Shutterbugs have kids - demographic analysis of film processing consumers

American Demographics, April, 1997 by Matthew Klein

Don't let photo-snapping senior citizens on vacation fool you. The likelihood of a household purchasing or processing film decreases with age and increases with income and education, according to the Photo Marketing Association International. And one factor overrides all others -- children. Seventy-four percent of young parents bought or processed film in 1995, and the second most likely life-stage group to do so was middle-aged parents.

Junior's smile loses its shine over time, though. More than three in four households with children aged 2 and under bought or developed film, compared with 66 percent of those with kids aged 12 to 17.Yet households with older children are still more likely than average to take photos. Only 55 percent of all U.S. households bought or processed film in 1995.

The geographic picture of film purchasing is a little less clear. You would expect regions with large numbers of households with young children at home to account for a disproportionate share of rolls of film purchased. However, only two regions controlled a larger share of the film market than their populations suggest -- the New England and Middle Atlantic states. And both areas have relatively small numbers of households with children.

The key here may lie in educational attainment. Both regions have large shares of household heads who have at least a college degree. And film purchasing increases with educational attainment. The shares range from 55 percent for those with some college, to almost 64 percent of householders with a graduate degree.

For more information on the 1996 PMA U.S. Consumer Photo Buying Report, contact the Photo Marketing Association International, 3000 Picture Place, Jackson, MI 49201; telephone (517) 788-8100.