How mobile apps are helping industries appeal to millennials

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According to Nielsen's data on smartphone ownership, as of 2014, 85% of millennials aged between 18 and 24 own smartphones while 86% of those aged between 25 and 34 own the handsets. Millennials are a huge portion of the population, encompassing people born in the 1980s, 90s and early 2000s. In the United States, millennials are 77 million people so that's a lot of people who own smartphones!

But these stats aren't just excellent news for smartphone providers and network carriers. Millennial smartphone ownership is also impacting other industries as mobile apps give the large demographic access to industries they otherwise wouldn't be part of. Here are just a few industries likely to benefit.

Live Concerts

The success of streaming apps such as Spotify and Apple Music highlights the fact that millennials love listening to music and connecting with artists as much as ever but did you know that this demographic is also enthusiastic about attending live shows?

A report by Eventbrite reveals that 80% of millennials attended a ticketed event in 2016, worth $1.3 trillion of revenue in the live event industry. Mobile apps such as Eventbrite's own app, TodayTix, allow millennials to buy tickets on the go, as soon as they hear about a show. In fact, 70% of TodayTix's audience is believed to be millennials.

Lottery

The lottery industry is typically thought of as being an interest of older players but mobile apps have allowed millennials to get in on the fun too. A CNBC report from 2017 notes that, in 2016, just one-third of people aged 20 to 35 purchased lottery tickets in 2015, but that mobile apps have the potential to appeal to millennials who want to play on the go.

The ability to play the lottery on your phone is a huge selling point for millennials who are perhaps unable to keep track of physical, paper lottery tickets because of their busy lifestyles. Not only that but lottery apps allow millennials to play international games including the EuroMillions, Irish Lotto, Oz Lotto, MegaMillions, and more. Millennials are in a place where they are setting up their futures and planning their careers, making those lottery winnings especially helpful.

Coffee

Since 2001, coffee prices have skyrocketed, becoming more expensive each year. A rise was also experienced in 2017 due to supply shortage concerns and a surge in demand for Arabica coffee beans. But, despite this, millennials are still big on coffee. An estimated 60% of millennials regularly spend more than $4 on coffee.

This can likely be attributed to the abundance of 'coffee lover' apps such as timers and tutorials that teach users how to brew the perfect cup of java, learn more about the coffee industry, and locate local coffee shops. Coffee loyalty apps such as those offered by Starbucks also give young adults an added incentive to keep buying.

As businesses rack their brains in an effort to figure out how to appeal to millennials, it seems that the answer may be simple. Make a useful, interactive mobile app and the millennials will flock to you.