A music festival may last only a few days, but the brand potential of live music events begins long before the first band takes the stage and ends long after the last one has left. On average, Gen Z and millennial live music attendees purchase their tickets four to six months in advance, and 59% of them say the experience will be with them for a lifetime, according to new data from Live Nation’s Fan Journey Study. And this makes them prime targets for marketers.
“It is rare to have your consumer’s attention around something they actually care about—for months,” says Russell Wallach, Live Nation’s global president of media and sponsorship. “For most Gen Z and millennial live music fans, festivals are the one thing they plan for and look forward to all year. … Brands can play any role from enhancing the anticipation to amplifying the live experience to empowering fans to share and relive.”
A quarter of festivalgoers, for example, plan their outfit at least one to two months beforehand—but that’s not to say a well-positioned Instagram sponsored ad wouldn’t change their mind. “[The fans are] constantly looking for products and services that can enhance their experience and fuel their status as a tastemaker in their social circles,” says Wallach.
There is also opportunity in targeting attendees who make these decisions last minute. Forty-three percent of millennial and Gen Z festivalgoers decide their meals the day of the event, and more than half (56%) roam the grounds without a particular objective. A well-executed on-the-ground strategy could get thousands of attendees paying attention to a brand’s offering.
Meanwhile, 40% of these festivalgoers agree a brand can step in and improve downtime in between sets, whether through food and beverage deals or updates on set times.
“Brands that weave in organically here, with context and purpose, can lift up the culture,” says Wallach, “while also being a hero for fans.”
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/infographic-how-brands-can-make-fans-of-music-festivalgoers/