The ‘Masterchef Effect’ Produces Nation of Home Chefs
23 July 2009
Almost two-thirds of Australians are becoming more creative in the kitchen when cooking meals at home after viewing the Ten Network’s successful MasterChef series, a new Ipsos Omnibus survey has revealed.
An overwhelming 61 per cent of people agreed that watching MasterChef encouraged them to be more creative when cooking meals at home, while 24 per cent disagreed and 15 per cent were undecided.
In addition to the Omnibus survey, during the finals week of the show, Ipsos Mackay conducted 18 affinity group discussions in three different states to explore consumer views about food. MasterChef came up spontaneously in many of these group discussions.
"It is very unusual for a television program to illicit such a strong response from such a wide variety of Australians," Ipsos Mackay director Dr Rebecca Huntley said.
"I believe we can describe it as ‘the MasterChef effect’. This show is helping change the way we feel about food and cooking. Participants in our affinity group discussions were excited about talking about the show and its impact on their lives. Some reported seeing shoppers in supermarkets carrying recipes used on the show and looking for ingredients."
Dr Huntley, who is also the author of Eating Between the Lines: food and equality in Australia, said the diversity of contestants in MasterChef also resonated with Australians.
“People in our research commented on the fact that you couldn't find 20 Australians that were more representative of the population. The typical response was: ‘The Top 20 is Australia’. This means there was someone involved in the competition that everyone could relate to,” she said.
“Ordinarily, when we watch cooking shows we see a consummate professional chef whipping up a soufflé like it was the easiest task in the world. But MasterChef viewers felt that they learnt more about cooking through watching 'normal' people making mistakes or overcoming a fear of making pastry. People also thought it was fantastic that ordinary people could go on this journey and learn about themselves.”
The Ipsos research also found that Australians were ready for a reality TV program that was more human and positive, especially in what is a tough economic climate for many.
The Ipsos Omnibus survey sample was drawn from a representative sample of the Australian population aged 18 years and over based on age, gender and location as per the ABS figures from 2006.
Note: The Ipsos Omnibus question ‘Has watching MasterChef encouraged you to be more creative when cooking meals at home?’ was only posed to respondents who said they had watched an episode of MasterChef in the last two months.
For further information contact:
Rebecca Huntley
T: 02 9900 5100
E: rebecca.huntley@ipsos.com.au
About Ipsos
Ipsos Australia is part of Ipsos worldwide, one of the world's leading survey-based marketing research firms listed on the French stock exchange. Founded and run by market research professionals, Ipsos interprets, simulates, and anticipates the needs and reactions of consumers, customers and citizens – locally, nationally and around the world. Ipsos has a direct presence in more than 50 countries globally and conducts research in more than 100.