SA's wealthy 'real' consumer attitudes, lifestyle uncovered

The study reveals the rich and super rich's consumer attitudes, opinions and brand preferences.

According to CREAM, 40% of the 8571 respondents - compared to 1063 AMPS base for RamsayMedia title readers - are professionals or entrepreneurs, and 37% have degrees or post-graduate degrees.

Wealthier, better educated than AMPS suggests

"We have learned that RamsayMedia audiences are wealthier than the AMPS suggests, and they are also much better educated than AMPS made us believe in the past," market researcher Alan Todd said, speaking at the Radisson Blue Gautrain Hotel in Sandton.

RamsayMedia titles include Popular Mechanics, Hotel & Restaurant, Car, Gateway, Wine, Reality (by Sanlam), Leisure Wheels, Compleat Golfer, Wiel and Toyota Zone.

"Wealth is a continuum," RamsayMedia group content director Brandon de Kock said, adding that the study has sectioned respondents into four income groups and age - the aspirant (18-24 years), the well-off (25-34 years), the affluent (35-49 years) and the rich (50 years or more).

The aspirant, described by CREAM as romantic and fun-loving, earn around R18 000, while the well-off - adventurous and sociable - take home every month between R18 000 and R40 000. The affluent, well-known for being practical, dependable and family-minded, earn between R40 000 and R100 000, and the income of the rich, mature and intelligent rich, according to the study, starts from R100 000.

Wealthy people are humorous

The study also revealed that wealthy people are humorous, which de Kock defined as a psychological process consisting of releasing excessive energy or tension, as per Sigmund Freud's theory. De Kock, who wondered why wealthy and educated people would identify humour as such a priority when it comes to media consumption, urged marketers to take note of this trend - the more wealthy people are, the more humorous they are likely to be.

The study says 80% of RamsayMedia audiences access the Internet every day, compared to 39% by AMPS standards. "While 80% of our audiences enjoy getting content online, 54% have a Facebook profile and 40% read newspapers online," RamsayMedia MD Stuart Lowe said, quoting from the study.

Furthermore, CREAM identifies the following platforms usage of choice for its respondents: social networks (for the aspirant), blogs and mobisites (for the well-off), websites (for the affluent), and printed magazines and e-newsletters for the rich.

Print is not dead

CREAM, which reveals an amazing growing connection of older people with social media, also says that 69% of respondents read magazines more often or the same as a few years ago. CREAM's 91% of respondents identified printed magazines as their platform usage of choice, compared to websites (84%). Social networks scored 42%, e-newsletters 61%, mobisites 20%, while 21% said blogs was their platform usage of choice.

Lowe, who insisted that CREAM is a golden piece for marketers, said those who thought print media was dead were wrong.

"Its funeral did not happen, at least not amongst our tribes," he said. "This research gives us valuable insights very useful to us in refining our content and services, and to media planners devising their strategies to reach SA's most affluent consumers," he concluded.