Meet the YFF: Young Female Festivalgoers Take the Stage

MILWAUKEE, Wis., June 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Experiential Marketing agency GMR has unveiled its 2016 music festival report, Meet the YFF: Young Female Festivalgoers Take the Stage. The study reveals fascinating information about a highly influential demographic whose behaviors are transforming today's music festival and sponsorship space.

The report zeroes in on the Young Female Festivalgoer (YFF), a population of 18-24 year old women who are taking the stage as one of the most instrumental forces behind the evolution of music festivals and music festival sponsorships today. More than anyone else in their peer group, YFFs are influencing music festivals and sponsorship through:

Insatiable Social Demands: 71% YFFs view festivals as a social opportunity with friends and family. In fact, 83% of them attend for the festival atmosphere itself. The social atmosphere exceeds the length of the festival, however. 74% of YFFs actively seek opportunities to connect and meet up with other attendees both before and after festivals.

A Need for Constant Connectivity: YFFs differ significantly from other groups in that 58% are very bothered by poor WiFi and cell service. This is likely because 77% of them hear and share news about festivals via word of mouth, especially through social media.

An Appetite (and Budget) for Engagement: For YFFs, music festivals are an engagement worth the investment. 50% don't mind shelling out for more expensive tickets and, once they make it through the gates, spending with food and beverage sponsors. Also, 58% are likely to leave with a memento.

"For brands investing in the music festival space, understanding this demographic of 18-24 year old women is crucial," says Dr. David Bohnsack, VP of Insights and Analytics at GMR. "Their distinct digital and social habits are indicative of a bigger picture – that brand sponsors must adapt their strategies to stay relevant and effective in the music festival space."

For brand sponsors, the report sheds light on crucial opportunities to innovate in the music festival space as this group ages. Insights include:

The Festival as a Journey: YFFs' interest in pre-and post-festival meetups indicates that brands need to think far beyond the event grounds when it comes to music festival sponsorships. For many young music fans, the festival experience starts as soon as tickets are purchased, and the afterglow lasts long after the encores.

Healing Pain Points: From their desire for connectivity to their disdain for dirty bathrooms, YFFs are looking to brand sponsors to find unique ways to ease the aches and pains of festival life. From tech to beauty, the opportunity for brands to intuitively solve on-site problems will increase as YFFs age.

Growing Purchasing Power: As YFFs' purchasing power grows with their emergence in the workforce, so will their willingness to spend on festivals—and all of the elements that enhance festivals before, during and after. Brands that find creative, contextual ways to enhance the journey will see marketing success.

"The YFFs are greatly impacting the music and sponsorship space at festivals of all sizes and formats," says Jackie Woo, Director of Entertainment Consulting at GMR. "Now, more than ever, brands must continue to build their sponsorship strategies around the holistic festival journey in addition to solving the specific challenges that attendees experience."

Read GMR's full 2016 music festival report.

Research Methodology
During Q4 2015 and Q1 2016 GMR Research launched an online survey to a panel of 820 music festivalgoers across the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 54. Of these, 607 fell between the ages of 18 to 34 ('Millennials'). To qualify for this survey, respondents had to attend music festivals at least one time per year on average.

About GMR Marketing
Founded in 1979, GMR (www.gmrmarketing.com) is an award-winning global engagement marketing agency. We create unforgettable experiences across sports, music, entertainment and lifestyle — helping brands connect with people via their passions. The outcome:  true connections that last.  Our team creates, consults and activates in 70 countries, covering every continent from 19 offices in 10 countries. Many of the world's best known brands turn to GMR for insights and analytics; consulting and strategic planning; creative ideation and design; digital, social and mobile marketing; event and hospitality production and much more. In 2015, GMR was named one of the "Best Organizations to Work for in Sports" by Forbes and "Best Places to Work in Events" by Event Marketer. GMR was also named one of the "Fastest Growing Mobile Marketing Agencies" by AgencyPost in 2014. We have helped clients earn honors including Cannes Lions, Webby, Effie and EventTech awards. The agency is headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, USA, and is a part of the DAS Group of Companies.

About the DAS Group of Companies
The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

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SOURCE GMR Marketing

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