••• entertainment research
In the mood for a melody
Streaming offers growth potential for classical music
In an article for Limelight Magazine, writer Angus McPherson explores findings on classical music detailed in recent research from London-based MIDiA, a research company specializing in music, video and media. MIDiA’s white paper, commissioned by classical music streaming service IDAGIO, reports a positive outlook for classical music streaming. According to the study, classical music is a top choice for music streamers, coming in fourth just behind pop, classic rock and country.
What’s more, the study shows that, through streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, IDAGIO and YouTube, classical music consumers are expanding their horizons through an increased ability to customize musical consumption – easier access to a wide variety of music within the genre as well as the ability to create and listen to mood-based playlists has offered greater flexibility than through radio and CDs, although these are still the format of choice for classical music fans. Notably, the genre of “Relaxing Piano Music” came in seventh place for consumers, with one in five respondents listening to it – according to MIDiA, many of them “not yet realizing they have become classical music fans.”
MIDiA Research’s consulting lead Keith Jopling says this exploration of classical music’s ability to evoke mood and emotion has a major draw for classical music streamers, many of whom are younger listeners. “We have termed this new audience Classical Enthusiasts,” says Jopling. “And they represent a real opportunity for classical artists from the Italian Baroque of Monteverdi to the modern minimalism of Philip Glass.”
The report also examines the demographics of classical music listening, discovering that, while the average age of respondents was 45, 30% of them were under 35. Most listeners stem from the “over 55” age group, and yet 31% of consumers aged 24 to 34 listen to classical. MIDiA’s report credits streaming’s influence with younger generations as playing a galvanizing role in this development.
In 2018, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry surveyed 19,000 consumers across 18 countries and discovered that 86% of these consumers used on-demand streaming services to listen to music. This number reinforces the findings from MIDiA’s report, which reveals a growing demand for classical music streaming among younger generations. However, the report also notes that classical music tends to be underrepresented in most streaming services. If classical works are not accessible or well-catalogued, search results for the genre are not easily understood by users, the report says. An opportunity for streaming services lies within expanding options for classical music discovery, such as allowing users to search for music by title, composer, performer – even period or instrument. Ultimately, MIDiA’s report says that the future for classical music streaming looks promising, but that future will require new approaches in which streaming will play an important role.
The report – The Classical Music Market: Streaming’s Next Genre? – is based on an online consumer survey of 8,000 adult music consumers across the U.S., U.K., Germany, Austria, Sweden, Mexico and South Korea. Additionally, MIDiA’s 2018 market models were used to calculate market values and trends for the classical genre.
••• environmental research
Going greener
Eco-conscious households striving for more
A new study by Avocado Green Mattress, reported by Good News Network, found that 77% of respondents stated that, despite how eco-friendly their household may already be, they would like to become even greener.
The survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Avocado Green Mattress, polled 2,000 Americans on which characteristics of an eco-home appeared in their household. Respondents varied in reasons for their desire to become greener, with 59% saying their eco-friendliness stems from wanting to make the world a better place. Forty-four percent cited Earth-focused documentaries as their catalyst for change, while 41% said that having kids was their impetus. Another 40% mentioned news coverage of environmental topics; 40% were spurred by their own research.
Seven out of 10 respondents considered their home to be an eco-household, which the study found most commonly involved recycling, avoiding food waste and reducing energy consumption. Additionally, these households tended to use reusable grocery bags and avoid plastic straws.
Respondents stated that other characteristics of an eco-household include turning off lights and electronics when not in use (35%), using LED at home (34%), donating unused items (33%), composting (32%), purchasing from sustainable brands (31%), buying locally produced food (29%), going paperless (28%), cutting down on air conditioner use (28%), turning off the computer (26%), using natural lighting (28%), limiting shower time (26%), researching brands’ eco-friendliness (24%), limiting meat consumption (24%) and using public transportation (22%).
Interestingly, 76% of parents feel that it’s actually their children who are encouraging environmentally friendly changes in their home. A majority of respondents – 88% – felt that teaching the next generation to be environmentally-friendly held importance, with 80% believing this responsibility falls both to parents and teachers. Fifty-two percent believed that the government holds the most responsibility to educate the next generation about the environment, while 35% felt that companies should take this role.
The survey shows that consumers feel individually empowered when it comes to environmental issues, with 85% of respondents agreeing that each of their efforts combined lead to a big difference. One way consumers feel they’re exercising individual power for change is by putting their money where their mouth is. Thirty-seven percent report that they “often” purchase products that are both ethical and sustainable. Similarly, 57% state that they are more likely to buy from a company that offers environmentally friendly products, uses organic or natural ingredients (51%) and that displays good ethical practices (48%).
Consumers are actively thinking about sustainability and are interested in creating a more environmentally friendly, sustainable household. It’s a shift in attitudes that’s not just about sustainability but also how individual consumers might positively impact the environment through personal and purchasing choices.
••• media research
Still partial to print?
Study examines attitudes toward media formats
With technology continuing to become more broadly available, expanding to nearly every facet of our daily lives, one might assume that this growth stems from broad acceptance of our personal devices – cellphones, laptops, tablets, e-readers. For many, the first and last thing we see in a day is a phone screen. And yet a recent survey commissioned by non-profit Two Sides reveals that consumers’ attitudes toward their electronic devices tend towards the negative, particularly where digital editions have begun to displace traditional print.
The study followed 3,100 consumers across the U.S. and Canada in order to track attitudes about print and paper. Findings showed that 68% of U.S. adults prefer print to digital when reading books and this number only dipped slightly to 65% when it came to magazines. Newspapers, on the other hand, found their readers split nearly evenly at 53% preferring print. In each of these categories between 20-28% of readers didn’t report a preference between print and digital.
Deeper than simply reading habits are the consumer attitudes which drive these preferences. More than half of the survey respondents, 53%, worried that using electronic devices too frequently could have a negative effect on health. Forty-nine percent of Americans and 46% of Canadians believe that they spend too much time on their devices and 71% and 68% of Americans and Canadians, respectively, value reading more print in an effort to “switch off.”
Heeding the growing trend toward eco-friendly communications, many service providers such as utilities, banks, telecoms and insurance companies are introducing digital correspondence in lieu of print notices. This change has not necessarily been well received by consumers; 86% of U.S. respondents and 82% of Canadians believe they should be able to choose how they receive these notices. This belief is supported by the finding that 74% of respondents are worried about the security of electronic correspondence, and nearly the same number at 73% admitted to keeping hard copies of important documents for safekeeping.
Despite the seeming preference for hard copies, the study revealed that many consumers harbor ethical concerns about the use of print. Just over half of respondents believe that paper products should only be produced with recycled paper. Additionally, over a quarter or respondents cited paper production as a major cause of global greenhouse gas emissions. Seemingly in conflict with these worries is the consumer’s desire to re-engage with print, with the majority of Americans and of Canadians desiring to read more in print and decrease the use of devices.
These desires on the part of the consumer seem to contradict one other but instead they are perhaps indicative of consumers’ desire to reach beyond what is currently available, to be able to prioritize consuming print but do so in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.
••• social research
Can one person make a difference?
Age and its impact on social action
Americans care deeply about the state of their country and the world at large; for many, this care manifests in a desire for change. In a recent survey by COIN, respondents agreed that the U.S. needs to make change for the future, answering at over 70% in the categories of gender equality, equal access to prosperity, workplace quality, environmental issues, sustainable development and public health.
Despite this large majority wanting change in a wide range of places, only 23% of respondents believed that their individual efforts could affect change. Forty-three percent answered “kind of maybe” and a third of respondents replied with a flat no.
The potential impact? A lack of belief in an individual’s capability to drive change could lead people to not attempt action in the first place. This might mean sticking to the sidelines instead of participating in community action such as volunteering or protests.
Perspectives of potential actions to drive change vary by age, however, reflecting a long history of fluctuating economic and social climates. Boomers, those 55 years and up, are most likely to connect money with social influence and invest in companies whose values align with theirs – 42% higher than Gen Z. In fact, 71% of Boomers surveyed believe that they have enough money to impact social or environmental change.
Social media plays an important role in personal empowerment too – those who consumed news via social media are 47% more likely to advocate for social issues using those platforms as well. Understandably, the digital natives of Gen Z considered social media sharing and commenting to be impactful actions, reporting in at 60% compared to 34% of Boomers.
These findings have implications for market researchers, whose goal is to wonder what makes the target audience take action. For social action, the perception of personal empowerment and channels to inspire change vary from generation to generation. The correlation is not random, though. Boomers and the Silent Generation felt least like their individual efforts could prompt change at 13%, and the number creeps up with each generation with Gen X at 21%, Millennials at 32% and Gen Z at 34%.
With social empowerment maxing out at 34%, how might these groups be influenced, be it for social or political causes, community action or marketing campaigns? The key may lie within the contradiction of a survey pool that wants change but feels powerless. Combatting this disillusionment requires a change in perspective and a celebration of personal strength in order to draw consumers in from the sidelines.
The 2019 State of the Conscious Consumer study was commissioned by COIN by John Hancock and fielded by Equation Research in May 2019. The responses were generated from a survey of 1,003 people ages 18 and up.
••• demographic research
Catching up with the ‘Cuspers’
Not quite Gen Z, not quite Millennials
“Cuspers,” those named for resting on the cusp between Millennials and Generation Z, were the target of a recent study by Fullscreen, which sought to uncover generational views on identity, the future, the impact of technology and financial state. “For those born on the borderline of these generations, a current life stage transition is playing a major role in shaping everything from their outlook on life to their content preferences,” says Maureen Polo, GM of the Brand Studio at Fullscreen.
Cuspers embrace multiple parts of their identity and want to be seen as different from both Millennials and Gen Z, embracing their “whole selves.” As such, they are more likely than any other cohort to self-identify as a person of color, minority, LGBTQ or another intersectional identity. And Cuspers are more diverse than their preceding generation, with 55% identifying as Caucasian and 23% identifying as African American or Hispanic, whereas Millennials reported in as 72% Caucasian and 9% African American or Hispanic. In line with this shift in demographic, 34% of Cuspers feel that diversity is the leading trait that will define them, followed by independence.
Cuspers feel most at ease while creating content and cite creativity as important to them, with 25% of Cuspers reporting that they feel most comfortable expressing their full selves through the content they create (as opposed to 18% and 16% for Millennials and Gen Zs, respectively). This lean into creation is also exhibited in the fact that 35% of Cuspers regularly use the “stories” features across social media platforms (vs. 31% for Gen Zs and 21% for Millennials). The top features used by Cuspers to express themselves include direct messages (47%), reposting content (43%) and stories (35%). Additionally, Cuspers are significantly more likely than both Gen Zs and Millennials to utilize theme filters, live videos and stories. They cite “easy way to stay relevant/active on social” and “feels more authentic/real” as the top two reasons for using stories features. And Cuspers are fans of content creators too, following on average 25 influencers (at twice the rate of Millennials) and 12 brands on social platforms.
Perhaps due to the fact that Cuspers are also on the cusp of a new life stage, they find the future to be stressful and many don’t feel the desire to have children. With adult responsibilities either upon them or just over the horizon, Cuspers are feeling the pressure. They are more likely to describe being stressed (36%), excited (34%) and scared (19%) than other cohorts about their futures. One in four (28%) are choosing not to have children, with one of the top reasons being that they don’t want to raise them in the current society (28%). However, they do want to get married – and while they’re young. Most (38%) think they’ll get married between the ages of 21-25.
Similar to Gen Zs and Millennials, 61% of Cuspers believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. Forty percent of Cuspers believe the best way to create change for a better tomorrow is by voting in local elections – versus 47% of Millennials who cite voting in national elections as the biggest way to affect change. Twenty-six percent feel strongly about LGBTQ rights as compared to 19% for Millennials.
When it comes to finances, Cuspers are still trying to gain their financial footing and find the gig economy useful in that regard. On average, Cuspers spend most of their discretionary income on beauty/fashion ($966 per year); food and drink ($905 per year); and entertainment ($680 per year). A little more than half are actively in the workforce (53%) and of those, only half have full-time jobs. The rest are trying to figure out what they want to do after college. This leads to a unique set of stressors. Cuspers’ are most worried about their finances, with 30% citing this as their largest stressor (47% of Millennials have the same largest stressor). Academics/education came in second at 20%, mirroring the 33% of Gen Z respondents who also cited this as their biggest stressor. Lastly, 20% of Cusper respondents said they stress the most about career opportunities. Of the Cuspers who are employed, 77% have a flexible, gig job (vs. 54% of Millennials). Twenty-seven percent believe growth of the gig economy is due to desire to control their own time. While still figuring out their spending habits, their impulsivity drives them to be early adopters; 61% say they tend to make impulse purchases and 45% say they are the first of their friends to try new products. “Cuspers do have earning power and any brand trying to reach this demographic should know that they demand honesty, inclusion and positivity,” says Polo.
The research, conducted by Talk Shoppe, builds on findings from a 2017 Fullscreen study that also looked at several generations and considers the changes over the last two years regarding the economy, technology and the societal atmosphere. More than 1,500 13-37-year-olds were surveyed online by Talk Shoppe on behalf of Fullscreen from April-May 2019; in addition, 11 qualitative interviews were conducted across generations during the same time period.