Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Apr. 13, 2009
CMA PRESENTS CONSUMER RESEARCH SEGMENTATION STUDY TO INDUSTRY TUESDAY, APRIL 28
CMA Members and Invited Guests Explore Key Findings and Discuss “Next Steps” for Business Development During Challenging Economic Climate
NASHVILLE - The Country Music Association unveils key findings from its 2008 Country Music Consumer Segmentation Study during a free Town Hall meeting Tuesday, April 28 (2:00-4:00 PM/CT) in the Boone Crockett Room at the Hilton Hotel in Downtown Nashville for CMA members and their invited guests.
The research project grew out of CMA's strategic mission of providing timely education and being a repository for information useful to the industry. It was the largest and most comprehensive look at the Country Music consumer in the 50-year history of the Association. The Town Hall meeting, which is free to registered CMA members and their invited guests, will also include an opportunity to discuss "next steps" and ways that CMA's constituents can incorporate the findings into their individual business plans.
"It was important to the Board and the Consumer Research Committee, lead by Joe Galante and co-chair David Ross, that we not just provide raw data for our members, but use this Town Hall gathering to start a dialogue that can generate tangible ideas, and ultimately results for our industry stakeholders," said Randy Goodman, Chairman of CMA's volunteer Board of Directors and President of Lyric Street and Carolwood Records.
The findings offer new insights into the Country consumer including information on media consumption including Country record sales, radio and touring, as well as media usage and consumer analysis culled from a phase one sample of 7,000 individuals; a second sample of 1,850; and 10 focus groups from three regions of the country. In addition, findings from a follow up study to determine the impact of the current economic crisis on the Country consumer will also be presented.
"Information without action cannot create change," said CMA Chief Executive Officer Tammy Genovese.
Part of the meeting will include the introduction of an algorithm that CMA members can apply to their consumer databases. The algorithm is a set of 14 screening questions that will enable the user to replicate the segmentation study in their own research vehicles. Essentially, the algorithm can be used to identify all core and potential Country consumers with a minimum of 75 percent accuracy, enabling members to use their marketing dollars effectively and efficiently.
The algorithm can be used to screen in, or out, various types of Country Music consumers. A tour promoter, for instance, could use the algorithm in conjunction with an artist's fan club database to identify those individuals most likely to purchase concert tickets. A record label might use it in conjunction with their database to pinpoint those fans that offer the greatest future potential for CD or online purchases.
"Giving our members the tools necessary to analyze the enormous amount of data we collected and make it applicable to their day-to-day operation is the logical next step," Genovese said. "From booking agents to artist managers to record labels, there is something for everyone who relies on the Country Music consumer in this study."
Carol Foley (EVP, Director of Research Services for Leo Burnett) and Jana O'Brien (former EVP, Chief Consumer Officer for Starcom MediaVest Group and current Principal for The Right Brain Consumer Consulting, LLC) will present the session.
Leo Burnett Company and Starcom MediaVest Group conducted the qualitative and quantitative research study. Their list of clients and research partners include the Walt Disney Company, Clear Channel, General Motors, Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company, McDonald's, Kraft, Wal-Mart, Nintendo, Hallmark, Visa, Best Buy, ESPN, and many others.
Seats to the free Town Hall meeting are limited and are available to CMA individual and organizational members only. Attendees may also bring a limited number of guests to the event based on the level of their CMA membership (see my.CMAworld.com for details and to register online). The presentation and audience Q&A will be recorded and made available by Thursday, April 30 on my.CMAworld.com, for those members unable to attend the event in person.
To encourage invited guests to become members of the Association, CMA is offering a one-time, half-price discount on membership.
"This research is a valuable CMA member benefit - especially in light of the current financial downturn," said Genovese. "And, we did not want the cost of CMA membership to be a deterrent to anyone who needs access to this critically important information."
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