Millennials Find Purpose & Pleasure in Magazine Media
There is no shortage in stereotypes to describe Millennials: media savvy, hungry to exchange data for information, self[ie]-obsessed, entitled and lazy are a few of the most notorious. Recent research has shown that painting such a diverse group with a single broad brush is an ideal way to alienate them. They also especially dislike being labelled Millennials. These younger audiences are however attracted to one thing without exception: authenticity. Expertise and experiences provided without prejudice. They were also the group most likely to be consuming magazine media on a monthly basis this year.
The enduring allure of magazine media is quite evident in the latest NRS PADD data. At 78%, 18–24 year olds are more likely to engage with magazine media than any other age group.
For Millennials as a group this figure is 77% – still a higher percentage than for any other age group.
But beyond readership figures there is also ample evidence that this group gets a greater level of satisfaction from interacting with magazine media than the population at large.
In Moments that Matter we used Paul Dolan’s book Happiness by Design as a framework to understand whether the experience of consuming magazine media could contribute to an increased sense of well- being.
The work found that 68% of all magazine media moments delivered against purpose and pleasure, the two key components in driving a sense of subjective well-being (or happiness).
More interestingly the work also found the boost to subjective well-being experienced by Millennials 200% higher than average.
We believe the appeal of our products to younger audiences is driven by access to high quality, original content and expertise where journalists and editors connect with audiences based on a shared passion. No stereotypes, no patronising, just great content that does what it says on the tin.