August 13, 2009 08:14 ET

Experian Simmons Television BehaviorGraphics™ Finds New Competitive Cooking Segment

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - August 13, 2009) - The recently released film Julie & Julia -- which depicts the lives of famed chef Julia Child and blogger Julie Powell, who chronicled her year online cooking all 524 recipes in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking -- has resulted in numerous articles in the press examining Americans' relationship with food and their fascination with food programs on television. In producing the 2009/2010 model of Television BehaviorGraphics™, Experian® Simmons(SM) discovered that there is, indeed, a segment of the population that stands apart from others due to their keen interest in programs about food and, in particular, shows focusing on competitive cooking, such as Bravo's Top Chef and Fox's Hell's Kitchen.

Television BehaviorGraphics is a unique segmentation system developed by Experian Simmons that classifies Americans based solely on their television viewing behavior for the purpose of linking consumer behaviors measured by the Experian Simmons National Consumer Survey with Nielsen's National Television Index, the currency by which television advertising is bought and sold. The latest model released earlier this month identified 31 unique segments within the adult population, including "Kitchen Wishes." While members of Kitchen Wishes have a particularly strong affinity for programming related to food, they also are interested in other reality shows with a competitive angle like Survivor, Project Runway and The Amazing Race.

Advertisers likely will find the Kitchen Wishes segment particularly attractive because when its members are not watching television, they're avid shoppers. This segment is more likely than average to regularly shop and make purchases in home furnishing stores, home electronics stores, office supply stores, sporting good stores and most department stores. They also are frequent travelers, having recently taken plane trips both domestically and abroad during which they stayed in hotels and rented vehicles. Parked in their garage at home, you're likely to find an SUV.

When it comes to dining, this segment eats gourmet whenever they can and prefers their food presented as an art form. They also say that they are usually the first among friends to try new foods. While Kitchen Wishes members really enjoy cooking, they are just as likely as other Americans to eat store-made or precooked meals. Of course, they're probably washing it down with a microbrewed beer or an imported wine, both of which they consume at above-average rates.

Other segments making their debut in the 2009/2010 model include "For Better or Worse," "Trailblazers" and "Everyday Heroes." For more information on these segments or Television BehaviorGraphics in general, contact Patricia Lao at patricia.lao@experian.com.

About Experian Simmons

As the oldest and most-respected authority on consumer behavior, Experian Simmons has been the Voice of the American Consumer™ for more than 50 years. Experian Simmons' studies chronicle everything, from the products consumers buy and the brands they use to their lifestyles, attitudes and media preferences. With more than 60,000 data variables across almost 500 product categories, Experian Simmons' studies constitute a database of exceptional breadth and depth -- providing actionable insights that help clients connect with their most valuable customers. Visit us at http://www.experiansimmons.com.