SWNYADLIB by Zoya Gervis
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
NEWS COPY - WITH VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
Are you a planner or more spur-of-the moment?
Americans typically make five spontaneous decisions a month -amassing to an incredible 3,600 last-minute decisions in their lifetime, according to new research.
A new study, conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by Eventbrite evaluated the last-minute mentality of 2,000 Americans saw 68 percent describe themselves as spontaneous overall.
In fact, 71 percent of those who describe themselves as very spontaneous also describe themselves as very happy — which is double the percentage of those who consider themselves to be somewhat spontaneous.
And like most things, spontaneity comes at a cost. The average respondent spends $144.25 per month on last-minute spends- amounting to an incredible $103,860 in a typical adult lifetime.
With Americans racking up $100k+ in last-minute spends, impulsivity clearly comes with a price tag but does it pay off? Over half (53 percent) admit that some of their best purchasing decisions have been ones that were
made spontaneously or last minute.
When it comes to which purchasing decisions are spontaneous, experiences top the list- 59 percent admit that choosing which restaurant to have dinner at is likely to be an impromptu decision.
Weekend plans (24 percent) are the third most common form of impromptu decision, followed by deciding what to do tonight and whether or not to go to the movies. Other last minute decisions involve going to a wine tasting (9 percent) and going to a music festival (12 percent).
Rachel Grate, a content strategist at Eventbrite, stated: “It’s a digital world, but people are craving real-life connection more than ever and prioritizing their spending on unique experiences over material items. What’s surprising is that many experience purchases are made last-minute, so when hosts are thinking about how to reach potential attendees, it’s important to t develop a strategy that speaks to the spontaneous buyer.”
Americans rely on specific factors when it comes to deciding whether to attend or accept a last-minute invite. For the majority (83 percent), cost is the leading factor when it comes to making a last-minute purchasing decision.
But price isn’t the only thing that plays a role in last-minute decision making – convenience (55 percent), brand (48 percent), accessibility (36 percent), and friends’ recommendations (24 percent) all cracked the top five factors for making a purchasing decision.
The study also revealed some interesting insight around what deters people from attending events most commonly. Physical factors like tiredness or feeling unwell top the list of biggest reasons to bail on plans, followed by wanting alone time or worries over spending money.
Even when people have RSVP’d to events, there is still strong potential that they may change their minds last-minute - 47 percent had ‘flaked’ on attending an event in the last month
And those hosting events need to ensure they battle against people dropping out even after the ticket has been sold. Four in five Americans will still consider flaking on an event, even if they’ve pre-paid for the ticket.
Rachel Grate, a content strategist at Eventbrite, added: “To make sure people actually attend your event — instead of registering and then flaking — you need to keep them engaged between their ticket purchase and the event date. Engage them on social media with behind-the-scenes Instagram Stories, send a reminder email before the event answering FAQs, and tease a surprise element of your event experience to intrigue them into attending.”
