SECTION 1. THE EXTENT TO WHICH NATIONAL WHEATMEAL BREAD IS KNOWN.
A primary necessity before measuring buying habits was to ascertain what proportion of the sample was acquainted with National Wheatmeal sufficiently to give further answers validity.
This was especially necessary since it was obvious from investigators’ reports that local practice varied enormously and that many bakers were making no attempt to clarify the impression of National Wheatmeal Bread in the mind of the housewife. Great care was taken to ensure that questions were only put to subjects who knew clearly about National Wheatmeal. To this end housewives were asked to tell investigators how they distinguished the bread, and apart from careful questioning investigators bought loaves locally and, where necessary, showed the bread to the housewives. The results tabled below may therefore be accepted as workably accurate.
Some 54.8% of the sample were able to describe the bread correctly without assistance. Only a small percentage described the bread incorrectly, and the remainder, 43.3% said that they were unable to describe it. One third of the sample were unable to recognise N.W.B. even after it was described to them, and about 12% of the sample were only able to recognise the bread after it had been described to them. These figures seem to indicate that large proportion of housewives have not been reached or efficiently instructed by publicity for N.W.B. undertaken up to date.
A.
Regional Differences
.
The first section of the table below notes regional differences in ability to describe National Wheatmeal correctly. The second section notes those of the remainder who clearly recognised National Wheatmeal when it was described to them.
Scotland
S. Wales
N. Midland
N.W.
N. & N.E.
Midland
S.E. & London
South
S.W.
East
Total
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Correct
71
39.9
63.9
60.3
40.3
35.9
64.6
53.4
42.5
68.1
54.8
Incorrect
4.4
1.1
-
5.1
1.3
1.5
.8
.6
-
1.1
1.9
Don’t know
24.6
59.0
± 7.2
36.1
± 6.3
34.6
58.4
62.6
34.6
46.0
± 7.7
57.5
30.8
43.3
Sample
341
183
219
431
454
276
529
165
221
185
3004
Probable error where greatest has been calculated at 2 standard deviations. It will be seen that even applied vigorously regional differences remain clear.
Those who failed on their own to identify National Wheatmeal clearly had the bread described to them or were shown the bread. These constitute “incorrect” and “don’t know” above.
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Total
Now recognised
9.4
9.3
3.2
12.6
29.1
18.1
3.6
20.0
4.1
5.9
12.1
Still no recognition
19.6
50.8
32.9
27.1
30.6
46.0
31.8
26.6
53.4
26.0
33.1
The total of those clearly recognising or identifying National Wheatmeal is then:-
80.4
49.2
67.1
72.9
69.4
54.0
68.2
73.4
46.6
74.0
66.9
The large proportions in N and N. East, Midland and South who only recognise or identify after description or exhibition of the bread renders the final recognition figures for these areas less firm than in the case of other areas and indicate unevenness in regional publicity for the bread. A third of the sample even after description and exhibition still failed to recognise the bread.
6
THE EXTENT TO WHICH NATIONAL WHEATMEAL BREAD IS KNOWN
Social Class
A.
74.9%
10.8%
14.3%
B.
66%
11.6%
22.4%
C.
55.4%
11.7
32.9%
D.
45%
13.3%
41.7%
Described correctly.
Recognised on description.
Did not recognise on description
7
5.
B.
Social Differences.
Differences in knowledge of National Wheatmeal were somewhat less marked than regional differences but quite distinct.
Correct Description Without Aid.
A.
B.
C.
D.
%
%
%
%
Correct
74.9
66
55.4
45
Incorrect
.5
1.5
1.8
2.4
Don’t know
24.6
32.5
42.8
52.6
Sample
195
± 6.2
588
± 3.9
1108
± 2.9
1101
± 3.0
Recognition on description or exhibition of bread.
%
%
%
%
Now recognise
10.8
11.6
11.7
13.3
Still no recognition
14.3
22.4
32.9
41.7
The total of those now recognising or identifying is then:
75.7
77.6
67.1
58.3
It will be seen that a similar proportion in all social groups recognise on description.
C.
Age Differences.
No notable differences in recognition by housewives of different age emerges from detailed analysis.
D.
Urban & Rural.
No notable differences emerged from an analysis of replies by housewives in towns or in the country
