The point: COVID has made home entertainment more important than ever. And with so many choices available, people want your help with planning the perfect night in.
Those of us in the industry know that entertainment is more than just a welcome distraction. The movies we love and the shows we binge inspire us and make us laugh, cry, scream, dream, wonder and hope! I can’t remember a time when our desire to be inspired was stronger than it is now.
Before the pandemic, entertainment in the home was already booming, as media companies were making it easier for people to watch, listen and play. The number of online video subscriptions jumped 28% globally in 2019 alone.1
Shelter-in-place restrictions have only sped up this growth. In the early days of confinement, people 18-24 claimed to be streaming 60% more content than they did prior to the outbreak.2 We’re seeing similar patterns on Pinterest. Searches for movies to watch have shot up 131% over the last couple of months.3
With this new way of life, the old ways of marketing don’t always apply. To help make better sense of it all, we dug into Pinterest data to understand what’s happening in entertainment with our 367 million Pinners around the globe.
Here are three of the biggest trends, along with tips for how entertainment marketers can respond to them:
The home is now a multiplex
With the entire family under one roof all day, every day, people are splitting up to watch live programming or streaming on-demand in every corner of the house. After shelter-in-place guidelines took hold, searches for entertainment ideas have spikes in every genre. Parents are looking for ways to keep kids busy, with searches for “at home movie night kids” up 274% among Millennials.4
But they’re also looking for ideas for themselves. Gen Z Pinners are seeking variety: We’re seeing similar increases in “reality TV,” “romantic comedy” and “action movies.”5
Tip: Curate custom content line-ups.
Make it easy for people to find the entertainment they’re looking for. Bundle cross-genre recommendations for households that include ideas for parents, teens and kids. For people searching specific genres, put together some “Best of” or “Top 10” lists of recommendations.
Movie night becomes a major event
With nowhere to go, people are looking for ways to elevate the ordinary, whether that’s planning a “date night at home” (+26%)6 or taking advantage of the warmer weather and setting up an “outdoor cinema” (+56%).7
Tip: Help people plan an event to remember.
Share tips for making movie night special. Get creative about ways people can take it up a notch—painting a red carpet in the lawn for outdoor movie night, serving gourmet popcorn, or setting up an ice-cream or candy bar in the family room with all the trimmings.
Fans are looking to connect
Fandom is more important than ever. With in-person concerts, sporting events and Comic-Con-type conventions on hold or canceled, people are going online to express themselves and connect over shared interests. We’ve seen a 101% jump in searches for “Final Fantasy” among Gen Z.8
More musicians are trying in-home concerts to stay connected with their fans
Tip: Let fans take center stage.
Create opportunities for fans to engage in a more direct and personal way with your brand, titles and talent. Make it easy for musicians to hold virtual concerts in their living rooms. Facilitate live chats to help celebrities share professional projects and social causes with fans.
Even as stay-at-home guidelines begin to relax, many of the new ways we have found to engage with entertainment content will stick. And so will the relationships we develop with the brands that brought us inspiration and comfort during the pandemic.
As I see it, there’s never been a better time for entertainment brands to rise to the occasion.