. One in ten (11%) would like to touch the Hope Diamond, while 3% would like to touch Dorothy's shoes from `The Wizard of Oz'. Surprisingly, only 4% would like to touch an Academy Award.

• Perhaps understandably, men (24%) are more likely than women (11%) to want to touch the Stanley Cup. Women, on the other hand, are more likely (14%) than men (8%) to want to touch the Hope Diamond.
• Canadians living in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (10%) are most likely to want to touch an Academy Award.
• Interestingly, Atlantic Canadians (33%) are most likely to want to touch the Holy Grail. This exceeds the 30% from the same area who want to touch the top of a pyramid.

Thinking about things they would like to touch but are prohibited from doing so, Canadians are more divided. Three in ten (29%) say they would have the hardest time not touching freshly poured cement on a sidewalk, while a nearly equal number (27%) say they wouldn't be able to resist the allure of the gleaming finish on an Aston Martin.

One in five (18%) wouldn't be able to resist touching the hat of a guard at Buckingham Palace, and a slightly smaller proportion (15%) couldn't keep their hands off a perfectly decorated wedding cake. Rounding out the list, one in ten (11%) would have an irrepressible urge to touch a nude sculpture in a museum.

• Residents of Quebec (15%) are most likely to want to touch a nude sculpture.
• Men (34%) are more likely than women (22%) to be drawn to the finish of an Aston Martin.
• Perhaps in consideration of setting a good example, Canadians with children (13%) are less likely than those without kids (20%) to want to touch the hat of a guard at Buckingham Palace.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of LG from 03/10 to 03/13, 2008. This online survey of 1,012 adult Canadians was conducted via the Ipsos I-Say Online Panel, Ipsos Reid's national online panel. The results are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. Quota samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. An unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Research Manager
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999.

In 2007, Ipsos generated global revenues of e927.2 million ($1.27 billion U.S.).

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