New data has revealed the unpredictable characteristics of fans of the nation’s favourite TV shows – with brands encouraged to steer clear of stereotypes and make better use of data to improve the effectiveness of their autumn advertising campaigns.

The data, researched by advertising technology company The Trade Desk, found that while X Factor fans enjoy fashion and accessories and are likely to be shopaholics, the data shows that they are also more likely than average to be C-suite executives and work in the business and finance industries – making them an unexpectedly lucrative audience for financial services brands, for example.

Meanwhile, Great British Bake Off enthusiasts are 1.93 times more likely to earn more than $100,000 a year and 1.2 times more likely to be IT decision markers. And watchers of Strictly Come Dancing are more likely to take frequent holidays in the UK and own a Sony PlayStation, by 2.12 and 1.2 more times respectively.

As we fly past the halfway point in the autumn TV schedule, the data sheds light on the best way for brands to engage with these audiences too. According to The Trade Desk, X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing fans are most likely to browse on-the-go with a tablet, while those following Bake Off and Cold Feet are rooted to their trusty PCs.

Express.co.uk tops the list of sites most visited by Strictly fans, who are also ten times more likely to visit football club Arsenal’s website gunnersphere.com than the general population. Cold Feet viewers are 20 times more likely to visit wired.co.uk, while ladbible.com is in favour for X Factor fanatics, who are 15 times more likely to browse on the site.

Sacha Berlik, Managing Director for EMEA at The Trade Desk, commented: “From talent show bankers to geeky bakers, our findings shine the light on exactly why it is so important for advertisers to use data to find­ the right audiences. Without data, brands are effectively firing blind – and the hit and miss targeting that results from this is a guaranteed way of wasting precious ad spend while alienating consumers. At the same time, brands risk excluding consumers that could be very receptive to their messages, simply because they don’t fit into the traditional target audience. Smart techniques like lookalike modelling are an excellent way for advertisers to delve deeper than demographics and identify the right users to deliver successful online ad campaigns.”

Here are some of the surprising insights that The Trade Desk found about the nation’s TV tribes. Compared to the general population:

X Factor fans

• 3.57 x more likely to be C-suite executives
• 1.38 x more likely to work in business and finance
• 1.38 x more likely to be interested in video games
• 1.49 x more likely to be shopaholics
• 15 x more likely to visit ladbible
• Most likely to use a tablet and Chrome

Strictly Come Dancing

• 2.12 x more likely to frequently holiday within the UK
• 1.45 x more likely to drink alcoholic beverages
• 1.2 x more likely to own a Sony PlayStation
• 150 x more likely to visit express.co.uk
• 10 x more likely to visit football club Arsenal’s website gunnersphere.com
• Most likely to use a tablet and Google Chrome

Great British Bake Off

• 1.93 x more likely to earn more than $100,000 a year
• 1.11 x more likely to shop for accessories
• 1.61 x more likely to work for a large (1000 employees or more) company
• 1.2 x more likely to be IT decision markers
• 7 x more likely to visit the Met Office website
• Most likely to use a PC and Microsoft Edge

Cold Feet

• 3.44 x more likely to be a business professional
• 3.57 x more likely to own a van or minivan
• 1.87 x more likely to enjoy celebrity gossip news
• 1.33 x more likely to see sci-fi or fantasy films at the cinema
• 20 x more likely to visit wired.co.uk
• Most likely to use a PC and Opera