BMW Owners are Early Adopters of New Technology and Media

But First Snide's Remarks: We already knew this...our research shows that our viewers are early adopting,(very)upscale women and men...so where is the BMW advertising on The Auto Channel? If you find out please let me know. msnide@theautochannel.com.

BMW is one of many vehicles profiled in the Scarborough Research/Radio Advertising Bureau Automotive Study, Released at Annual Conference Today

NEW YORK, Feb. 8 -- Scarborough Research, the leading local market research firm for identifying the shopping, media and lifestyle patterns of adults in the United States, finds that BMW owners* are among America's earliest adopters of new technology and media. This is one of many findings in the Scarborough Research/RAB Automotive Study, a report profiling the top-selling domestic and foreign vehicles.

According to Scarborough, BMW owners are more likely than the national average to have personal technologies (such as iPods/MP3 players and personal digital assistants) and new entertainment media (including HDTV, DVRs such as TiVo, and digital cable).

The propensity of BMW owners to adopt new technology and entertainment media could be indicative of potential interest in high definition radio. This interest in new technology is complemented by the fact that owners of luxury vehicles are avid radio listeners. Scarborough finds that people planning to purchase a luxury vehicle in their household during the next year are 20 percent more likely than the national average to be among radio's most avid listeners.

"The consumer is ready for advanced technology to integrate in many areas of their lives including radio listening. Given that luxury car drivers are also avid radio listeners, this is a great place to begin," said Howard Goldberg, senior vice president, radio services, Scarborough Research. "BMW's recent announcement to offer high definition radio will most likely receive consumer receptivity and installation will certainly pave the way for other manufacturers to follow."

"These new Automotive Owner Profiles from Scarborough offer our Radio sellers substantial insights into each nameplate's customers' buying habits, increasing our ability to address specific issues in tailoring schedules and promotions to meet the specific needs of local dealerships," observed Jeff Haley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Radio Advertising Bureau. "This initial report on BMW and its high-tech customer is particularly synergistic with Radio's ever evolving technological advancements."

The Scarborough Research/Radio Advertising Bureau Automotive Report, being issued today as part of the Annual RAB Conference in Dallas. The Report is available at the Scarborough/Arbitron RAB Conference booth (#5A) and online at http://www.scarborough.com/freestudies.php and http://www.rab.com/ provides information on the lifestyles, demographics, online behaviors and radio preferences of owners of vehicle brands.

BMW Owner Technology Profile At-A-Glance

How to Read: BMW owners are 73% more likely than the national average to have a broadband connection in their household.

                    MEDIA/TECHNOLOGY                      INDEX
                                                      (100=National
                                                        Average)
      Amount spent on purchases made on Internet
       past 12 months: $1,000 or more                      277
      Type of Internet connection HHLD uses:
       Broadband (DSL or Cable)                            173
      Items household owns: Digital Video Recorder
       (TiVo, etc.)                                        149
      Type of cable service HHLD subscribes to
       (HHLD): Digital cable                               146
      Video On Demand used past 30 days (HHLD)             184
      Ways online services used past 30 days:
       Download music/listen to audio clips**              175
      Items household owns: HDTV (HHLD)**                  237
      Items household owns: MP3 player/iPod**              227
      Items household owns: Personal Digital Assistant     257

About Scarborough Research

Scarborough Research, a Media Rating Council (MRC) accredited media and marketing service, (http://www.scarborough.com/, info@scarborough.com) measures the lifestyle and shopping patterns, media behaviors, and demographics of American consumers. Products and services include consumer insight studies in 81 Top-Tier Local Markets and several Mid-Tier Markets, Scarborough USA+ (a national database), Hispanic studies, customer relationship management and database integration solutions. With more than 30 years of experience, Scarborough measures 1,700 categories and serves a broad client base of approximately 3,500 subscribers including marketers, advertising agencies, electronic and print media, broadcast and cable television, radio stations, sports teams and leagues, and out-of-home companies. Surveying more than 210,000 adults annually, Scarborough is a joint venture between Arbitron Inc. (http://www.arbitron.com/) and The Nielsen Company (http://www.nielsen.com/).

About the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB)

The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) is the sales and marketing arm of the Radio industry with nearly 7,000 members including close to 6,000 stations in the U.S., and over 1,000 associate members in networks, representative firms, sales, and international organizations.

* BMW Owners: Consumers who own or lease a BMW in their household.