Republicans, Democrats shop differently

(EndPlay Staff Reports) - A new survey shows that the voting booth isn't the only place Democrats and Republicans differ.

Buyology Inc., which describes itself as a "neuro-insight firm that rigorously measures the deeper, non-conscious … decision-making" that drives what brands customers prefer, surveyed more than 4,000 Americans in a study of 200 consumer brands.

It matched consumers' gut reactions to different brands up with their political preferences and discovered there isn't much they agree upon.

There are similarities, such as Coca-Cola is the king of the beverages, and Google is their favorite technology. They both prefer Olay as their beauty brand, Apple as their most desired technology and Visa as their most desired financial service.

Party lines come into play with coffee shops – Starbucks for Democrats and Dunkin' Donuts for Republicans. Democrats would rather have Wendy's while Republicans favor Subway as far as restaurants.

It carries over into TV viewing with Democrats preferring Animal Planet and Republicans the History Chanel. Sports viewing? The NFL for Dems and Major League Baseball for Republicans.

Auto dealers can also take note. Democrats want those adventurous Jeeps while Republicans want a sophisticated BMW.

"People will gravitate toward brands that have values that are reflective of who they are or who they want to be," Vanitha Swaminathan, an associated business administration professor at the University of Pittsburgh, told ABC News .

That non-conscious decision-making may come into play with choices like restaurants, with Subway being the place where customers pick everything in their meal and Wendy's making the decisions for the customers, stated TIME magazine's NewsFeed blog .

"What Democrats are responding to is somebody smart making choices for them that makes their lives better and easier, and fundamentally what Republicans are responding to is the ability to make an individualized choice," Buyology CEO Gary Singer told CNN Money .

As far as BMW, spokesman Kenn Sparks told ABC News that politics doesn't enter into its advertising decisions. He said the company believes its customers are diverse and cross demographic lines.

"We're delighted to have them all!" he said.