More Than Just Data: TV Ads Cost What?, A Number You Want Lower, and Let Me Tell You About my Latest Trip to Paris.

Yesterday marked the end of the school year for my kids. Normally, this is a limp to the end of the year with everyone feeling ready for the ridiculously long break (parent take, not endorsed by said kids). This year felt different - more of a shoulder shrug versus a big feeling of relief. There were a few running theories in my mind of why it felt different than normal, including the fact that my kids are getting older, but in talking to a few parents we landed on a consensus…the weather.

It has been unseasonably cool on the east coast so far this year; at the final pick up for the school year yesterday, it was 65 degrees and misting, far from the 80-something degree weather we’re usually accustomed to by this point in June. In general, I am not complaining about the ability to be outside without sweating, but it does give events a different feel. This is not exactly groundbreaking news here. A nice sunny day can always improve people’s moods and increase the positive aspects in your memory, and the opposite is definitely true when there is an unexpected cold and blustery day. But it is strange when something feels decidedly different based on the weather being “abnormal.”

This got me thinking about how different certain events would feel with different weather. I’m not talking about the difficulty of pond hockey in 80 degree weather (although that would be kind of fun), but just a totally different feel to certain events. Being in the northern hemisphere, Christmas in my mind is equated with colder weather. I have never been to the southern hemisphere at that time of year, but I have to imagine the vibe is very different. What if the Declaration of Independence in the United States was signed on February 4th, or if le 14 juillet was le 14 novembre?

Context changes everything, and apparently so can the weather.

As always, here are some of the stories that caught our attention this week.

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Over the next few weeks, we are releasing our 2023 look at the world of streaming and online entertainment. It has been fascinating to see how habits have not only been changing in general, but how rapidly they are changing. Take, for example, the changes in how Americans are consuming their entertainment. Last year, two-thirds (66%) reported that they watch cable at least some of the time. A year later, that number dropped to 54%. By 2024, we could be in a world where less than half of Americans are watching what has been the dominant vehicle for entertainment.

Clearly, this is not good news for the cable industry, but it is also going to accelerate the changes in how companies are advertising their products to consumers. It also stands to reason that air time on TV is going to be much cheaper, which could be good news for those companies looking to reach an older audience (Americans 65+ currently have the highest rates of viewership for cable).

We’ll be rolling out the results on our website at the link below.

2023 Streaming Data

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, we are old. Good thing Pat Benetar didn’t write Love is a Battlefield in 2023. In fact, the median age in the United States reached a record high of 38.9 in 2022, according to data released Thursday. This represents an increase of almost nine years since 1980.

In case you were wondering, Maine is the oldest state (44.8 median age), with New Hampshire (43.3) not far behind. Unsurprisingly, Florida is home to the oldest county in the country with a population over 100,000 where the median age is 68.1 (Sumter County). On the flip side, Utah (31.9), the District of Columbia (34.8) and Texas (35.5) are the youngest. However, we’re still younger on average than our European counterparts where the median age is 44, so at least we have that going for us.

We Are Old

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Who doesn’t love a spectacle??In case you weren’t in Paris on Tuesday night (guessing just about everyone reading this), Pharrell had his debut Louis Vuitton show and it was just a touch over the top. The really short version is that they shut down the Pont Neuf for 24 hours, wrapped it in gold, ran a runway from end to end, and filled it with what was described as “if he combined the Met Gala with a massive fashion show with a Jay-Z concert, and it was all held on the oldest bridge in Paris.”

A few number highlights:

1,900 guests attended the show

72 models walked the runway

70 singers were in Voices of Fire, the choir lead by Pharrell’s uncle, Bishop Ezekiel Williams

2,500 master craftspeople were employed by LV, according to Pharrell

If you were one of the 1,900 in attendance, please let me know. I would love to hear more.

Quite the Show

We hope you enjoyed this week’s edition and, as always, we look forward to your thoughts and hearing what stories caught your eye this week.?