62% of Faith Driven Consumers would watch at least three additional hours of TV or movies weekly if there were more faith-friendly options, 55% say there are not enough options in the marketplace, and nearly 40% say lack of family-friendly options prevents them from going to the movies more often
RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 7, 2014 —Christian Newswire — Faith Driven Consumer™, the group that emerged on the national stage last year with its #IStandWithPhil campaign that played a leading role in Phil Robertson’s return to Duck Dynasty, continues to serve as an advocate for more than 41 million consumers who spend $2 trillion annually. As 2014’s “Year of the Bible Movie” enters its final phase, Faith Driven Consumer™ continues to measure the success of Hollywood films courting faith-driven audiences.
Today, the group is releasing new research—from a national survey conducted by research partner firm American Insights—detailing what Faith Driven Consumers, including the broader Christian market, want from the entertainment marketplace.
“We took a deep dive, exploring the behavior and consumer preferences of both Faith Driven Consumers and the broader Christian market, the core audiences behind the success of hits like Duck Dynasty, The Bible miniseries, SON OF GOD, GOD’S NOT DEAD and HEAVEN IS FOR REAL. The American Insights research reveals that this market segment has specific needs that are significantly different from the general market. Faith Driven Consumers are eagerly looking for more options, they desire to consume more content every week and will support entertainment that resonates,” said Chris Stone, Certified Brand Strategist and Founder of Faith Driven Consumer™. “From a supply-and-demand perspective, Hollywood hasn’t even scratched the surface in terms of demand and the untapped spending potential of this community. There’s $2 trillion a year up for grabs. The sooner entertainment brands make more of the right content available, the more they and the faith-driven community will benefit.”
The Faith Driven Consumer Survey by American Insights was conducted on a national sample of 2,400 self-identified Christians using one of the largest and most diverse online panels in the country, a methodology similar to recent New York Times polling. The survey was conducted September 3-7, 2014, on a representative sample matching U.S. Census demographics. The poll has a margin of error of ±2% for Christians and ±4% for Faith Driven Consumers, who were identified based on multivariate modeling of responses by the larger Christian sample and constitute a quarter of practicing Christians in America or 17% of the U.S. adult population—41 million people. Faith Driven Consumers are a rapidly emerging and economically powerful market segment. They are a qualifiable, quantifiable and distinct sub-segment of the overall Christian population.
Broad Assessment of Entertainment Marketplace
- 96% of Faith Driven Consumers (FDCs) say that their faith has a major influence on their entertainment choices, compared to 47% of Christians overall. 61% of FDCs rate faith’s influence as a 10, compared to 18% of Christians overall.
- 89% of Faith Driven Consumers feel that they have different entertainment needs than the market at large. 62% of Christians overall feel that way. 34% of FDCs feel their needs are “totally different,” compared to just 12% of Christians overall.
- 71% of Faith Driven Consumers feel that the current entertainment industry of movies and television doesn’t adequately acknowledge, welcome and provide for them as Christians, and 92% would like to see the marketplace do more; 63% say a lot more.
Motivating Faith Driven Consumers to Buy More Content
- 87% of Faith Driven Consumers are much more likely—58% very much more likely—to choose entertainment options that promote Christian-compatible values, compared to 54% of Christians overall.
- 81% of Faith Driven Consumers are likely to recommend a movie to others, compared to 79% of Christians overall. 49% of FDCs are very likely to recommend a movie, compared to 39% of Christians overall, while 61% of Faith Driven Consumers are likely to discourage others from seeing a movie, compared to 49% of Christians overall. 31% of FDCs are very likely to discourage a movie, compared to 17% of Christians overall.
- 62% of Faith Driven Consumers would watch more than three hours of additional television or movies in a week if there were more faith- and family-friendly options available, compared to 35% of Christians overall. 28% of FDCs would watch an additional six hours or more, compared to 14% of Christians overall.
- 55% of Faith Driven Consumers say there are not enough faith- and family-friendly movie options available, compared to 40% of Christians overall.
- Faith Driven Consumers say the following prevents them from going to or purchasing movies more often.
- 38% lack of appropriate family options; 19% of Christians overall
- 28% cost; 37% of Christians overall
- 20% lack of interest; 23% of Christians overall
- 13% lack of time; 18% of Christians overall
- On a scale of one to five, Faith Driven Consumers rate biblical accuracy as the #1 factor in considering a film. Below is how all factors were rated.
- 60% gave “how accurately the movie reflects the Bible” a 5 (4-5: 84%), compared to 28% of Christians overall.
- 59% gave “compatibility with Christian values” a 5 (4-5: 89%), compared to 23% of Christians overall.
- 56% gave “how appropriate the film is for children” a 5 (4-5: 78%), compared to 30% of Christians overall.
- 51% gave “faith-compatible characters and relationships” a 5 (4-5: 83%), compared to 21% of Christians overall.
- 51% gave “faith-compatible situations” a 5 (4-5: 83%), compared to 20% of Christians overall.
- 50% gave “entertainment value” a 5 (4-5: 83%), compared to 36% of Christians overall.
- 78% of Faith Driven Consumers say it would have a significant influence on their decision to see a film if their church encouraged it, compared to 55% of Christians overall, and 57% of Faith Driven Consumers’ churches encourage members to see specific faith-based films, compared to 36% of Christians overall.
Defining Faith Driven Consumers by Lifestyle
- 99% of Faith Driven Consumers rate the importance of having an intimate and personal relationship with God as a 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale (88% at 10), compared to 63% of Christians overall (50% at 10).
- 95% of Faith Driven Consumers rate the closeness of their personal relationship with God as 8 to 10 on a 10-point scale (59% at 10), compared to 64% of Christians overall (24% at 10).
- 86% of Faith Driven Consumers spend one-on-one time with God every day, compared to 59% of Christians overall. 68% of FDCs spend more than 15 minutes a day with God, compared to 37% of Christians overall.
- 85% of Faith Driven Consumers “attend or watch religious services or read the Bible or pray” once a week to multiple times a day compared to 60% of Christians overall.
- 66% of Faith Driven Consumers are Protestant, 32% are Catholic, and 3% are Mormon.
For further details on the poll, please go to: americaninsights.org
About Faith Driven Consumer
Faith Driven Consumer™ leads a movement of more than 41 million Americans, 17% of the adult population, who spend two trillion dollars annually. The group educates, equips and motivates Faith Driven Consumers to action in the marketplace of goods, services and ideas—offering resources for making more faith-conscious decisions, including reviews of companies and entertainment products. Recognized for its #IStandWithPhil, #OpenZilla, #FlipThisDecision, #IStandwithHobbyLobby and #NoahMovie campaigns, the organization continues to serve as an advocate for people whose faith informs their daily decisions in the marketplace. For more information go to: www.faithdrivenconsumer.com
