What inspires your audience, now and in the future?
What inspires an audience? Where can you reach them, and how? Carlo van Lienden, storyteller, content creator and metaverse expert, decided to explore some of these questions. DEN talks to him about digital developments and the audience of the future. What is his vision on generation Z and the future of the cultural sector? And what should be our next step as a cultural organisation, whether large or small?
DEN bumped into Carlo van Lienden at the Congres Podia Festivals Evenementen, where he talked about the metaverse. We found it inspiring and invited him for an interview about the audience of the future. What does this audience look like and how can cultural organisations appeal to them?
A feeling of reluctance: where do you start?
“Do I really need to get into this as well?” This is how Van Lienden describes his feeling of reluctance when faced with new digital developments. This feeling of reluctance is probably experienced by most of us. You know you’ve got to do something with regard to digital transformation, but where do you start? “Congratulations! The fact that you’re asking this question means that you’re taking the first step”, says Van Lienden when we ask him this question.
“Identify the needs of your audience and those of new generations.”
“Overcome this feeling of reluctance and start with the things you’re more familiar with. Get to know your current audience but also find out which people no longer form part of your audience. Identify the needs of your previous audience as well as those of new generations: what would they like to see? You can do this by collecting and analysing data. You can also organise panel discussions!”
“Overwin de weerstand en begin dichtbij. Leer je huidige publiek kennen, maar ook de mensen die geen publiek meer zijn. Onderzoek de behoeftes van oud publiek en nieuwe generaties: wat willen zij zien? Hoe willen zij dit zien? Dit kun je doen door data te verzamelen en te analyseren. Of organiseer panelgesprekken!”
What characterises the audience of the future?
Carlo shares his vision of the future and the new generations. “Internet and online were something totally new for us. I grew up without internet. Generation Z and Alpha don’t know any better. They grow up with smart phones and are used to the way they get their information from those phones: quick and easy.
We are also seeing changes in social power structures. Generation Z is active when it comes to social issues and it is important for them to get their voices heard.
“Let your audience have their say as well. Co-creation and sharing in the decision-making process are becoming increasingly important.”
“The organisation of the future will be fully democratic and 100% transparent”, according to Van Lienden. Organisations will become less centralised. Stakeholders and employees will have more digital voting rights. “This is still largely a matter of conjecture,” he emphasises, “but it’s definitely a visible trend, particularly among the younger generations.”
Would you like to learn more about Gen Z? Get to know the new generation of young people and find out what motivates and inspires them in this article.
How can you respond to this?
Carlo van Lienden starts with an example: “People thought he was mad when John Quinn, editor in chief of ‘USA Today’ founded the newspaper in 1982. All the newspapers in those days were struggling with diminishing sales figures because of the rise of TV. Newspapers in those days were broadsheets with lots of text and not much in the way of pictures. This format no longer appealed to the readers at the time.”
“However, Quinn felt inspired by the new medium and produced a newspaper that shared information in the same way as television: short articles, colour photographs and entertainment. His newspaper soon proved to be a huge success.” USA Today is still the most popular newspaper in the United States.
“The audience wants to feel part of the story and be in control.”
Focus on interaction
A new medium alone is not enough. The way young people receive and process information is different too. “If you are used to seeing four or five Instagram stories in one minute on your screen, it can feel like an eternity to have to listen to someone talk for ten minutes on TV. Keep this in mind when creating content.”
Co-creation is important too. “Take the gaming world. Storytelling is important. The audience wants to feel part of the story and be in control. Interactivity is important to enhance the experience.”
“There should be more to online and real-life events and performances than purely broadcasting alone,” emphasises Van Lienden.
Trends
What trends can we expect to see in the coming years? Carlo van Lienden names three important elements: interactivity, storytelling and experience. “The public wants to be able to join in or re-create what they see. Viral dance videos are a good example.”
He also points to the gaming industry as a major example. “They are leaders as far as digital transformation and reaching new generations are concerned.”
What can you do right now?
Many organisations are tied to a four-year subsidy cycle. They have to write multiannual plans, while what they really need is the agility and speed to respond to a changing society. Carlo van Lienden is clear about this: “Make sure you don’t miss the boat, but keep it simple. First, find the energy and courage to make a start. That is the first step. Read books or articles about new media or generation Z. And talk to colleagues.”
Carlo van Lienden is the former editor-in-chief of RTL Boulevard and RTL Late Night. Today, he is the owner of content studio Foresee and public speaker about the metaverse, storytelling and media. He looks at what the audience would like to see, how to present that and how it is received. He also does regular research into new developments in the online world. “Because that is where the audience is going.”