When marketers in San Diego County want to know what percent of its households purchased cameras priced under $100 (7.3 %) and what store garnered the largest share of shopper traffic (Target - 9.1 %); or, what percentage of adults in San Diego County bought wine in 1986 (42 % did), chances are that they got the information from CASH.


That's the acronym for the "Continuing Analysis of Shopping Habits in San Diego" and is a service of San Diego's leading newspaper, The San Diego Union and The Tribune.

The container for this storehouse of consumer buying information is a neatly-organized, twice-a-year, easy-to-read 160-page book with the simple title of CASH. The range of products researched covers nearly the gamut of frequently- purchased household products, including apparel for children, women and men; appliances; do-it-yourself materials and tools; household furnishings; auto accessories; sporting goods; jewelry; cosmetics; and audio equipment.

The CASH idea was born in January, 1974, and its original concept is still used. Officials of the Union-Tribune Publishing Co. call it "bread and butter" research and its wholehearted acceptance by San Diego area marketers attest to its reliability and integrity.

Because the methodology has basically not changed since 1974, the continuity adds even more credence to current findings.

Heart of the CASH methodology is a telephone interview with 3,300 adults living in San Diego County each year. Each month, interviews are obtained with a random sample of adults from 275 households representing a cross-section of these households. The population of San Diego County is estimated at 2,140,900 and the total number of households at 786,500.

Sample design

A two-stage probability sample is used to insure that each telephone household in the county has an equal opportunity of being included in the survey regardless of whether their phone number is listed or not.

The first step necessary in generating a list of telephone numbers is to divide the standard seven digit number into two parts. The first three digits, for example, 454, occur in the county with measurable frequency. In addition, the numerals in these three digit groups are dependent on each other, on the location of the telephone within the county and in some cases, on the use of the telephone. A complete list of the valid three digit combinations and their frequency of occurrence in the sample area is prepared annually. This list provides a framework for construction of the telephone sample list which is prepared every three months. The last four digits of every phone number are independent and are generated from a table of randomly distributed numbers. The use of random digits insures that unlisted phone numbers or newly established numbers will be properly represented in the sample.

Once the sample list is generated, the phone numbers are reviewed and compared with valid listed numbers in order to remove numbers that fall within obvious blocks of unused or commercial numbers. The final list of numbers is used for three consecutive interview waves and then replaced.

Data collection

Interviewing is conducted by an independent interviewing service. This service uses professional interviewers calling from a centrally located telephone room. All interviewers are monitored randomly during the interview period and 10% of the respondents are called back to verify that an interview took place.

The interviews are conducted during a six-day period each month between 3-8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Each sample telephone number is attempted four times over a two-day period before a substitute is allowed. The respondent in each case must be an adult randomly selected within the household using a modified version of the Troldahl-Carter Selection Method. When persons other than the designated individual are contacted, an appointment is made for a callback to interview the proper person. At no time during the interview is the respondent given the identity of the study's sponsor.

Data processing

Upon completion of the interviewing, all questionnaires are edited for consistency. Any omissions or inconsistencies are followed up by calling the respondent and clarifying the answer. As noted earlier, 10% of the respondents are recalled to verify the interview actually took place. All questionnaires are coded for entry into the computer and spot checked for accuracy.

The coded questionnaires are entered into a DEC system 10 computer via a remote teletype terminal. The data is stored on magnetic discs for one year and transferred to magnetic tape after that time.

All phases of the CASH study are proposed and supervised by the marketing services department of the Union?Tribune Publishing Co.

Average reader

CASH has established demographic and behavioral characteristics of the Union-Tribune reader in San Diego County as follows:

Age (median)

39.1years

Education (median)

13.7 years

Family size (median)

2.3 persons

Children under 18 (median)

two

Family income (median)

$28,993

Married

56 %

Own residence

58 %

Auto ownership

 

      None

11 %

      One

51 %

      Two or more

38 %

Took airline trip

49 %

Weekly grocery expenditure (median)

$62

Clipped grocery coupons

40 %

Registered voter

81 %

Have pets

50 %

Shopped at regional shopping center in last 30 days

82 %

To further define the San Diego market for its customers and prospects, the Union-Tribune papers divide it up into 16 distinct zones. Here some significant demographic and behavioral characteristics show up. Examples:

Median age in zone five, which includes the Old Town, Hillcrest and North Park areas of San Diego and a big majority of unmarried people, is 35.2 years. This compares with a median age of 44.6 years in zone 16 which includes Valley Center, San Marcos and Escondido, suburbs that have a home ownership of 63% and a relatively high percentage of retired people.

A sizeable spread in median family income occurs also, with a high of $42,800 in zone 13 (Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Ramona) and a low of $22,900 in zone five.

Home ownership ranged from a high of 76% (zone 13) to a low of 36% (zone 5). On the other hand, there was comparatively little difference in the level of education with all but one zone showing less than a median of 12 years. Family size also showed little variation among the zones. The weekly grocery bill did not vary much, with the exception again of zone five which had the lowest weekly expenditure of $46 as compared with the county median of $62.

ARTICLE SIDEBAR

Copley research guides ad sales strategy

“Research costs money and many newspapers feel that they can't afford it,” says Thomas H. Copeland. "But research means money well spent."

Copeland speaks from long experiences in newspaper research. He is marketing research manager of Copley newspapers, corporately titled Copley Press, Inc., headquartered in La Jolla, Calif. Copley's flagship newspaper is The San Diego Union and Tribune.

Copeland holds a B.A. degree from the University of Minnesota, has a masters in psychology and completed work on his doctorate. After serving as a research associate at the University of Minnesota, he originated the marketing research department at the Minneapolis Star and Tribune and did likewise later for the Houston Post. From there he joined Copley Press in his present position.

Copley Press has a marketing group that does the administrative work on market research whose objective is to assist Copley's stable of newspapers to sell more advertising space. Copley, privately held, owns 12 dailies, 29 weeklies and one biweekly located only in southern California and Illinois.

Copeland's function is to assist Copley newspapers' plan and facilitate market research and do so more effectively than any one newspaper could individually.

The San Diego market served by The Union and Tribune is unique because of its extremely competitive situation. "This market is served by four smaller dailies, 40 radio signals, 36 TV outlets including cable and seven networks. In addition, it has competition from Los Angeles media," Copeland points out.

Naturally, being by far the largest Copley publication, The Union and Tribune gets the most corporate attention. But the other publications also get assistance in the following manner:

1. Consultation on setting up an annual research budget.

2. Setting research objectives.

3. Assisting with designing the research and contracting for work to be done.

4. Monitoring the project.

5. Editing, coding and preparing results for the computer.

6. Computerizing the findings.

7. Organizing the printed results.

8. If requested, assisting the newspaper to implement the findings

9. Assuming all the above functions if requested.

10. If requested, setting up a meeting with newspaper staffers to discuss the findings.

Copeland says his organization utilizes all available secondary information such as that from the U.S. Census, Department of Labor, state and local agencies and supplements that with primary research of its own. "Since 95% of all homes in southern California have a phone we do 90% of our research using the phone," says Copeland. "It is most cost efficient and interviewers have the most success making early evening calls when most people are likely to be home.'"

However, Copley also uses focus groups and one-on-one interviews to "fine tune" its phone research.

Copeland states that research has resulted in major changes in the way The Union and Tribune serve the San Diego market.

"We've found there is a strong desire among readers for community news and advertising. This applies to entertainment, restaurants, sports and social activities. Readers, of course, also want to know what's happening in the central city," Copeland points out.

The result is that San Diego County has been segmented into 16 preprint advertising zones with well-defined demographic and behavioral characteristics. Scores of handsomely-designed reports are gleaned from the publication's continuing analysis of shopping habits, all intended to help advertisers and editors.