Comprehensive Study into Viewers' Buying Behavior and Programming Preferences Reveals Network's "I-Doer" Audience Profile Index
WE tv Renews New Seasons of Successful Original Bridal Series Bridezillas and Platinum Weddings; Announces New Original Series Amazing Wedding Cakes
New York, NY – April 14, 2008 – WE tv announced today the results of a comprehensive viewer research study conducted by Frank N. Magid Associates that presents a new way of segmenting female audiences based on lifestyle trends, buying behaviors, brand attitudes and programming affinities. The results reveal that 43% of WE tv viewers share common characteristics when it comes to viewing preferences and consumer behaviors. This segmented audience profile, which the network labels "I-Doers," is made up of women who are all experiencing a major life stage, have a positive attitude towards wedding-related topics and have an interest in bridal-themed programming.
"This research gives us a clearer picture of who our viewers are, both as television viewers and as consumers, to better define our audience for our advertising partners," said Kim Martin, executive vice president and general manager, WE tv. "The results validate our successful bridal programming strategy and WE tv's ability to attract an audience of strong, independent decision-makers. WE tv's entertaining, informative and inspiring line-up of content-from bridal programming to true life stories that emotionally connect with viewers-super-serves our 'I-Doer' audience with programming they want to watch."
To continue to satisfy "I-Doers'" cravings for all things wedding-related, WE tv also announced it is expanding its successful line-up of unscripted wedding shows with the return of two of its enormously successful bridal series as well as two new original series. WE tv's acclaimed series Bridezillas, which has generated some of the network's most-watched telecasts, will begin its fifth season Sunday, June 1. Platinum Weddings, which has had double-digit ratings growth season-over-season, will premiere its third run also on June 1, followed by a fourth season later this year. A new original series premiering in September, Amazing Wedding Cakes is a new series that follows three wedding cake masters as they create some of the world's most spectacular cakes.
"The best parallel we've found to illustrate the appeal of wedding programming for women is that weddings are as important to women as sports are to men," said Scott Collins, senior vice president of advertising sales for WE tv. "The 'I-Doer' audience study gives us a new way to look at viewers from a behavioral perspective to understand their influence and inclinations in making purchasing decisions as well as their programming preferences."
Rather than focusing solely on traditional age and gender demographics, the Magid study examined women's life stages and buying behaviors and married it to their attitudes towards all things wedding to form the "I-Doer" vs. "non-I-Doer" audience profiles. All "I-Doers" are experiencing or are about to experience a significant life change (defined below), have a higher propensity for making purchases and are more predisposed to being brand loyal.
The study also uncovered the importance of weddings to "I-Doers," with more than 86% of "I-Doers" expressing a strong affinity for and enthusiasm about all things wedding-related. Seventy-five percent of "I-Doers" plan to attend a wedding over the next 12 months, while more than 69% of "non I-Doers" are not likely to attend a wedding within the next year.
To qualify as an "I-Doer," respondents must be in a major life stage, or key accumulation stage, which the study defines as a life event such as getting engaged, purchasing a new home or having a child. These are events throughout a woman's life that are triggers for increased spending. From the survey data, there are five key accumulation stages, or life events, defined as follows:
- Family Change: An accumulation stage that consists of a family-related event such as paying for a wedding, having a child or sending a child off to school or to college.
- Environmental Change: Involves a change in one's physical living space, such as purchasing a new home or redecorating/renovating an existing home.
- Career/Wealth Change: These women find themselves moving up in their careers with a salary increase or another financial boost through an inheritance or work bonus.
- Relationship Change: This stage involves a romantic relationship change, such as women who are beginning a new relationship, getting engaged, getting married, or who find themselves newly single.
- New Life Change: This stage is about new beginnings, including women just graduating from school, moving to a new city, getting a new job, or taking on a dream such as purchasing a home independently.
Based on the study's nationally-projected sample, nearly 50% of all women, or 36 million women in the U.S., are "I-Doers." Those identified as High "I-Doers," defined as currently in a life event and have an affinity for weddings and wedding programming, are even more likely to spend on both big and small ticket items. For example, 50% of "High I-Doers" spend on MP3 players and 43% on gaming systems, while 85% of "High I-Doers" have seen a film at a local theater in the past 30 days, compared to only 63% of "non-I-Doers."
"Networks don't need to provide Nielsen ratings; we have them at our fingertips. What is needed, more today than ever, is to get better insights into the many aspects of the consumer we are trying to engage," said Lyle Schwartz, managing partner of research and marketplace analysis for Mediaedge: cia. "WE tv's insight into the different life stages of women is an excellent example of what we are looking for from our media partners."
According to Ralph Heim, director of media and promotions for KFC, "KFC is always trying to understand and drill down deeper into the audiences we're reaching. This 'I-Doer' audience profile certainly caught our attention and we will be taking a stronger look at WE tv in this year's upfront."
WE tv's I-Doer Study surveyed 3,000 women age 18-54. The survey was conducted by Frank N. Magid Associates, Inc. in February 2008, and results are projectable up to the US population for women age 18-54.
New bridal programming scheduled to premiere later this year on WE tv includes new seasons of hit shows as well as exciting new wedding-themed series.
Bridezillas
(22 one-hour episodes; premieres Sunday, June 1)
WE tv's hit original series, Bridezillas, returns for a fifth season. Before the beautiful ceremony, the spectacular reception and the happily-ever-after, there's the planner, the designer, the caterer…and the bride who was perfectly normal until planning her wedding took over her life. Take a journey with WE tv and the hit series that looks at that mystical phenomenon that can happen to a woman somewhere between "will you marry me" and "I do."
Platinum Weddings Seasons 3 & 4
(Season 3 starts June 1; Season 4 begins in December)
WE tv's popular original series, Platinum Weddings, returns for another season. Imagine a wedding day in which no detail is too miniscule, no wish is too extravagant and no request is unattainable. It's a dream come true for any bride-to-be. It's the ultimate wedding show that captures the drama and decadence of wedding planning on an extraordinary budget!
Amazing Wedding Cakes
(6 half-hour episodes; premieres in September)
WE tv's all-new original series, Amazing Wedding Cakes, shows a unique side to weddings. Meet incredible designers who are pushing the boundaries of what wedding cakes can be. These wedding cake artists are astonishing brides and grooms across the country with their fantastic, elaborate, delicious creations. This is definitely not your mother's wedding cake!
About WE tv
WE tv is the network dedicated to making emotional connections with women. From original bridal programming to topical specials and docu-dramas series like "Secret Lives of Women," to unique movie packages like Cinematherapy, WE tv airs a range of entertaining programming that gives viewers something to talk about! WE tv is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC; and currently is available in 69 million homes (Source: Nielsen Media Research). The entire WE tv network feed is available in HD, and the network's stand-alone VOD service currently is available in 20 million homes.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media is a leading producer of targeted, multi-platform content for global distribution, creating and managing some of the world's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands, including AMC, IFC, WE tv, LIFESKOOL, SPORTSKOOL, and VOOM HD Networks. Through its IFC Entertainment division, Rainbow Media also owns and manages the following: IFC Films, a theatrical feature film distribution company; IFC First Take/IFC in Theaters, a day and date theatrical feature film/VOD initiative; the IFC Center in New York City; IFC Productions, a feature film production company; and IFC Entertainment, which owns and operates a film library. Rainbow Media also operates Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales company, and Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company.