Skip to Main Content

Simmons Insights Tips & Tricks

How to use Simmons Insights to understand consumer demographics and create profiles of target customers

How to read a Simmons Cross Tab

Reading the Vertical Percent

For reading the vertical percent in a cross tab, we read from top (1),  down to the vertical percent( 2), then left to the comparable variable in the row (3). In this example we would read this as follows:

  1.  Of those people in the survey who said they were very interested in NFL football,
  2. 16.7 percent of them
  3.  Eat at Applebee's the most.  

In other words, 16.7 percent of people surveyed who are very interested in NFL football said that they eat at Applebee's the most. 

 

A screenshot which shows the data described in the steps above

 

Reading the Horizontal Percent

For reading the horizontal percent in a cross tab, we read from left, across to the horizontal percent, then up to the comparable variable in the row. In this example we would read this as follows:

  1.  Of those people in the survey who said they eat at Bob Evans the most,
  2. 19.8  percent of them
  3. Are very interested in Major League Baseball

In other words, 19.8  percent of people surveyed who said they eat at Bob Evans the most are also very interested in Major League Baseball.

A screenshot of Simmons that shows the data described in the steps above

 

Reading the Index

The index in Simmons is the likelihood of one variable to match another variable from the survey. 

The index is expressed by how it relates to the base. In our example below, the base is the Total Survey Population, or in other words, the General Population.   Since the average is 100, an index higher than 100 is more likely to match, while an index lower than 100 is less likely to match. 

The index can relate to either the column or the row, so it can be read in both horizontal and vertical directions.  In our example below:

  1. Those who are very interested in NBA Basketball are 25% less likely to Eat at Bob Evans than the general population.
    • This can also be read horizontally as well:  Those who eat at Bob Evans the Most are 25% less likely to be very interested in NBA Basketball than the general population.
  2. Those who are very interested in Major League Baseball are  33% more likely to eat at Bob Evans than the general population.
    • Those who eat at Bob Evans the Most are 33% more likely to be very interested in NBA Basketball than the general population.

 

A screenshot of Simmons showing the data described in the steps above