TGI: Cinema’s broadening appeal
In our latest research focus article, TGI’s James McCombe explains who is spending more time at the cinema, and why…
The latest data from TGI shows that the proportion of adults going to the cinema has reached 67%, up from 64% last year and 55% at the start of the decade.
Despite the arrival of (genuine) 3D and a string of summer releases aimed squarely at the youth market, much of the growth is due to the medium’s success in broadening its appeal beyond this core audience.
Upward trend
The proportion of 15-24s going to the cinema has stayed fairly constant throughout the past ten years, at just over 80%. In contrast, the proportion of 35-44s has risen from 66% in 2001 to 78% in 2010. Amongst 45-54s the increase is from 53% to 71%, and amongst 55-64s it is from 37% to 55%. The proportion of those aged 65+ going to the cinema has risen from 23% to 40%.
Lifestage groups
In terms of TGI Lifestage, the most important growth areas are Unconstrained Couples, Hotel Parents and Senior Sole Decision Makers. The proportion of Unconstrained Couples (35-54, married or living as a couple but no children in the household) going to the cinema has climbed from 64% in 2008 to 70% today. The proportion of Hotel Parents (aged 35+, live with son or daughter but no children aged under 15) has increased from 55% to 61% over the same period. Amongst Senior Sole Decision Makers (aged 55+ and live alone) the increase is from 37% to 42%. An ageing population means that these groups will become even more important in the years to come.
The silver screen
Regardless of age, heavy cinema-goers (once a month or more) tend to be more affluent than the average. Those aged 15-24 are 75% more likely to have a total family income in excess of £50,000. Those aged 55-64 are 90% more likely to have a family income in this range. They are also 80% more likely than the average to have bought stocks or shares in the past year, 40% more likely to have travelled by air and 60% more likely to have flown on business – making them an attractive target for advertisers from a range of business sectors.