As more households had to cook more meals at home at the beginning of the pandemic, many discovered they liked to do so. Jungle Scout’s Q1 2022 Consumer Trends Report found 61% have more interest in cooking at home and FONA International’s 2022 Trend Report revealed 70% of consumers expect to continue cooking at home once the pandemic has ended.
Analyzing selected data from five representative 2021/2022 consumer/market surveys conducted by The Media Audit shows a variety of highly prized target audiences were cooking at home during the past four weeks and were heavily exposed to radio (180 or more minutes during an average day.
Millennials and Gen Xers over-indexed the most for cooking and being heavily exposed to radio. That affinity is supported by the “stage in life” description of single, younger than 35 and with no children, a group that also over-indexed. Somewhat surprisingly, adults who are married, younger than 35 and with no children under-indexed substantially at an average of 58.
Adults with children at home of any age over-indexed for cooking at home and heavy exposure to radio at an average of 113. Although food prices have increased significantly, families with children find it even more expensive to eat at restaurants, resulting in more home cooking – and time to listen to the radio while preparing family meals.
Another interest cohort also over-indexed for cooking at home and heavy exposure to radio, those adults who identify as LGBT. In fact, they over-indexed the most, on average, more than Millennials and Gen Xers.
The above-average correlation between cooking at home and heavy exposure to the radio in The Media Audit consumer/market surveys among Millennials, Gen Xers, LGBT adults, and the two “stages of life” categories above is also reflected in middle-income households that over-indexed.
Adults in the highest household income brackets under-indexed slightly as they are more likely to have the disposable income to eat at restaurants more often. That disposable income also allows them to purchase more specialty food and beverage items for when they do choose to cook at home.
Those households with incomes of less than $50,000 over-indexed slightly, on average. Undoubtedly, many of them are struggling with increasing food prices and have few extra dollars for restaurant dining. Where high-income households can be targeted for specialty food and beverage items, lower-income households are looking for deals and discounts on staples and healthy, but affordable, standard meal ingredients.