A Check-up on the Habits and Values of North America's Young Adults (Part 2)
Calgary, AB - Americans like football, MySpace, and text messaging. Canadians like hockey, Facebook, and playing the lottery. And both just can't get enough of the Internet. These are some of the findings from an Ipsos study that investigated the behaviors, lifestyles and habits of American and Canadian young adults ages 18-34, the emerging market of young consumers.
"Bombarded by changing technology and a barrage of marketing messages, North American young adults are living in a culture unlike anything we've seen before," says Paul Lauzon, Senior Vice President with Ipsos Reid. "But when it comes to the way Americans and Canadians in the 18-34 year-old age group play, communicate, and use media, it is a sure bet there are cultural differences and nuances marketers need to understand to better reach this audience."
When asked about their leisure activity time, Americans and Canadians have a clear affinity for the Internet and television. Young adults in both countries reported nearly an identical amount of time spent on the Internet each week: Americans reported being "actively connected to the Internet" an average of 28 hours per week; Canadians reported being connected one hour less over the same time frame.
On a daily average, Americans in the age group watch about an hour more television per day than Canadians. On weekdays, Americans reported watching an average of 5.9 hours per day, Canadians watched 4.8 hours. On weekends, Americans watched an average of 5.5 hours, Canadians watched 4.6.
Lotteries and Games
When comparing the lottery and gambling habits, and interest of American and Canadian young adults, some interesting differences unfold.
Canadians are more apt to play the lottery than Americans. In the past year, 80% of Canadians ages 18-34 have played a lottery game. In the United States, only 63% of Americans in the same age bracket have played lottery games.
That being the case, Americans are more interested in playing lottery games on the Internet than Canadians. When asked, almost half (46%) of Americans within the group said they would be interested in playing lottery games in the Internet. Only less than a third (31%) of their Canadian counterparts expressed an interest.
Americans are currently more likely to play games on the Internet for real money--28% vs. 20% in Canada. Yet American young adults are more likely to perceive online gambling as illegal than those in Canada--31% vs. 19%.
And in their sport watching preferences, national differences come down to turf and ice. Simply put, Americans love football, Canadians love hockey.
In the United States, NFL football is the most watched sport within the study group with 57% of respondents having reported watching a game in the past year. Major league baseball (44%) and college football (43%) are the second and third most watched sports. In Canada, NHL hockey dominated, capturing 58%. NFL football comes in second with 32%, edging out the home-grown CFL's 29%, landing in third.
"It should come as no surprise here--football culture in America and hockey culture in Canada run deep and tie in closely to national identity," says Samantha McAra, Senior Research Manager with Ipsos Reid. "But what is interesting is that for a country with no NFL team and a reputation for winter sports, many Canadians have an interest in the NFL."
Media Usage
The Internet and mobile devices have revolutionized the way people connect and communicate and that is evident in the way people have engaged in communication through their devices and online social networks.
A marked cultural difference is noted in text messaging. Americans really like text messaging, sending and receiving an average of 129.6 text messages per week. That is nearly double the Canadian average of 78.7 messages per week.
Both groups enjoy online social networking, but do so quite differently. Canadians in the age group are big on Facebook with 81% having registered a profile compared to only 57% in the U.S. But Americans are more into MySpace - 54% have registered compared to 23% in Canada.
"What this is telling us is that young adults in North America are really plugged into their friends and technologies, but there are differences between Americans and Canadians in how and what they use," adds McAra. "There are opportunities here for marketers to reach out to the emerging market through these media, as long as they understand how they are being used and who is using them. For those in the lottery and gaming sector, the interest in playing games on the Internet and the comfort with mobile and online communication are critical factors in determining and creating new and innovative product offerings."
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos study conducted online between May 20 to June 3, 2009 with respondents from both the United States and Canada. A national sample of 1,069 U.S. adults and 1177 Canadian adults aged 18-34 answered this online survey. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the U.S. 18-34 year old population and the Canadian 18-34 year old population according to census data in both countries. Results are considered accurate within 2.99 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, for the U.S. results, and within 2.85 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, for the Canadian results. U.S. respondents were interviewed in English, Canadian respondents in English and French.
To find more information about the Emerging Markets study please visit http://www.ipsos.ca/reid/lotgam/ .
For more information on this news release, please contact: Samantha McAra Senior Research Manager Ipsos Reid (403) 237-0066 [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, health and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.
To learn more, 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 2008, Ipsos generated global revenues of e979.3 million ($1.34 billion U.S.).
Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos' offerings and capabilities.
