Staying in touch

Editor's note: Amy Campman is project coordinator with Bellomy Research, Inc., Winston-Salem, N.C.

INT: Do you think a good-looking man looks most sexy in denim jeans and a casual shirt, a jacket and a tie, or slacks and a nice sweater?

RESP: Well, I think men can look pretty good in jeans. Remember that soda ad with all the women running to the window to look outside at the guy wearing jeans . . .

Although it may seem like idle chatter among friends, the preceding conversation is the heart of the Lifestyle Monitor, an ongoing research project that's the result of the alliance of Cotton Incorporated, the research and promotion vehicle of U.S. cotton growers and importers, and Bellomy Research, Inc., Winston-Salem, N.C.

The survey instrument utilizes a carefully constructed series of over 100 closed-ended questions designed to tap into the lifestyles of American consumers. The goal of the Lifestyle Monitor is to understand fashion, apparel and home furnishing trends by monitoring changes in consumer behavior, values and attitudes over time and to develop hypotheses about the direction the trends might take in the future.

In the planning stages of the project, Bellomy researchers recommended to Cotton Incorporated a continuous tracking methodology in which interviews would be conducted every day using CATI technology. Data can be downloaded at any time to determine the effect of a specific event, but is routinely analyzed quarterly. Additionally, a random digit sample is used to provide as accurate a national representation as possible. Age, sex and regional quotas were established to be sure the sample represented the shopping population.

Bellomy Research established benchmark findings through 3,600 interviews conducted during the fourth quarter of 1994. Each month since then, Bellomy interviewers have talked to 350 people between the ages of 16 and 70 years of age. As of December 1996, a total of 11,894 interviews had been completed.

Cotton Incorporated publishes the research results in a quarterly publication called the Lifestyle Monitor, which is distributed to mills, manufacturers, retailers, the media and other sources to provide insights into day-to-day consumer life. Data is also reported in the Textile Consumer, a Cotton Incorporated report for executives in the textile industry.

The following statement of purpose appears inside each quarterly issue of the Lifestyle Monitor magazine: "In our effort to provide meaningful services to decision-makers who impact the market for cotton, we've discovered that there is generally greater interest in information on where we are going than on where we have been."

Barometers provide insight

The study utilizes a form of measurement other than traditional percentages and respondent counts. What makes the Lifestyle Monitor of such interest to researchers are its barometers.

Based on the data collected in response to given sets of questions placed throughout the interview, eight index scores are computed. The barometers, as they are called, are designed to provide insight into areas of behavior that have an impact on the markets for apparel, home furnishings and fiber selection. Through analysis of movement in the barometer scores over time, industry leaders can better hypothesize about where consumers' attitudes and behaviors may be going in the future.
Each barometer summarizes responses to a cluster of questions relating to a single subject. The eight measures include: denim fondness, tendency for casual dressing, concern for appearance, shopping affinity, fashion consciousness, fiber awareness, fiber preference and external influences.

Barometers are calculated by determining a positive variable and a negative variable for each index. For example, for the shopping barometer, a positive shopping variable and a negative shopping habits variable are determined. These figures are derived by summing the responses to questions in the specific set, in this case, those dealing with shopping. This number is then multiplied by a set value calculated using the possible affirmative and negative answers to each set. This process yields a number ranging from 0 to 100. This number is not a percentage however, but a composite tabulation of multiple responses to a specific barometer's question cluster. Therefore, a barometer of 50 is neutral, and as preference increases and decreases so does the barometer reading.

Using a method very similar to the barometer calculation, each quarter certain groups of respondents are classified as "fashion innovators" and "opinion leaders." It is thought that trends among the general population first can be seen as trends among these leaders. The researchers involved deemed it vital to identify them and keep tabs on both their attitudes toward fabrics and their buying behavior.

Fashion innovators and opinion leaders are not of any single personality type. Rather, each type of personality has its own leaders. Generally, they are of a higher socio-economic status and are more educated than their followers. They tend to be more innovative and have greater social participation.

Aggressive marketing

Cotton Incorporated was officially formed in 1970, although its work began almost half a decade earlier. J. Nicholas Hahn, Cotton Incorporated's president and CEO, explained the purpose of the company during an interview in the July 19, 1994 issue of Women's Wear Daily. "Seeing a need for an entity to promote and market their products, a handful of cotton growers petitioned Congress to set up a funding mechanism. That action ultimately led to the passage of the Research and Promotion Act of 1966, and helped create the Cotton Producers Institute, the forerunner of Cotton Incorporated."

Today, aggressive marketing programs play a crucial role in cotton's success at retail. Supporting these marketing programs with marketing research is important to Cotton Incorporated. "The Lifestyle Monitor is a blend of art and science," says John Sessions, president of Bellomy Research. "We use a series of introspective questions which respondents enjoy answering to obtain data which is statistically analyzed to produce measures which characterize our nation's attitudes toward fashion, apparel and fibers on an ongoing basis."

So far, the Lifestyle Monitor project has been an overwhelming success, providing interesting, actionable data. Most projects are a balancing act in which the researcher tries to gather the most information in the least amount of time so as to maximize cooperation. With the Lifestyle Monitor interviews, the respondents rarely ever realize how long they have been on the phone because they have fun.

They forget to watch the clock when they are being asked questions like:

  • Do you like this season's fashions more or less than in previous years?
  • Do you feel it is appropriate to have "casual Fridays" or a casual day in a business office environment?
  • In the coming 12 months, do you plan to purchase more or less apparel than in the past 12 months?
  • Do you agree or disagree with the statement "Jeans are in my past, not my future"?
  • If you get teased about a particular outfit or article of clothing, do you stop wearing it?

"The Lifestyle Monitor has a surprisingly high completion rate, especially for its length," says Carol Hefner, vice president client services, Bellomy Research. "People want to stay on the phone for the whole 20 minutes or more. We all like talking about ourselves and, in a way, answering these questions seems like you're doing just that."

Win-win

The enthusiasm of Lifestyle Monitor participants is proof that when it's done right, research can be a win-win situation for researcher and respondent. When the process is interesting and fun, consumers enjoy participating and may be more willing to take a few minutes out of their busy schedules the next time they are called upon to provide their opinions. As the industry struggles to keep response rates up and fend off the damaging effects of telemarketer sugging, projects like the Lifestyle Monitor are important to the future success of research.