MBS Inspiration
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The MBS Group
is one of the world’s leading executive search firms operating exclusively in Retail, Consumer and relevant technologies, and the most successful sector-specialist firm in the UK
The future audience
On Sunday afternoon I walked into my local cinema foyer and it was almost unrecognisable since my last visit – it’s had a serious revamp. It looks, well, pretty spectacular: things have changed.
No longer do you buy your tickets from an intimidating woman hiding behind what looks like a bullet-proof glass window; no longer do you tread on musty, gum-laden carpeted floors; and no longer am I here to watch plain old 2D cinema. This is an IMAX 3D, surround-sound, bright-light version, with a pretty young lady offering me drinks behind a marble bar, standing on shiny wooden floors. And I must admit, I was pretty excited. My family and I came to watch the new Tin-Tin film in 3D and, as we entered the cinema, we all ‘ooh-ed’ and ‘ah-ed’ in chorus. We purchased our four tickets (two adults, a student and a child) and then bought our customary cinema treats: a medium popcorn, a hot dog (with Pepsi) and some cavity-inducing sweets.
But wait. Hold on! This is where we paused for a second. “Are you serious?” I asked. “You must be joking?", said my husband. No, the nice young lady behind the counter was not joking. We were charged £81 for four tickets, some popcorn, a hot dog and a drink. That couldn’t be right. My elder son turned to me, almost smugly, and said: “And you wonder why all the kids are streaming?!”. I was shocked.
The reality of it is that, whilst the £81 is ridiculously expensive, taking my younger child to a 3D film is something I am willing to pay for once in a while, as a special outing. But for my elder son and his peers, who spend their lives communicating, socialising, tweeting, liking and sharing, all on a tiny computer screen – all for free – spending that kind of money on something they can get earlier, easier, advert-less and, most crucially, free of charge, on their laptops at home just doesn’t make sense. Yes, the quality might not be as good, the sound system so immersive or the seats so comfortable, but they still prefer it. And this is a worry for anyone who owns, produces and distributes content today.
Illegal streaming and downloading is plain wrong, and as a parent I am adamant that my children understand this. I know people who have suffered as a direct result of such activities. The truth however, is that we cannot ignore it and in order to beat it we need to understand a bigger issue – what are people prepared to pay for and what are they going to be prepared to pay for in ten years time?
For me, it is about the experience, whether it is in a unique physical space or whether it is in the digital world and makes shopping, reading or sharing the moment with others easier while you are online or on the move. Many of us are happy to pay for the convenience of accessing a near-infinite music library quickly, legally and for 70p per track through iTunes; some choose to pay a premium to listen to ad-free music via Spotify; a few of us seem to still believe that journalists must retain their independence and be paid properly, so we subscribe to our favourite publications to get access to their archive, or enjoy a beautiful user experience though their iPad apps.
But this is us. Generation Y are not willing to pay £16 for a movie ticket; they are not willing to have their time wasted by advertising; and they are certainly not willing to wait around. In the world of tomorrow, young people expect media, information and content to be free and, if not free, they would only pay for it if it adds unique value.
Despite the initial moaning, we were happy to pay for sharing an exhilarating 3D IMAX experience with the family. My little one was wowed by the whole thing, but as we drove home I couldn’t help but wonder how the world of cinema and entertainment will keep innovating? How are those businesses going to engage with the audiences of the future? I would love to organise a discussion on this early next year. What do you think? moira@thembsgroup.co.uk
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