Captivating Connections.

don't forget the dads...

"In the middle of the marketing frenzy around mommy bloggers, Sony Electronics has turned its attention to the other gender, launching DigiDads, a program all about putting its products into a small group of blogging dads in hopes that they'll play with them and write about them.

The dads are not getting paid for using the consumer-electronics giant's products and will have to return them when they're done. Oh, and it's not quite as simple as giving them a product to review, and asking them to write about it, according to Marcy Cohen, senior manager of communications at Sony Electronics, and Chris Brogan, president of New Marketing Labs. Unlike with journalists, who often receive products on loan from Sony to review, Sony will put together projects for the blogging dads that they can use the gadgets on.

'Anybody can do blogger outreach,' said Mr. Brogan.'We're aiming for telling a story vs. 'Here's some stuff, write about it.'' The projects will include 'Summer of 100 Faces,' where the dads and their kids will use Sony cameras to take 100 portraits. Other plans include using a GPS-equipped video camera to map out historical video tours of a neighborhood or record a tour on a vacation."

how does your family stay together?

Wondering how families stay together in an incredibly fragmented world?

"Households with a married couple and minor children are more likely than other household types to have mobile phones and subscribe to the Internet, according to data released in October 2008 by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Nearly nine out of 10 married-with-children households surveyed owned multiple mobile phones, and nearly one-half owned three or more. Two-thirds of such households had broadband at home. The national average for all households is 52%.

Many of the families Pew surveyed used their mobile phones to keep in touch: 70% of couples in which both partners owned a mobile phone contacted each other daily to say hello or chat, and 42% of parents contacted their child/children every day by mobile phone."

See? Technology doesn't tear families apart; it may actually help them stay together (or get even closer) in ways that were previously unimagined. I can imagine, thinking back to when I was a kid and felt that face-to-face conversations or having my parents physically check up on me was intrusive, that being able to keep in touch via text is a happy medium for family members of all levels.

but daddy said i could have it.

It is no secret or shock that dads, especially Gen X and Y dads, are more involved in all aspects of parenting than ever, especially as the number of stay-at-home dads continues to rise, as does the number of different ways families are structured.

What should be of interest to brands targeting parents is that dads don't only influence purchases, they're increasingly making them:

"Many Generation X and Y fathers are more involved with their children's lives and more likely to make regular product purchases--not just the home electronics or riding lawnmower buys, confirms a new study from Packaged Facts, authored by Silver Stork Research."

So, what does that mean?

"Of the estimated 66 million U.S. fathers, half are reported to be full-time fathers, and a growing number are single-parent heads of households. The total number of fathers is expected to grow nearly 10% over the next decade as Gen Y's age into the parenthood years. The shift to the 'new dad' mentality is happening, but gradually: Currently, one in four fathers report being 'very involved' with the daily activities of their children. Growing segments for exploration by marketers include single, gay and Hispanic fathers.

Who are these new generations of dads? They are less defined by gender stereotypes and see much less of a dividing line between men and women--partly as a result of their upbringing and partly as a result of being married to women who work and are more active and individualistic than previous generations. Therefore, these dads approach parenthood with a team attitude. Gen X and Y dads are positive, comfortable with their gender, optimistic about being parents (focused on the opportunities of providing for their children), and much more active consumers than dads of previous generations."

This is a great study, and something you need to take into consideration when it comes to everything from packaging to messaging.

fashionable technology.

I often mention how America is lagging behind other countries when it comes to mobile tech usage in media, marketing, consumption (sorry, it's true), but it looks like we're making some progress:

Polo Ralph Lauren is trying something  new, looking to attract tech (and fashion) savvy consumers by leveraging coding in print ads and other locations that will feature coding. When users download special software to their phones, they can scan these codes, be sent to a mobile version of the Polo site, and shop from there.

As David Lauren, the Senior Vice-President of Advertising at Polo, explains:

“We recognize that in America this is going after somebody who is more comfortable with technology. The truth is that in other countries, it’s becoming a part of their culture. The trend is coming, and as a fashion company it’s very important to identify trends and get ahead of them. This is about someone who's interested in our brand and interested in technology, and wherever the two meet, that's what's appropriate."

Smart guy. Smart idea. How will it play out, though? Will you use it?

(PS - it also proves the idea that geeks are the new gods...or goddesses ;) )

 

what's daddy doing all day?

Here is a great snapshot of the secret life of Today's Stay-At-Home Dad.

"The lot of the caregiver dad is often depicted as difficult and lonely — shut out by cliquish moms and nannies on the playground, financially emasculated by his breadwinner wife, generally cut off from the forces that sustain a man."

Hm.

where does mom's money go?

According to the NPD Group, "when it comes to the kids, moms spend most of their money on clothes and entertainment."

How do these categories break down exactly?

"Clothing represents the biggest single category for discretionary spending among mothers with children ages 14 and under-about 23%. But overall, entertainment is a much bigger slice of the "What did you get me?" pie, with a total of 48%. That's split among such categories as toys and board games (13%), leisure activities (13%), books, music, and movies (7%), video games (7%), consumer electronics (3%), subscriptions (3%) and events (2%.) And another 12% goes to food and beverages."

The most interesting part of this research is the finding that, despite what people may have previously thought, a child's age dictates how the mom's money will be spent, NOT the household income.