Urban Socialising Report: Lessons for Brands

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This week we read Time Out and Exterion Media's 2017 Urban Socialising Report to discover how urban audiences are socialising across the UK

This week we read Time Out and Exterion Media's 2017 Urban Socialising Report to discover how urban audiences are socialising across the UK. These are our top 5 takeaways for marketeers looking to target this audience:

1. ‘Urban intelligence’ is the new currency.

The urban audience of today are active agents, they are ‘discriminating, clued-up and no-bullshit.’ To engage with them, brands must do it on their own terms – through social media, exclusive unique events, anything that is inherently social, shareable and just that little bit different. This is an audience willing to try new things – new drinks, new experiences – experimenters willing to see where the night takes them. They are “hungrier than ever for diverse, boutique experiences with personality and a strong sense of the one-off”. Being the person that knows about what is going on in your city – the new experiences – brings prestige and brands that help people grow their urban intelligence will succeed.

2. Word of mouth really matters

Word of mouth is the strongest driver behind a lot of decisions about where urban audiences choose to socialise. Out of the new bars that this audience has found over the last 12 months, 82% have found out about them through word of mouth. When finding out about events, recommendation is the most important method at 58%. This therefore suggests creating brand advocates is key, as well as getting the right influencers for your audience.

3. Spontaneity is the norm, and is heightened over the summer

The urban socialites don’t tend to make plans far in advance. 2 in 5 decide where they are going to go on the day itself, less than 1 in 5 organise their plans more than a week in advance. This behaviour is even more common during the summers months; 76% say they are more likely to make spur of the moment decisions over the summer.

4. Remember the mid-week opportunity

Though spontaneity is a key behaviour, these time-poor consumers are willing to be inspired and influenced by brands. Help deciding where to go for a quick drink, often after work, is welcomed. Mid-week is a key opportunity for brands as by influencing consumers during this time window they can affect their behaviour as socialising peaks later in the week.

5. Consider the commute

Londoners have the longest commutes of any European city - they spend on average 30% more time getting to work than their counterparts in Paris, Barcelona and Lisbon. While this makes them even more time-poor, it also means the commute is an opportunity for brands to engage this hard-to-reach audience. In the morning, commuters are looking to be informed and educates, whereas as in the evening they are looking for inspiration for their scarce free-time. So next time you want to inspire urban audiences, don’t forget about their commutes.