Cybergrass has covered the Simmons Data Reports for many years. In 2006, we reported 18 Million on Bluegrass Music Bandwagon. Two years earlier, we reported that 2003 Survey Shows Rise in Bluegrass Music Popularity.

Current Simmons research data also shows that:

• 56% of bluegrass fans are employed full time and 52% are happy with their standard of living.
  
  
• As compared to the average American consumer over age 18, we are more likely to eat at Cracker Barrel (89% more likely), O’Charley’s (76% more likely), and Shoney’s (116% more likely).
  
  
• 68% of bluegrass fans are happy with their life as it is, 59% consider themselves optimists, and 76% like to “just enjoy life.”
  
  
• Bluegrass listeners/consumers are 76% more likely to shop for antiques and 79% more likely to play a musical instrument than the average American consumer over age 18.
  
  
• 14,624,000 (74%) bluegrass listeners/consumers are willing to volunteer their time for a good cause.
  
  
• 1,056,000 bluegrass listeners/consumers purchased 20 or more CDs (all genres) in the past year, while 1,669,000 purchased 20 or more downloads.
  
  
• 23% of bluegrass fans bought music online last year, while 15% bought music in a record/CD/tape store.
  
  
• 6,350,000 (32%) bluegrass fans own a portable mp3/digital media player, while 2,338,000 (12%) own a satellite radio.
  
  
• 13,774,000 (69%) attended a movie in the last six months, while 15,361,000 (77%) have traveled domestically in the past year.
  
  
• Bluegrass fans are 10% less likely than the average American consumer over age 18 to have a valid passport – only 33% have one.

Simmons Research documents the products consumers buy and the brands they prefer, as well as individual lifestyles, attitudes and media preferences. The research covers over 8,000 brands in 460 product categories, along with 600 lifestyle characteristics. Simmons Market Research is accredited by the Media Rating Council (MRC) for the Simmons National Consumer Study (NCS), which is a comprehensive analysis of American adult consumer usage behavior. The study includes in-depth demographic, psychographic and lifestyle descriptions of all Americans over the age of 18. IBMA currently has data through fall of 2008, the most recent data released.

Simmons data is available as an IBMA member service. The survey allows the IBMA to explore the relationships between listening habits, consumer preferences and purchasing behavior. The data is accessed via a computer program in the IBMA office.

Seed Newsvine