String cheese is a classic snack, beloved by children and adults alike. And while the savory stick may look straightforward at first glance, anyone who has ever enjoyed one will tell you: there are only two ways to eat string cheese–either by pulling it into pieces or taking a big bite off the top.
Current CivicScience data show that while 42% of Americans pull string cheese into its namesake stringy pieces, 23% start things off with a bite, and 35% do both. Women are 10 percentage points more likely than men to pull their string cheese into pieces (47% vs 37%). Meanwhile, Millennials pull slightly ahead of all other age groups with the same string cheese behavior (among string cheese eaters with an opinion).
However, there’s more to the story than what the demographic data reveal. Here’s what makes those who pull their string cheese into pieces stand out from the rest:
Entertainment News: Those who pull their string cheese into stringy pieces are nearly twice as likely as those who take a big bite to say that they share entertainment news via social media every day (11% vs 6%).
Time in the Car: While 57% of those who pull their string cheese into pieces spend less than one hour in their car per day, just 41% of those who bite into their string cheese say the same.
Brand Loyalty: The majority (63%) of those who pull their string cheese into pieces say that quality makes them loyal to the brands they buy, while less than half (43%) of those who dive in with a big bite off the top say the same.
Book Format: Among book readers, 39% of those who peel their string cheese into stringy pieces say they most often read a printed, new book, while just 28% of those who take a big bite off the top of their string cheese say the same.
Holiday Shopping: Those who pull their string cheese into pieces are seven percentage points more likely to have already started their holiday shopping than those who enjoy their string cheese by taking a big bite (24% vs 17%).
Where do you stand? Take this poll now and see how your preference compares with other Americans:
Clearly, how you eat your string cheese isn’t just a relic of your childhood; it’s a choice that’s linked to consumer habits that span a wide range of decisions across all facets of your life.
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This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.
