Kiss and Tell

“I PUT ON MY SHOES AND I'M READY FOR THE WEEKEND…” 03 August 2010

The office atmosphere is buzzing, people are laughing and joking and the girls are rushing to the toilets, armed with their make-up bags. This can only mean one thing - it's Friday and time to don the glad rags, assemble your friends and hit up those bars. To many Kiss listeners, Friday and Saturday nights provide the perfect opportunity to let off some steam with a couple of drinks and a cheeky boogie. However, since the economic downturn, has the social activity of the masses been neglected in favour of cheaper alternatives, or are the public still eager to seek sanctity on the glowing squares of a dance floor?

According to a recent survey we sent to our Kiss listeners, the major factors influencing their decisions when contemplating where to go on a night out focus heavily around music style and locality rather than monetary gain. The survey, which was sent out earlier this summer, reported the top concerns to be: music style, the venue, the DJ and proximity to public transport. The issue of money didn't sneak up till later as door price, drinks promos and club giveaways were all further down the list of importance. We also asked our most regular play out DJs for their opinions on current clubbing trends and their answers provided us with an insightful peek into the current world of nightclubs. Kiss dance DJ Steve Smart, believes that “Live entertainment (be it clubbing, going to a bar, concerts etc) is one of the last things to be affected in times like these. It’s almost like people want to let their hair down, forget about the 9-5 in the week and get out and about.” From our survey we also discovered that the only evening activity to beat clubbing in Kiss listeners’ eyes is dining out. 63% voted for this, putting it in first place, closely followed by ‘Clubbing’ with 59% and joint third was‘Going to a bar’ or ’Going to a pub’ which both received 54%. TGI figures work with these results to prove that clubbing is still a popular pastime and reports that in total Kiss listeners usually make just over 1 million visits to nightclubs a month. These results may be slightly shocking as they seem to contradict the predicted ‘tightening of money belts’ that was expected to go hand in hand with the economic recession. So, how are nightclubs still popular in a time where recreational activities are considered a luxury? Are our conclusions merely surface observations which do not examine what is happening among the business big wigs of the nightclub world?

Mintel, a market research firm who analyse and predict media trends, forecast in March of last year that nightclubs could slip into decline once the recession hit with thoughts of high door prices and expensive drinks acting as a deterrent. Simultaneously they declared that the favoured activity of a Wednesday night visiting to the cinema, would see a boost as it could be viewed as a cheaper alternative to eating/ drinking out. In addition to this, some nightclubs are reported to have lost revenue and had to make staffing cuts over the last few years; factors that are not indicative of a thriving industry. So what are we to surmise from the decline in in-club spending alongside the persistent party animals who continue to dance against all odds? Well, there are a few options to consider…

One could be that instead of heading to bars early, people are cutting back on costs and drinking more before even leaving the house. TGI shows that 40% of all Kiss listeners agree that the majority of their drinking is done at home. Steve Smart concurs with this point stating ‘I notice on my shows on Kiss over the weekend, a lot of people texting in saying they are having a few drinks whilst getting ready to go out. This will probably save them money as they then won’t need as much when they’re out!’ With shop bought alcohol boasting a price-tag the fraction of one that you would find in any club or pub, it is little wonder that this slightly ‘student’ style of drinking has been adopted. Have a look at the word cloud below which shows an amalgamation of text messages, all received during Steve Smart’s shows;

Alcohol drinkers could also decide not to be persuaded to join in with the shot downing, beer guzzling and wine slurping of their friends, instead opting to be chauffeur for the night. Kiss presenter DJ Swerve’s comments link music style with drinking habits when he remarks that, ‘In R&B clubs, people like to drink but unless it's a student rave, I rarely see many drunk people.’ Designated drivers are being encouraged by companies such as Coca Cola who created a scheme to reward drivers by offering them three free soft drinks a night. Budweiser then followed suit by creating a TV ad showing support for designated drivers. By not only having your drinks paid for but also the pleasure of escorting your trollied friends home- what’s not to like?!

However the biggest factor dictating the financial downfall of the nightclubbing industry is external: that of age. The majority of clubbers are still aged 18-24. Unfortunately, people within this age bracket despite being up for a good night out, do not rake in huge salaries so they have less to spend; though they're still keen clubbers, they do not have the cash to splash unlike an older more affluent clubber might. What this translates to in reality is people being far more choosy in the clubs that they go to. DJ Swerve has observed similar traits and comments that recently ‘clubbers have been more selective as to which nights to go to- they can’t afford to go out all weekend’. Such evidence points to the likely conclusion listeners are saving up their pennies and cutting back on other things to prioritise still being able to dance their troubles away.

It would seem that, in spite of the difficult state of the economy in recent times Kiss listeners cannot resist the pull of the dance floor. They may not be the persistent party animals they once were before inflated prices and controlled spending hit, but the urge to let their hair down and relax with friends on a Friday or Saturday night remains strong. As Kiss and commercial club tunes go hand in hand so our listeners seem to be reluctant to part with the music that permeates their lives, at least not for the sake of a few pounds.