Help millennials escape from nonstop connectivity
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The Millennial Generation. Born between 1981 and 2000, millennials are true digital natives who grew up with internet, email, and social media. The Wallace Foundation reported in 2017 that 90% of millennials use social media, 22% of millennials check their phone every few minutes, and 87% of millennials say their phone never leaves their side, night or day—and the Pew Research Center reported in 2019 that 93% of millennials own smart phones.
Simply put, constant connectivity is the norm for this group. Zapier reports that 69% of millennials are constantly on or checking their work email outside of work, and 57% of millennials say they expect their teammates to respond to them outside of work hours. According to TalentCulture, millennials even struggle to disconnect from work when on vacation. A recent study revealed that millennials check in at the office when vacationing more often than any other generation.
One of the five ways to find an innovation opportunity, according to Clayton Christensen, is to look for a compensating behavior or workaround—and we may have one here. There are signs that millennials are tiring of their constant connectivity and are becoming more aware of its hazards. Acxiom reported in 2020 that the phrase “digital detox” was 10 times more popular in online searches in 2020 than it was in 2005. In fact, about 25% of the population have taken a digital detox in the last year.
Here’s another opportunity for arts administrators to create messaging that appeals to millennials by pinpointing a frustration they face and offering attractive solutions. If millennials are seeking a solution to "Help me escape constant connectivity," could orchestras entice more millennials by marketing their concerts as opportunities to disconnect from the online world and to reconnect with their own inner world? Fill in the emotional and social elements and the customer story becomes crystal clear: “Help me escape constant connectivity so I can be more centered and calm at the office, which will help me do my best work and gain respect from my coworkers/boss.”
The Utah Symphony hints at this “Job to Be Done” or customer need with this gorgeous image and enticingly simple text which promises an escape not just through music, but through nature as well:
Take a look at how a symphony marketing campaign can be even more engaging and personal when it really leans into a specific Job to Be Done:
Photo by Oluremi Adebayo from Pexels
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
This ad campaign targets millennials who
are seeking a new way to “unplug”
have “hired” yoga class in the past as a way of disconnecting at the end of a long week
have used meditation to turn off the noise of the world and recharge
have been wanting to try meditation but need a low-stakes way to get their feet wet
When a specific “job” is used as guidance, the possibilities for innovation are endless. Symphonies could
advertise “leave your phone at the door” service
announce a “Digital Detox” concert series; invite audiences to BYOYM (bring your own yoga mat)
provide meditation how-to’s in the concert program
begin concerts with a brief guided meditation
This approach takes the pressure off millennials to intellectually understand the music—instead they are invited to use it as a tool to solve a Job to Be Done in their own life, and discover the rejuvenation and escape that classical music can provide.
Here are some symphonies that are leaning in to this Job to Be Done:
Scottish Ensemble
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
OM @The Max: Group Yoga Session + Live Music
Press Release: Detroit Symphony Orchestra Offers Music-Infused Yoga Class
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra
News spotlight: KSO Unstaged: Yoga + Live Music
Colorado Symphony
Music Moves: Yoga with Musicians of the Colorado Symphony
Columbus Symphony
