American Adults Choose Apple Pie, Leisurely Time At Home, and Country Music Artists as Thanksgiving Guests in Inaugural Great American Country Lifestyle Report

New Survey Reveals American Attitudes on Fall Season, Holidays and More

In its inaugural "Great American Country Lifestyle Report," Scripps Networks Interactive and Vision Critical have teamed to uncover consumer insights on fun lifestyle elements including tastes in music, travel, food, holiday plans and more. (Graphic: Business Wire)

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--()--With the changing of the seasons, American adults report their favorite autumn weekend endeavor is cooking a family meal full of fall flavor. Nearly 43 percent are ready to make something pumpkin-inspired. Additionally, 26 percent of women look forward to decorating the homestead with pumpkins, gourds and mums, while one third (31 percent) of men look forward to a family getaway complete with campfires and s’mores.

In its inaugural “Great American Country Lifestyle Report, Scripps Networks Interactive and Vision Critical have teamed to uncover consumer insights on fun lifestyle elements including tastes in music, travel, food, holiday plans and more. The survey of approximately 1,000 randomly-selected adults ages 18+ revealed interesting insights.

Fall barbecues? Here’s how America tailgates

  • Burgers and dogs for the win! All four corners of the U.S. agree – when it comes to grilling for family cookouts or tailgating before the big game, hamburgers and hot dogs are the preferred menu item (70 percent). Only 1 percent of Americans are grilling their veggies.
  • Apple pie by a mile! Among desserts, the “most American” is apple pie, according to 66 percent of respondents, ahead of alternatives ice cream and chocolate chip cookies (13 percent each), cheesecake (5 percent) and even cupcakes (3 percent), the “it” dessert of the moment.

Holiday Celebrations

  • Halloween dress-up – When it comes to Halloween costumes, women are traditionalists, while men pick the gruesome, scary or superhero options. Ghosts and witches rank at the top of women’s costume preferences at 37 percent (vs. 19 percent for men), while men equally sport zombies, monsters or villains (27 percent) or something in character like a superhero, cowboy or pirate (26 percent).
  • Thanks for the music – Forget ‘80s hair bands and today’s pop stars. Almost half (45 percent) of Americans would invite modern country music hit-makers to their Thanksgiving dinner table. When it comes to country, the guys with guitars – like Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, George Strait and Keith Urban – top the invite list (45 percent), followed by sassy songstresses like Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood (22 percent).
  • Gift-giving season – In 2013, 53 percent of American Millennials (vs. 44 percent of Gen Xers) are wishing for tech gifts that keep them connected. Nearly one fifth (19 percent) of Millennials welcome new clothes for Christmas, while 29 percent of Gen Xers would like new gear.

Travel & Leisure

  • Relaxing at home – What do 43 percent of Americans consider an ideal weekend? Quiet time at home – trying a new recipe, curling up with a good book or relaxing in front of the TV. Only 8 percent consider themselves weekend warriors ready to tackle fix-it projects!
  • Sun and sand over the concrete jungle – Four out of 10 Americans head for the beaches on their ideal vacations. In rank order, Americans prefer:
    • Coastal beaches – loved by all, but especially women and residents of the Northeast
    • Scenic national parks – most favored by those in the Heartland
    • Major cities
    • Majestic mountains, particularly preferred by men
    • Great Lakes – more so popular with Midwesterners than with residents of other regions
  • Driving practically – Americans are practical when it comes to automobile choices, with only 2 percent saying they’d opt for a monster truck. Sedans (30 percent) and trucks/SUVs (28 percent) win out with most Americans.

Fun & Family

  • Giddyup – Imagining themselves as rodeo superstars, men and women choose different events to tackle! Men choose a ride that requires strength, while women go for speed. Nearly half of Women surveyed (43 percent) chose Barrel Racing, where on horseback they’d zigzag around three barrels for the fastest time! Nearly one third (29 percent) of men are ready to try their hand at Bull Riding, climbing atop a 2,000-pound bull for a wild ride!
  • All in a song – “Forever and Ever Amen” by Randy Travis was chosen by 42 percent of Americans as the theme song for their current relationship, with John Michael Montgomery’s “I Love the Way You Love Me” not far behind at 29 percent. From there, 14 percent answered Taylor Swift’s “Trouble”; 8 percent chose Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats”; and 7 percent selected “I Want Crazy” by Hunter Hayes.

About This Research:

In August 2013, Scripps Networks Interactive and Vision Critical conducted an online survey among 1,008 randomly-selected Springboard America panelists. The margin of error – which measures sampling variability – is +/- 3.1 percent. The results have been statistically weighted by education, age, gender, region, and ethnicity according to American Community Survey benchmarks, to ensure a representative sample.

About Great American Country

From Main Street USA to the biggest coastal cities and everywhere in between, Great American Country celebrates the best of American living with original lifestyle entertainment spanning themes of home, family, food, travel and music. Great American Country honors America with series profiling families, exploring top U.S. destinations, and highlighting country music’s biggest stars and events. See America as never before with Great American Country, available in more than 63 million households and online at http://www.GACTV.com.

Great American Country is owned by Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. (NYSE: SNI), the leading developer of lifestyle-oriented content for television and the Internet, including HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Travel Channel. Scripps Networks Interactive is based in Knoxville, Tenn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, Chevy Chase, Md. and Nashville.

Contacts

Scripps Networks
Lee Hall, 865-560-3853
lhall@scrippsnetworks.com

Release Summary

Inaugural “Great American Country Lifestyle Report” uncovers consumer insights on fun lifestyle elements including tastes in music, food, travel, home and more.

Contacts

Scripps Networks
Lee Hall, 865-560-3853
lhall@scrippsnetworks.com