American Pulse™ Survey: Influence of TV Commercials on Voting, Steroids Used Most in Baseball

              Political Debates Preferred Over Commercials, Writers’ Strike Equals Less TV Watching & 30 Ideal Age for Most

COLUMBUS, OH – 1/30/2008 – Politicians should think twice before sinking a lot of campaign dollars into their TV ads, according to the latest American Pulse™ Survey of 4,098 respondents, as 87% of Americans say TV commercials don’t affect their vote. Constituents also say they are looking for balance in a candidate with 51.6% more likely to vote for someone with both Washington experience and new ideas. Additionally, almost half (49.3%) of Americans prefer politicians to communicate their positions through TV debates (vs. 4.1% who say TV commercials).

When asked in which professional sport they think steroids are used most regularly, Baseball tops the list for Americans with 32.9% saying so. Wrestling (29.2%) and Football (22.4%) round out the top three. 60.1% say proven use of steroids at any point during a professional athlete’s career should eliminate them from being inducted in a Hall of Fame or receiving other sporting accolades…22.1% don’t care.

Other key findings include: 

• Effects of Hollywood Writers’ Strike: 30.2% are watching TV less, 27.9% are reading books/magazines more and 27.5% are surfing the Internet more.
• 30 ranks highest for the age Americans would choose to be, followed by their current age, 35, 21 and 25.
• 83.2% know that TV Stations are switching to 100% digital broadcasting in February 2009…37.8% are annoyed because they think it’s just another way for big companies to make money.
• Of those who work, most are satisfied with their pay…only 38.3% say they are over-worked and under-paid.
• While the vast majority of those who have been married (72.7%) did not have second thoughts on their wedding day, more than 1 in 10 (14.9%) say they should have listened to themselves and called off the wedding.
• Top five most noble professions: medical professional, educator, clergy, parent and firefighter.

To view a complete report or to submit a question for future surveys: http://americanpulse.bigresearch.com.

American Pulse™ Survey is collected online by BIGresearch every month exclusively utilizing Survey Sampling International’s (SSI) U.S. panel covering topics such as politics, religion, pop culture and the economy.

About BIGresearch
BIGresearch is a consumer intelligence firm providing insights of consumer behavior in areas of products and services, retail, financial services, automotive, and media. In addition to the American Pulse Survey, BIGresearch conducts the Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey (CIA) and the Simultaneous Media Survey (SIMM). More information is available at http://www.bigresearch.com.

About Survey Sampling International (SSI)
Survey Sampling International is the premier global provider of sampling solutions. Founded in 1977, SSI offers access to consumer and business-to-business respondents via Internet, telephone, mobile and other means; survey programming and hosting; and sampling consultation. SSI is the supplier of choice for more than 1,800 companies, including 46 of the top 50 marketing research agencies. Headquartered in Fairfield, CT, SSI maintains offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia. http://www.surveysampling.com

Contacts:

BIGresearch                                                     SSI
Chrissy Wissinger                                              Jason Kannon
chrissy@bigresearch.com                                  jasonk@keiler.com
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