• by Masha Geller , October 25, 2002

According to the latest national radio format study from Scarborough Research, Classical radio fans spend big bucks online. Classical listeners are 30% more likely than the norm to have made an Internet purchase in the past 12 months, and they are 49% more likely than average to have spent large amounts ($1,000 or more) online during the past year.

The study, based on Scarborough’s USA+ database, revealed that Classical listeners prefer to purchase items online that are consistent with their well-educated, upscale reputation. For instance, they are 59% more likely to purchase airline tickets via the Internet, 55% more likely to purchase books, and 55% more likely to buy computer hardware. Perhaps one reason that Classical fans are so willing to spend money online is that they have adopted super-speedy broadband Internet connections at a faster rate than the general population. The study indicates that Classical listeners are 47% more likely to have a DSL broadband connection at home and 26% more likely than average to have a cable modem.

Another factor behind Classical fans' penchant for online purchasing is that they have plenty of money to spend. The study confirmed Classical listeners' reputation for affluence, finding that 39% have household incomes over $75,000 and 77% own their homes. As could be expected, they are also very well educated. Classical fans are 60% more likely to hold a four-year college degree and are over three times as likely to hold a postgraduate degree. The Classical format also skews to the older audience, with over 42% of listeners age 55+ tuning in.

Additionally, Classical fans are 57% more likely than the norm to have a money market account, 64% more likely to use a full-service stockbroker, and 45% more likely to engage a financial planner. Classical fans also love to drive foreign cars. They are 56% more likely to own/lease a luxury foreign vehicle and 24% more likely to own/lease a foreign SUV.

That said, I know many of you have already nominated your favorite online ad campaigns in the survey we sent out two days ago. If you haven’t yet, we’d love to hear from you. The nominations will help us pick the Best Online Campaign for a special MEDIA magazine feature in the December edition. It only takes a few minutes to submit your nominations, so click here.