Last month there was an article on Fast Company, Why Millennials Don’t Want To Buy Stuff, that claims the focus is moving away from acquisition of things toward access to ideas and relationships.
Though the article also admits it might be because they can’t afford stuff either.
They also point out many “goods” we consume are actually rented or licensed from services like Netflix, iTunes or Amazon’s Kindle. Exchanging money for a transient product is the norm for Millennials in a way it isn’t for previous generations.
According to the article, when Millennials do buy things it is motivated by one of three things. Either the item provides access to other experiences in the manner of most Apple products; the item can be used to develop a relationship or sense of community; or the item makes a statement about themselves to others.
Of course, there tends to be a lot of overlap between these motivators since sharing experiences enabled by a product can make a statement about yourself which can be shared with like-minded people.
If the article is correct, arts and cultural experiences are pretty well suited to Millenials. The experience is transient and can’t be possessed as a concrete object. It can provide a sense of community and opportunity for relationship building and can make a statement about the person to others.
Of course, as has oft been discussed, what Millennial wants the statement they are making to be that they like hanging out at a performance hall cultivating a relationship with old people.
The fact that this article just provides a slightly different perspective that brings us back to the conclusion that if you want to attract Millennials, you have to provide an experience they find attractive should be comforting. It means that the answer is so simple and evident that we keep reaching the same conclusion.
Or I suppose that we are so fixated on the idea of attracting Millenials, we lack the imagination to interpret it in any other manner.
There is something to be said for the research that shows people tend to orient toward arts and cultural experiences at a certain age range when they have reached a level of personal and economic maturity. In that respect, there is perhaps too much expectation placed on the Y generation to start attending now.
At the same time, I think that: 1- It never hurts in the cause of creating general awareness to let Millennials know now that the opportunities are available when they are of a mind to attend.
2-The product and approach you used to attract their grandparents and parents isn’t going to work on them so you might as well make your mistakes now while they aren’t really paying attention than trying to refine your approach later when they are.
I am encouraged by the thought that the Fast Company article might reflect the values being embraced by Millennials because I think it plays to the real core strengths of arts and culture. The message that the arts are what you get involved with to exhibit you are mature, cultured and refined is an ill-fitting suit in comparison. We have just been wearing it so long we have mistaken it for our identity rather than garb donned when an opportunity presented itself.
Certainly finances (or lack of them) plays a part.
One of my kids is in college. We don’t share the same musical tastes. However, we do like live theater, and I’m happy to treat us to an evening of Shakespeare or whatever we’d both enjoy. Besides having a great time, it’s a chance for quality time together.
A college student without a job doesn’t have a chance to go to performing arts events, even non-profit, unless someone treats. Maybe we should pitch the family togetherness angle to mature relatives who are willing to buy the tix?
Well that idea only works if the college student can stand to be seen with the mature friend/relative 😉
Just to clarify, in your points at the end are you saying that Millennials are not at the point of maturity where they would belong at events, or is it that they are not mature enough to enjoy the events, or is it something else – or both?
What I am saying is that the core strengths of the arts are proving access to other experiences, developing relationships and sense of community and making a statement about oneself. The Fast Company article says that these are things Millennials value.
I am making an assumption that as they grow older, they will retain a fair degree of these basic values and won’t necessarily be looking for an experience that signals to others that they are matured, cultured and refined. This is not to say that they won’t want to appear mature, just that they won’t feel the obligation to attend an event in order to impress the neighbors, co-workers and potential business partners.
In terms of maturity to enjoy an event there is no doubt that a person of any age can enjoy an arts experience. Many artists talk about how they were entranced by an experience at a young age and began training.
Studies have shown though that when people in general reach a certain age and economic/career status, there is more of a natural tendency to orient toward/become more curious about some areas of the arts.
So first, it may be unfair to look at Millennials and expect they should be showing up in larger numbers to support your work right now.
Second, I suggest it might be smart to experiment and fail at trying to provide experiences that align with Millennial values now so that when they (as a general group) get to the point where they do start thinking they would like to try the ballet, opera, theater, symphony, etc they see an experience that appeals to them.
Thanks, Joe!
I’m a graduate student doing work on millennial participation, and this distinction between tastes and preferences at different ages seems to be a critical factor among many demographic changes. One interesting thing I’ve found is that millennials have the highest rates of attendance of performances these days (at least, according to a 2014-2015 study), but that the divide between benchmark cultural experiences and nontraditional arts has never been wider. I’m kind of glad they don’t care about keeping up with the Jones’s!
Thanks again!
When I first responded to your comment, I was surprised to see that I had written that back in 2012. It didn’t seem so long ago. As you note, there has been much more in the way of research since and particularly focused on the performing arts rather than in general. My only advice for your research would be to pay attention to the methodology people are using. Everyone wants to make a statement about what millennials want, but sometimes the evidence they cite can be questionable.
I wouldn’t take my claim about not caring about keeping up with the Joneses as anything but anecdotally based