Speaking Middle Engish Report

‘Speaking Middle English’
A study on the Middle Classes by BritainThinks

Introduction
About BritainThinks

Putting the people that matter at the heart of
your thinking makes for better decisions, more
effective communications and stronger, deeper
relationships.

BritainThinks offers strategic advice rooted in
new insight into the people that matter most to
you, whether they are stakeholders, consumers,
citizens or colleagues.

Introduction
At BritainThinks we believe that it's essential to understand the
context in which companies, brands and other organisations
operate. We therefore do a great deal of our own research to keep
abreast of the constantly changing environment. We have a
qualitative panel that we are regularly in touch with and we carry
out large projects from time to time to look at some of the big
questions of the day.
Speaking Middle English is the first of those projects. With the
concept of the 'squeezed middle’ high on the media agenda, and our
own research showing that peoples’ class perceptions have shifted
massively in recent years, we thought it was time to look again at
people who define themselves as Middle Class…

Overview: Why the Middle Classes matter
7-out-of-10 self identify as Middle Class
Q. If you had to say which social class you belong to, which would it be?

Upper 0%

Upper middle 7%
33.6
Middle 43% 71% Million
Adults
Lower middle 21%

Working 24%

Not sure 4%

*Based on ONS GB population estimates: 47.3 million adults

Overview: Why the Middle Classes matter
Because the Middle Classes…

-  Account for 79% of the income earned, and 91% of all savings and
assets held by GB adults

-  Are more likely to take factors beyond price (e.g. ethical behaviour)
into account when buying products (54% to 45%)

-  Are more likely to say that they will spend more money in order to get
the right brand (42% to 33%)

-  Are more likely to say they would definitely turn out and vote if there
was an election tomorrow (69% to 55%)

Overview: objects that sum-up Middle
Classes


SIX MIDDLE CLASS SEGMENTS

Overview: The Study
•  2,000 sample online poll of the GB population looking at:
•  Perceptions of class
•  People’s own class & social mobility
•  How class is defined
•  Class of particular brands & celebrities
•  Attitudes towards…
•  Modern life
•  Family and parenting
•  Money & spending
•  Work
•  The future of their family & of Britain
•  Politics & civic engagement
•  Hobbies, interests and how they spend their time
•  Favourability towards a wide range of brands & organisations
•  Social background, resources and financial status

Overview: The Study
•  Segmentation exercise
•  Using statistical analysis to identify six discreet typologies of Middle
Class self-identifiers
•  Focus groups
•  Groups among each of the six segments in three different locations
(London, Birmingham & Leeds)

Overview: The Six Middle Class Segments

Comfortable Greens
17.8% of Middle Classes, 12.6% of General Population
6.0 Million Adults
8.2%
Urban Networkers 17.8%
5.9 Million Adults
20.9%
Deserving Downtimers
3.8 Million Adults 17.5%
Bargain Hunters
8.1 Million Adults
24.3% 11.3%
Daily Mail Disciplinarians
7.0 Million Adults
Squeezed Strugglers
2.7 Million Adults


Overview: The Six Middle Class Segments

Comfortable Greens
17.8% of Middle Classes
6.0 Million Adults
8.2%
Urban Networkers 17.8%
5.9 Million Adults
20.9%
3.8 Million Adults 17.5%
Bargain Hunters
8.1 Million Adults
24.3% 11.3%
Daily Mail Disciplinarians
7.0 Million Adults
Squeezed Strugglers
2.7 Million Adults


SEGMENT 1: Comfortable Greens
17.8% of Middle Classes; 12.6% of General Population; 6.0 Million Adults
Who they are % living in rural area
Objects that sum-up the ‘middle classes’:
29%
24%
-  66% aged 55+
-  44% retired

Have a Degree as highest educational attainment
Most likely segment
to… Read a local newspaper Middle Class Comfortable
Greens

Resources 2nd most likely segment to have £20k+ in savings & investments
(52%, 38% all MC)
% who own home outright (no mortgage)

Comfortable
“I worry about the future to a degree,
55% about my granddaughter's future and
Greens
environmental issues”
Middle Class 37%

Interests Attitudes

% do everything they can to buy from brands
with strong ethical/environmental reputation
“The Independent is a campaigning
newspaper, genuinely so” Comfortable Greens 58%

Middle Class 29%
LIKELY TO: LESS LIKELY TO:
read books, eat fast food,
watch talent More likely than Worry about ‘lost
watch TV (esp.
other segments generation’ of young people
natural history shows (e.g. X- to… (61%, 50% all MC)
programmes), Factor)
Least likely Prefer taking on debt to
do gardening, go
segment to… cutting spending (87% don’t,
walking, spend 78% all MC)
time with family
40% taken part in
campaign (26% “Supermarkets are the baddies”
all MC)

Family Future

“+” – tend to say they like
Politics Brands “-” – tend not to say they like

More likely than other segments to say
they’d definitely vote (80%, 69% all MC) + -
More likely to vote
Lib-Dem (16%, 12%
all MC)

Less likely to vote
Conservative
(30%, 36% all MC)

SEGMENT 2: Urban Networkers
17.5% of Middle Classes, 12.4% of General Population; 5.9 Million Adults
Who they are Four-fifths (79%) aged under 45
Objects that sum-up the
Most are unattached singles, young couples or young families ‘middle classes’:
Most likely segment Have children aged 10 or under (33%, 22%
to… all MC)

Most likely segment Live in London (20%, 13% all MC)
to…

Least likely segment Be married (49%, 59% all MC)
to…

Resources Most likely segment to have Pay Monthly mobile phone account
TENURE Middle Class
“My girlfriend gave me a baby bottle warmer
Urban
by Cath Kidston to bring. It's some designer 51% Networkers
41%
label; you could have a cheap bog standard 37%
25%
bottle warmer but she bought one from some 12% 14%

fancy label, which is quite pointless.”
Own outright Own w/ Privately rent
mortgage or
2nd most well-off in terms of annual household income loan

Interests Attitudes
ASPIRATION & CAREER FOCUS
Exercise regularly Most likely Say it’s important they are better off
Watch US Dramas Watch News at 6 segment to… in 10 yrs (88%, 53% all MC)
Eat take-away Most likely Say fulfilling their career is
food Watch Strictly segment to… important (76%, 43% all MC)
Watch X-Factor Come Dancing
Less likely to… Say they have enough savings to feel
secure (18%, 32% all MC)
Read a newspaper each day (81%, 72%
for all MC)
“I am grateful for all I have but
Most likely Read The Times (20%, 15% all MC)
segment to… frustrated and bored in my current
Use Social Networking sites regularly job”
(14%, 8% all MC)

% who see working as a means to an end

“I've got a fulfilling and happy
Urban Networkers 29%
family life, but I am busy, tired
and rushed” Middle Class 39%

Family Future

“Tuition fees will be an issue
– it will be harder for people
to get on their feet”

Politics Brands “+” – tend to say they like

Most likely segment to admit to not voting in 2010

More likely to vote
+ Most likely
segment to
Labour (27%, 22% all associate Asda
MC) with the
working class
Less likely to vote
Conservative
(32%, 36% all MC) “If you’re on
Apple, you
swear by it”

SEGMENT 3: Deserving Downtimers
Who they are Highest % of rural dwellers Be married
(78%, 59% all MC)
% aged 55+
74% Objects that Most
Be retired
sum-up (57%, 27% all MC)
likely
40% the segment Have grandchildren
to…
‘middle (49%, 27% all MC)
classes’: Own their home outright
Deserving Middle Class (73%, 37% all MC)
Downtimers

% with provisions in place
Resources for comfortable retirement
“Our generation have
% saying their children will be 98%
upper middle / middle class had it best”
54%

Deserving
79%
Downtimers
Most likely segment to place
themselves in top two fifths of Deserving Middle Class
Middle Class 65% Downtimers
earners

Interests Attitudes

LIKELY TO: LESS LIKELY TO: More likely than Burden from Britain's
-  Read other segments economic troubles are being
-  Do gardening -  Eat Fast food to think… fairly shared across society
-  Eat out -  Watch US (23%, 16% all MC)
-  Watch Natural dramas
History TV -  Watch X-Factor Least likely Government doesn't do
segment to say… anything for people like me
% taking 2 or more weekend breaks in UK in last 2
(19%, 40% all MC)
years

Deserving Downtimers 45% % saying I have plenty of time for myself

Middle Class 38%
Deserving Downtimers 77%

“We’ve done hectic jobs in the past
– it’ll be nice to work less and Middle Class 56%
travel more”

Family Future

Politics Most likely to turnout Brands “-” – tend not to say they like

% saying they would definitely vote in election
tomorrow

Middle Class 69%
84% + -
More likely to vote
Con. (53%, 36% all
MC)
“The National Trust stands out – the
Less likely to vote preservation of the country’s
Labour (16%, 22% all heritage”
MC)

SEGMENT 4: Bargain Hunters
Who they are To live in rented Objects that sum-up the
accommodation (18%, ‘middle classes’:
% aged 44 or younger
14% all MC)
More likely
52%
than other
40% For secondary school
segments
education to be the
…
highest educational
achievement (41%, 37%
Bargain Middle Class all MC)
Hunters

Resources “I’ve got no Second least well off segment in
terms of annual household
money. Well,
More likely Be worried about income (out of 6 segments)
what I really
than other unemployment (59%, mean is not % household income 30k or less
segments to 36% all MC)
enough. I’d
think…
like to spend Bargain Hunters 51%
Less likely Be confident of without
than other having enough money
watching Middle Class 42%
segments to to make ends meet
say… (29%, 70% all MC) every penny”

% saying they don’t
Interests have energy to be
Attitudes
active in leisure time
35%
“We’ve got a “We’ve all got a credit card,
house but it’s 25%
we’re all in the same boat, it’s
always a
struggle trying part of the fabric of life”
to get a new % saying getting on in life has as much to do with
job, new house, Bargain Middle Class luck as hard work
new car” Hunters
Bargain Hunters 36%

If they had more free time, they would… Middle Class 24%
-  Spend more time with their kids
-  Exercise more
-  Socialise more More likely They don’t have time /
than other money to check whether
segments to products are ethically
think… sourced (48%, 33% all MC)
-  Watch Britain’s
Got Talent -  Watch Less likely than Feeling part of my local
-  Eat take away documentaries other segments community is important
food to say… (20%, 40% all MC)

Family Future
“With my girls, it’s all
about looks,
possessions,
comparisons”


More likely than other segments to say
Less likely to vote they are always in the hunt for a bargain
Conservative
(30%, 36% all MC)
Most likely seg. to say they don’t know who
they’d vote for if General Election tomorrow
+ -
“Petrol is a nightmare: it’s gone up
and up”

SEGMENT 5: Daily Mail Disciplinarians
Most likely segment to read the
Who they are Objects that sum-up the Daily Mail (30%, 21% all MC)
% aged 45+ ‘middle classes’:
Most likely Live in the north of
73% segment to … England (28%, 24%
59%
all MC)
More likely than Own their own
other segments home outright
to … (51%, 37% all MC)
Dail Mail Middle Class
Disciplinarians

Resources 39% are retired (27% for all MC) % saying they have enough savings to
feel secure about future

“Life is More likely than Send children to Dail Mail
52%
other segments private school (2nd Disciplinarians
tough for the to … most likely seg.)
Middle
Less likely than Have been worried
Classes with other segments about Middle Class 32%
so many to … unemployment
scroungers” (14%, 26% all MC)

Interests Attitudes % Agreeing that ‘I find people
% Agreeing that ‘parents are who talk about the
LIKELY TO: LESS LIKELY TO: far too liberal these days environment really boring

-  Taking foreign -  Volunteer Dail Mail Dail Mail
71% 45%
Disciplinarians Disciplinarians
holidays -  Eat take away
food
Middle Class 59% Middle Class 29%

“Now that I’ve got Granddad duties Britain is a soft touch for
I don’t know where I found the Most immigrants (84%, 70% for MC)
time to work” likely If someone's not ill and been
segment unemployed for more than a
to think … year they're not trying (65%, 51%
Typical of middle classes in TV viewing… for all MC)
-  News at 6 Least likely segment to have dated
-  Comedy someone from different ethnic background
-  Natural history
-  Current affairs documentaries “Young people today want instant
-  Historical documentaries gratification – something for nothing”

Family Future


“I am happy with myself, but cynical Less positive towards brands generally
about politics. The country is ruined”

More likely to vote
Conservative (50%,
+ -
36% all MC)
“Betty’s Tea Rooms is the best of Middle
Less likely to vote Class, it’s not cheap, there’s piano players
Labour and it’s reminiscent of a better age”
(12%, 22% all MC)

SEGMENT 6: Squeezed Strugglers
Who they are Half live in urban areas
% with Degree as highest educational attainment
Objects that sum-up the
‘middle classes’: Squeezed Strugglers 28%

Middle Class 41%

Most likely segment to be divorced (10%)

Resources % with provisions in place for
comfortable retirement
Most likely Have recently 91% “I put buying
segment to… defaulted on loan / things off – I
mortgage (15%, 6%
all MC)
have to think
7% twice these
Least likely Send kids to private
segment to… school (8%, 13% all days”
MC) Have taken a Squeezed Middle Class
foreign holiday in Strugglers
last 12 months (52%,
75% all MC)

Interests Attitudes

Most likely Say they don’t know who to
segment to… trust nowadays
“I like a nice-ish bottle of wine.
Nothing really expensive, but Least likely Think if someone's not ill
something we can enjoy” segment to… and been unemployed for
more than a year they are
probably not trying

More likely than other segments to say % saying ‘government doesn't do anything
they don’t have enough energy to be for people like me’
active in their spare time Squeezed
Strugglers 70%

LIKELY TO: LESS LIKELY TO: Middle Class 40%
-  Watch TV (esp. - Do Gardening
US dramas & “Make taxes fairer – stop squeezing the
soaps) middle. Make the richest pay more”

Family Future

“My kids will really
struggle – I am
frightened for
them”


Least likely segment to think the burden from
Britain’s economic troubles is being spread
fairly (86% disagree) + -
More likely to vote
Labour (37%, 22% all
MC)

Less likely to vote
Conservative
(12%, 36% all MC)


POLITICAL ATTITUDES

Political Attitudes
How the Middle Classes & Working Class differ
Working class participants are more likely to express concerns about their finances, feelings of
loneliness and distrust and the view that Government doesn’t do anything for people like them...

WORKING CLASS PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY THAN MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE TO SAY...
Working Middle

Diﬀerence

Q.
To
what
extent
do
you
agree
or
disagree
with
each
of
the
following
statements?
%
AGREEING

It is a real struggle to make the money last to the end of the 61% 25%

month 36%
It would be a big financial problem for me if I had to replace a 56% 24%

large item such as my fridge or washing machine this year. 32%
I often have conversations with friends about shows like the X 51% 22%

Factor or Britain's Got Talent 29%
I am more concerned about my day-to-day finances than about 58% 20%

providing for my later life 38%
Over the last year or so I have been spending less on everyday 57% 17%

things like grocery shopping 40%

I don't know who to trust nowadays 58% 16%

42%

I don't have the energy to be active in my spare time 41% 16%

25%

I often feel lonely 37% 15%

22%

I see work as a means to an end 53% 14%

39%

Government doesn't do anything for people like me 54% 14%

40%

37

Political Attitudes
How the Middle Classes & Working Class differ
Q. Which party did you vote for in the 2010 general Election?

Conservative 14
33
25 Working Class
Labour 16 Middle Class
Lib-Dem 17
23

Q. If there were a general election held tomorrow, which party would you vote for?

Conservative 15
36
35 Working Class
Labour 22 Middle Class
Lib-Dem 7
12

38

Political Attitudes
The Six Segments

Comfortable 30
Greens
26 MARGINAL
16

Urban 33
Networkers 27 MARGINAL
15

Deserving 53
Downtimers 16 CON STRONG
10
Bargain 30
22 MARGINAL
Hunters
11
Daily Mail 50
12 CON STRONG
Disciplinarians
9
Squeezed 12
37 LAB STRONG
Strugglers
9

39

Political Attitudes
The Six Segments

Comfortable 30
Greens
26 17.8% of MC
16

Urban 33
Networkers 27 17.5% of MC
15

Deserving 53
Downtimers 16 11.3% of MC
10
Bargain 30
22 24.3% of MC
Hunters
11
Daily Mail 50
12 20.9% of MC
Disciplinarians
9
Squeezed 12
37 8.2% of MC
Strugglers
9

40

Political Attitudes
The Six Segments

Comfortable 30 22% ‘swing
Greens
26 voters’
16

Urban 33 23% ‘swing
Networkers 27 voters’
15

Deserving 53 16% ‘swing
Downtimers 16 voters’
10
Bargain 30 14% ‘swing
Hunters 22 voters’
11
Daily Mail 50 14% ‘swing
Disciplinarians 12 voters’
9
Squeezed 12 19% ‘swing
Strugglers 37 voters’
9

41


BRANDS

Brands
Case Studies: Tesco & Sky

% saying Tesco is a brand that really understands With which class, if any, would you most strongly
what people like me are looking for associate Sky with?
Associate with Working Associate with Middle
Working Class 55% Working Class 29%
23%
Middle Classes 39% Middle Classes 23%
44%

Comfortable Greens 28% Comfortable Greens 25%
41%
Urban Networkers 49% Urban Networkers 21%
46%
Deserving
Downtimers 36% Deserving Downtimers 18%
50%
Bargain Hunters 45% Bargain Hunters 18%
49%
Daily Mail Daily Mail
Disciplinarians 34% 32%
34%
Disciplinarians
Squeezed Strugglers 42% Squeezed Strugglers 20%
43%

43

Brands
The Middle Class Awards
MOST TRUSTED BRAND MOST MIDDLE CLASS CELEBRITY

1st 1st

2nd 2nd

=3rd 3rd

=3rd 4th

4th 5th

CONTACT DETAILS
BritainThinks

For more information about this study, or the the work we
do more generally, please do get in touch:

BritainThinks
Somerset House
Strand
London WC2R 1LA

info@britainthinks.com
020 7845 5880

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