Millennials focus is legit

What segments can make or break a your show?  Look to the millennials as one of the leading indicators.   Although the courtship of millennials has been a bit rough… the arts (as in live theater, musicals, museums, etc) really need to continue to woo these 18-34 year olds.  They are a great segment for a number of reasons; they are active, more curious, and more vocal about their experiences.

Active – for sure.  Scarborough US (August 2010 through September 2011) data shows that there are just about as many millennials as boomers that report having had a cultural experience in the last year.    That is 8.5%  (20.1 million) percent of the 18-34s  versus 8.9% (20.4 million) of the 45-59 year olds.

Curious  – indeed!  Just look at their opening weekend movie behavior.  These culturally active millennials are 57% more likely to see a movie on its opening weekend.  Add this need to see it first to a healthy dose of higher proclivity for social media and you have the active ingredient for word of mouth momentum.  This lifestyle slice provides the first wave of enthusiasm and the higher likelihood of spreading the word.

Vocal – to a fault.  The mobile culturally active millennial is 135% more likely to access social networks immediately on their phones.  You can bet they register both their enthusiasm and their lack thereof very quickly after their experience.

How do you harness the strength of this millennial cultural goer? Get them to your show first.  Give them something to talk about.  It’s a legitimate strategy that charts the future of the arts.

Room for discussion:

What are some tactics for increasing 18-34 year old participation in a cultural event launch?  What are ways that you can encourage social word of mouth?