| A Global Look at the Daily Grind |
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A Global Look at the Daily GrindA new study by BBDO Worldwide yields a treasure trove of data about how everyday routines vary across the world By Douglas MacMillan with Diane Brady  You brush your teeth, take a shower, and have a cup of coffee each morning. But have you ever wondered if people in other parts of the world are locked in the same routines? New York-based advertiser BBDO Worldwide set out to answer questions like these in its 2007 survey, “The Ritual Builders.” The study gathered responses from 5,000 people in 25 countries to questions based on five categories of the daily routine: “preparing for battle” (the morning ritual), “feasting” (self-explanatory), “sexing up” (primping), “returning to camp” (going home), and “preparing for the future” (the ritual before bed).
What do you do in the morning?Most individuals have a complex, morning ritual lasting one hour or less. Almost everyone brushes their teeth, but only about half of male respondents shave, and about half of female respondents put on makeup.  82% brush teeth
Brushing Your Teeth Global average: 82%
How many activities are in your morning ritual (by country)?
Do you have a sequence in your morning ritual (by country)?
What do you do during your commute? Listening to music is the most popular commuting ritual in all countries surveyed-except Japan, where reading is slightly higher. Only 8% of Americans read on the way to work - the lowest of any country surveyed.
Feasting Some 34% of all meals in world are eaten at home, followed by restaurants (21%), work (20%), fast food (18%), and cars (7%). Americans eat the most meals at home (29%), but go to restaurants more than any other country (27%). Some other findings: Spain and France have the highest percentage of meals eaten at home, at 42% The U.S. has the highest percentage of meals eaten in restaurants, at 27% Denmark has the highest percentage of meals eaten at work, at 26% Indonesia has the highest percentage of fast food meals eaten, at 24% Saudi Arabia has the highest percentage of meals eaten in a car, at 12%
Sexing UpWhat day do you have sex? In all countries surveyed, sex is predominantly a weekend ritual. Sunday - 9% Monday - 1% Tuesday - 1% Wednesday - 1% Thursday - 3% Friday - 10% Saturday - 31%
Sexing UpHow often do you have sex by appointment (by country)?
Returning to CampHow many activities are in your evening ritual (by country)?
Preparing Yourself for the FutureWhat do you do at the end of the day?
Protecting Yourself For The FutureBrushing Teeth How many people brush their teeth at night? Again, the answer varies widely by country
Preparing Yourself for the FutureDo you have a sequence in your nighttime ritual (by country)? On average, 43% of individuals in the world have a nighttime sequence, almost half as much as have a morning sequence. Nighttime routines are most important to the Chinese and least important to the Japanese.
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How many things do you need to do before you head out the door in the morning? Your answer may depend on where you live. Indians have the most activities in the morning, with an average of nearly 10. They use the time to exercise, converse, read, e-mail, pray, and more. Russians are the least active, with an average of 4.6 activities in the morning. The global average is 7.1, with the U. S. slightly above and Britain slightly below.
On average, 79% of individuals in the world have a morning sequence, and 69% get irritated when their routine is disrupted. The morning sequence is most important to the Chinese, and least important to Canadians. The Chinese are the most likely to be bothered by disruptions, with 92% saying they're irritated when their sequence is interrupted. Colombians are the least rigid, with only 50% saying they are irritated by such changes.
On average, only 9% of respondents prearranged the days the have sex, meaning it's by and large a spontaneous ritual. However, China is a considerable outlier in this category - admitting to sex by appointment more than three times as much as the next country on the list, Brazil. 
Brazilians perform the most activities when they get home from work, using the time to bathe, shave, brush teeth, and change clothes more than other countries. Americans have 5.1 behaviors in their evening ritual, slightly lower than the global average of 5.8. The Danes have the fewest activities, with 4.6.
For most people, the winding-down period of the day stretches over about four hours and is less structured than other times. A majority of survey respondents end their day watching TV or listening to the radio. 
U.S.: 48%
China - 92%| < Prev | Next > |
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