Available for use at Library Workstations 1, 2, 3, 4

Brief Description: Simmons Study of Media and Markets, Choices 3 is an electronic resource to consumer demographics by product type and product name.

Access Restrictions: Students, faculty, staff may use for course-related and scholarly research only, and not for internships or MCFEs. Alumni and visitors may not use.

Citing Articles
Using the Simmons CD
Creating a CrossTab
Reading Simmons Data
Media Ranking
Private Eye
Reach & Frequency
Printing & Saving
Scope

Basic Tutorial| Advanced Tutorial

MLA Style Examples:

Simmons Choices 3, Version 2.5: [2005] Simmons Market Research Copyright [2005] Simmons Market Research. All Rights Reserved.

For additional MLA examples, visit the MLA site.

You need to visualize your spreadsheet and set up your rows and columns. Click here to see an example.

To Choose a Filter
Filters, also known as the base (default is U.S. adults 18+yrs.) allow you to survey a particular group such as men or women or specific age groups. Keep your filter large or your results may be unreliable. 

If you wish to choose a Filter add it by clicking on the small icon directly above the answer box (looks like a person with a + sign).

To Set Up Columns
Columns generally have the brands or products that you would like to learn more about. 

1. If you can't find what you want in the list of questions click on the Binoculars (far right).
2. Type a keyword that you wish to search for (such as footwear or sneakers) in the box and click Search.
3. Your term will appear highlighted in an alphabetical list. Click O.K.
4. Open up the categories until you find the questions you want answered, highlight each and click on the column button (2nd icon from left directly above the answer box).
5. Alternately if you wish you may scroll down the list of products until you find the ones you want.
6. The numbers that appear next to your questions refer to the sample size and projected number.
7. To return to the complete list of Questions, click on Questions (bottom).
   

To Set Up Rows
Rows generally have demographic or psychographic information, such as age, gender, race, household income, etc.

Follow the directions for setting up columns but click on the Row button (3rd from left, above answer box).

To Run the CrossTab Report
Select the Run Analysis icon (looks like a spreadsheet) from the top menu bar. This opens the Crosstab View of your spreadsheet.

Printing and Saving
Once your spreadsheet is completed, click the Excel icon on the far right top menu bar or go to File.....Print.

Please note* Click here to see a VISUAL SAMPLE. It will help explain how to interpret all the numbers!

Total
Total Population/Number of adults age 18+ in the continental US.

Sample
This is the number of respondents in this study who meet the specifications of both the Row and Column.

(000) = Projected
Represents a projection of the total number of adults who meet the specifications of both the Row and the Column. The three 000s should be added to the end of whatever number is given.

Vert%
Percent Down. The number of people who have a given characteristic, expressed as a percent, as defined by the Column heading.

Horz%
Percent Across. The number of people who have a given characteristic, expressed as a percent, as defined by the Row heading.

Index
Indicates the likelihood, compared to the total population, of meeting the specifications of both the Column and the Row. The base number for comparison is 100.

Base
Percentage of the selected filter (default is U.S. 18+yrs.) that the cell represents.

Be Careful of Sample Size since a small sample size of under 200 means the projections are relatively unstable and should be used with considerable caution.  Consider broadening your search by looking at a larger filter.

Use this feature to determine what media (magazine/newspaper titles and/or television shows) would be good choices for your chosen demographic(s).

1. Start a new search by choosing New from the File menu.
2. In the window click on Lifestyle/Demographics, then choose the one you are interested in (eg.age, race, occupation, etc). You can choose more than one demographic item by highlighting each and clicking on the Column icon (2nd icon from left on top).
3. Click the Media button (bottom of worksheet), under the list of questions  and choose the media titles you want to include and add them to the Rows/Media box.
4. Click the Run Analysis icon and once the report appears you have the option of sorting/ranking the media by specific criteria (ie. Index).
5. Highlight the row or column you want to sort and click the up or down arrow for descending or ascending order.

Allows investigation of a target or media against any product, media or demographic data. The program will search through the data for all cases that meet the specified criteria. You can answer such questions as, "what types of foods are consumed by women 18-34 that is 50% greater than all women?"

After setting up your worksheet and running the Analysis, click the "Private Eye Ranking" view. 

Click on the bright green Private Eye Ranking icon (top right menu bar) and fill in the criteria form.  An example would be to screen by Index equal to or greater than 100%.  

Build various scenarios for advertising costs and audience reach.

1. Complete the columns with the demographics or items you choose.
2. Click the "Media" button on the bottom of the worksheet page and choose the media you want to consider for advertising and add to the rows.
3. Click on the yellow and gray "Interactive Reach & Frequency" icon and wait for a worksheet to appear.
4. Fill in the Cost $ column with the advertising costs you have obtained* and fill in the Optimize column with the number of exposures/times you want to advertise.
5. When you press Enter the information appears below.
   
   * Obtain the advertising costs from either the SRDS (Standard Rate & Data Service) books at Information Desk1 or from the magazines "Media Kits" on the internet.

Click here for detailed instructions.

Once you have your spreadsheet displayed click the Excel icon on the top menu bar or go to File......Print.

Simmons Study of Media and Markets, Choices 3 is an electronic resource to consumer demographics by product type and product name. It surveys 20,000 households and is typically used in marketing research. Use it to create customized reports that can be cross tabulated for a wide array of demographic and psychographic characteristics of users of products and their media behavior. The most current data on CD-ROM is available for Fall, 2005. 

Examples of searches that can be answered using this data:

• I'm marketing a new brand of bottled spring water, and I want to know my target market and what magazines would be best for advertising this product.
• What are the demographics (household income, age, gender, etc) of people who drink microbrewed beer?
• Do people who own sport utility vehicles tend to be liberal or conservative?

This data can be useful to anyone interested in starting a business, in trying to determine a target market and the appropriate media (newspaper, magazine, cable TV, etc) for advertising to a target audience.

What this data is not useful for:

• New products/services and other rapidly changing markets, since the survey data is two+ years old.
• Finding information on a local or regional basis. Though you can find some regional data, it's not always the best source. Scarborough Research is better for looking at consumer behavior/demographics on a regional basis, since their data cover 75 individual major markets (DMAs) with regional newspaper/TV/events. Scarborough data are also a little more current.

Print in Supplemental Reference (RefHF5415.3 S88)

Updated October 15, 2007
By  Nancy Dlott