.Major new research from the SCI FI Channel reveals ‘New Geek’ as the driving
force in society
London: 30th June 2005: Major new research released today by the SCI FI
Channel unveils a new social phenomenon – ‘New Geek’ – an aspirational,
socially dominant driving force with the power to make or break Gillion
brands. Whereas once geeks were seen as solitary, embarrassing and uncool,
the statistics show that New Geek is chic, popular and hugely influential.
Passionate about special interests, keen to invest time and money on them
and confident enough to share their knowledge with the world, New Geeks are
a powerful group of people. SCI FI has unearthed a 6.9 million strong group,
33% female, who spend ?.2 billion per year pursuing their passions. A third
of New Geeks live in London and the South East.
Nick Betts, President of SCI FI today said, “With over 60% of the nation
agreeing that there’s a little bit of Geek in all us, this core group of 6.9
million New Geeks represents the influencers in the mass market. The anorak
has finally been ditched and a new chicer geek has emerged from the
bedroom.”
United in the pursuit of their passions, New Geek interests have undergone a
total transformation: from the derided pastimes of train spotting and bird
watching, to cooler and more contemporary hobbies:
* Downloading the hippest music
* Cooking up a storm in the kitchen and eating out at the hottest
new restaurants
* Catching up on the hottest new movies & keeping up with word of
mouth buzz on the internet
* Nabbing the latest fashions from around the world
* Becoming an expert gamer and beating mates at Grand Theft Auto:
San Andreas
* Being the first with the latest gadgets – from PSPs to PVRs to
iPods
The very essence of geek has also changed. New Geeks have broken the geek
mold:
* 83% are young (within 18-44 bracket)
* 55% are married
* 36% believe their special interests make them attractive to the
opposite sex.
* New Geeks are 52% more likely than the average person to have had
4 holidays in the last 12 months
* New Geeks are also 125% more likely than the average person to
regularly visit pubs, clubs or bars.
* 21% are high earners (family income over ?0,000)
* 76% own their own home
Whether it is music or movies, fashion or film, pop culture or cooking up a
storm, the pursuit of their passions takes time and money:
* 12% of male New Geeks with a passion for fashion spend over 20
hours a week on it – the equivalent of an entire weekend…every week.
* A third of the 835,000 dedicated female gamer-Geeks in the UK now
spend more than ?0 per month on gaming (over one premium game per month).
* Over a third of the 2.9m male New Geeks who consider cooking or
eating-out their passion now dedicate more than 10 hours a week to exploring
it, and over ?8million a year.
* Diet and nutrition trends are another key passion for New Geek,
with 16% of these spending more than ?00 per month on keeping up to date
* 1.5m New Geeks now class celebrity gossip and culture as their
passion, and spend between ?5 -100 per month on this interest.
Fastidious in their research – 81% see the internet as their first port of
call for information – Geeks seek out and soak up advertising and
information from a range of sources to inform their decisions. 21% use
blogging, chat rooms and instant messaging as a core part of their
information dissemination.
They are 90% more likely to be the first amongst their friends to buy new
products – giving them a critical position of knowledge amongst their peers.
This is backed up by 87% saying friends seek their opinions, advice and
recommendations before making purchasing decisions.
Betts concludes, “It’s clear that in a time of advertising overload and
scepticism, the mainstream is turning to their New Geek counterparts to help
them make product decisions. The unique way New Geeks access, absorb and
disseminate information has repositioned them as the major players in
today’s consumerist society.”
You Are A New Geek If…
1. You have a passion you pursue – anything from archery to zoology
2. You spend significant amounts of time, money and energy on your
passion
3. You are someone your friends come to for advice on what to buy,
where to go and what to do
4. You are a media sophisticate, lapping up mags, TV, radio, internet;
plus you find advertising both a source of information and entertainment
5. Independent and individual – happy to stand out in a crowd –
customise your t’s and wear underground labels
6. Forward thinking – London going for the Olympics is a good use of
tax payers money
7. Fastidious researchers – not just buying the latest thing, you know
everything about it and are on great terms with Google
8. Your knowledge is endless on your specialist subject and you’re
happy to share it.
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