Nothing is more embarrassing to me than my fascination for the ever-illusive, skinny-pant-wearing-millennials. And while they aren’t really wearing skinny pants anymore, my fascination began as many marketers’ did about 12 years ago with a swan dive into data about the motivations, purchase habits, and work habits of a demographic that no one could quite understand. My stalker-level fascination is embarrassing for me because it makes me feel old, and frankly, my daughter describes it as “cringey”...but I can’t help myself! And my fascination is quickly growing to include the Gen Z-ers.
We’ve known it for a long time - the average age of theatergoers and cultural consumers isn’t getting any younger. For Kimmel’s diverse roster of cultural experiences, our guests average 40-45 years of age. Sure, the Boomers are still coming, but our Silent Gen is appearing less and less. And while our more popular programming does attract an evenly distributed audience, we should be seeing more of the younger demographics than we currently are. At approximately 1.8 billion people worldwide, millennials alone are three times the size of Gen X. Pair that with the fact that both millennials and Gen Z-ers also influence a huge volume of family purchase decisions, we are looking at the most powerful consumer groups in the marketplace.
So how do we start getting more of these young adults to come try us out? You wouldn’t think this would be such a difficult task: book a YouTube sensation, or run out and get Bo Burnham, right? But programming options like this aren’t so easily available and are often more opportunistic. Is that artist even touring? If they are that attractive to this audience, shouldn’t they be in a much larger arena? In any case, for many theaters and performing arts centers, twenty-and-thirty-somethings are a complete enigma - well...they are to me, at least. I know, I know...our younger generations shouldn’t be lumped into one cohort, but, instead, treated as a collection of submarkets that have different motivations and interests. But I’ve studied what makes these younger consumers tick, and what I’ve learned makes me realize we need to try harder. Oh, and our world might be in a better place once these generations are in charge.
They don’t want things, they want experiences.They think deeply about the environment and their impact on it. Don’t buy them a shirt that was made using child labor or anything that will end up contributing to the plastic islands in the middle of the ocean. Win for cultural institutions, right? Our experiences are as eco-friendly as it gets! Perhaps, like the airlines, we should begin to list the low, low carbon footprint of a cultural experience right next to the ticket price!
In one of my last blog posts, I talked about how this generation even thinks about work differently. For example, in recent interviews I‘ve conducted, I have been asked countless questions about company culture, corporate social responsibility, our organization’s position on BLM, and about the social and mental health benefits associated with working here. At first, the Gen X-er in me fought hard to suppress eyerolls in these interviews, thinking this was an entitled millennial thing. But then I realized: this generation is brilliant! They care deeply about what they spend their time doing, they want their life to make an impact, they boldly prioritize mental health, their dreams, and their time - all before work. I mean, maybe it was just the times, but when I was searching for jobs in my 20s and 30s, I shallowly prioritized things like salary, a cool office, and growth potential. I had no idea you were even allowed to ask questions like I am now being asked. But I LOVE it!
Another win for cultural institutions is the fact that these new potential cultural customers grew up with the internet and social media, which means they are used to putting their whole lives on the web to be seen and judged by anyone who follows them. Let’s face it, nothing is more instagrammable than the obligatory Playbill+pre-curtain shot. We were made for this generation! They deeply value making memories and sharing them on social media. Could this be the reason that purchase choices are so carefully curated? Simply because choices are often being made through the lens of how others will perceive them? Meanwhile, to some of us non-digital natives, this is an unprecedented level of access to give and receive.
Someone once told me that twentysomethings have a NASCAR-like loyalty for brands. This is likely brought on by the documentation of moments on social media, but with or without documentation, they care deeply about their economic impact and consider every purchase a vote of confidence or “support” for a brand. It doesn’t matter how good that chicken sandwich is or how delicious that certain type of pasta is...they just aren’t going to buy it if it’s coming from a brand with values they don't align. Even the purchase of something as simple as feminine products and toilet paper is often done with ethical consumerism.
Don’t get me wrong, they do come to our performances and events. The issue, as I see it, is nearly 65% come once and don’t return for an average of 5 years. Five years! By this time, they have young children, completely different priorities, and, much to their dismay, likely a demanding job. What are we not getting right with this group? Do they not feel comfortable with the experience? Did we not program to their interests? Are we just priced too high? Can they not find anyone to come with them? Is a two hour event too much of a time commitment?
Marketing cultural experiences is so much more than font sizes and background colors. Our audiences should be at the center of everything we do. We aren’t marketing a toothbrush, or a can of soup. This is a perishable inventory of a deeply personal nature. We really need to understand the people to whom we are selling: what they get excited about, what their barriers to purchase are, and what they perceive to be a positive addition to their personal brand. This new generation is extremely educated, largely under-employed, heavily in debt, and passionate about making a difference in the world. What can we do as an industry to more meaningfully connect with them?
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