1 meet the parents january 2005 meet the parents (canada) paul acerbi vp yc september 2004
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Meet The ParentsMeet The Parents
January 2005January 2005
Meet The ParentsMeet The Parents
January 2005January 2005
Meet The Parents (Canada)Meet The Parents (Canada)Paul Acerbi VP YCPaul Acerbi VP YCSeptember 2004September 2004
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Synovate YC : What we doGlobal youth agency focusing on the lives and aspirations of 12-30 year olds
We provide youth brands with strategy, insight and ideas:
Insight Qualitative research Quantitative research Client Immersions Panels Edge
Continuous study of the youth context
Creates Concept Development Re-positioning Development Brand Consultancy
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Current Clients
MTV Britvic BBC Radio 1BBC 3 BBC InteractiveNestleCoorsAbsolut Burton’s BiscuitsUnilever BestfoodsRockportAllied DomecqCadburyMasterfoods
Coca Cola
Lever Faberge WhitbreadDiageo GBPrinces TrustJim Beam Brands
Wrangler / Lee
Halfords
Hewlett Packard
Sony
XFM
Etam
Orange
Synovate YC : Current Clients
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Synovate YC: Client views
"The complexities of researching the youth market are well documented. Synovate YC are one of the few specialists in this field that can draw a straight line through the issues. We are more than happy with their level of expertise and their insights have genuinely broadened our perspective" .‘
Graham Saxton, SVP Strategy – MTV Europe
‘“YC are one of our most important partners in helping us understand the dynamics of our young adult market - what matters, what doesn't; what's the present, what's the future. Critically for us, YC go far beyond the remit of a research agency, and act as a consultant and business partner in helping us anticipate our target consumers' motivations.”
John Hosking, Consumer Planning Director - Diageo GB
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Meet the ParentsIntroduction
Our research amongst youth throughout the world leads us to believe that parents have the biggest impact on young people’s lives
63% of Canadian families have children in the home. (2001 Census)
Global societal trend of young people staying at home for longer than ever before:
41% of 20-24 year olds are living at home! (Source: 2001 Census)
To understand why today’s youth behaves and responds as it does we need to understand the parents…
Welcome to Meet the Parents Canada
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How Do We Know This Stuff?
What? In-depth immersions with parents with children 12-30 living in the home Synovate Omnibus interviews of 500 parents across Canada TeenNation Omnibus interviews of 500 young people across NA
Who? Married Couples Single Parents Step-parent & Biological Parent Different ethnic groups Experts in Canada, UK and US
Where? Vancouver Regina Toronto Montreal
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Agenda
Adult Identity Crisis
Factors influencing parenting style: Parent’s childhood Fear
Why leave home?
Parental spending blitz
What does this mean for brands?
Team exercise
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The Adult Identity Crisis
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The Adult Identity Crisis
Parents often attribute their teen’s erratic behaviour, sloth like demeanour, and inability to take on any responsibility as an “identity crisis.” However, the tables have turned and now it is the parent who is searching for an ID . . .
We live in a culture which is obsessed with the cult of youth Media Celebrity Plastic surgery
Being adult has never been less culturally desirable
Responsibility Settled ways Boring…
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Adult Identity Crisis
Few meaningful ‘rights of passage’
Adults are not becoming parents until later in life by choice: Medically possible Status anxiety Reluctant to lose youth lifestyle Celebrity cues
Adults are trying hard to be young…. so what does this mean for being a parent?
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Factors Influencing Parenting
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Factors influencing Parenting Style
Research identifies 4 dominant drivers of parenting style
Parent’s upbringing
Familycontext
Cultural and religious background
Fear
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Factors influencing Parenting StyleParent’s Upbringing
Parents childhood = key driver of parenting style
The Parents childhood: Responsibility Perceived safe community Strict parents Limited school pressures Limited technology Play outside Job security Less consumption Working father and at-home
mother
Felt different to their parentsFelt their parents didn’t understand them
THEN
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Factors influencing Parenting StyleParent’s Upbringing
In response to parents have created a very different environment for their children:
They want their kids to like them Obsessed with cult of youth Lack of responsibility Fear of violence and crime Academic pressure Technology-obsessed culture Competitive job market Student debt Rife consumption Both parents in the workforce Working longer hours
Try to be accepted by their kidsTry to understand their kids
NOW
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Factors influencing Parenting StyleParent’s Upbringing
43% North American parents want to be their child’s best friend
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Factors influencing Parenting StyleParent’s Upbringing
Parents believe that “kids are getting smarter these days” because they know about: Technology Education Internet Media
Parents mistaking: EXPERIENCE and WORLDLINESS
for INTELLIGENCE and KNOWLEDGE
“Kids are becoming exposed to a far greater range of experiences that are distinct from their parents . . . The parents think, well I don’t understand this, so therefore they must be smarter than me.”
Frank Feradi, Professor of Sociology, University of Canterbury
This contributes to the parent’s lack of confidence in themselves
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Factors influencing Parenting StyleParents Upbringing: Pushover Parents
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Fear Factor
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Factors influencing Parenting StyleThe Fear Factor: The Outside World
All parents considered themselves worried about their children regardless of age
37% would prefer their kids at home at ALL times
All parents considered themselves worried about their children regardless of age
37% would prefer their kids at home at ALL times
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Factors influencing Parenting StyleThe Fear Factor: Underachievement
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Factors influencing Parenting StyleThe Fear Factor: Therapy Future
Middle class urban parents fear of damaging the child’s development
Reluctance to discipline children
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Factors influencing Parenting StyleThe Fear Factor
The fear factors result in:
Pity Feel sorry for their kids having to grow up in such
demanding and dangerous world
Life Guarding Create an excessively safe, comfortable and entertaining
environment at home So their kids never want to leave….
Parents are not afraid of what their kids may do in the outside world, but what the outside world may do to their kids
The fear factors result in:
Pity Feel sorry for their kids having to grow up in such
demanding and dangerous world
Life Guarding Create an excessively safe, comfortable and entertaining
environment at home So their kids never want to leave….
Parents are not afraid of what their kids may do in the outside world, but what the outside world may do to their kids
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Why Leave Home?
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47% of North American teenagers intend to stay at home as long as they canSource: Synovate TeenNation
56% of North American Parents don’t want their children to ever leave home!Source: Synovate TeleNation
Why Leave Home?
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Why Leave Home?
More younger people are staying at home for longer
Boomerang Generation = more are returning after they’ve left!
73% of Parents will always welcome their children moving back home
In previous generations, kids couldn’t wait to move out on their own to escape….
But now?
They want to stay and parents don’t even want them to leave!
29% of men between 25 and 29 live at home compared to 19% of women (2001 Census)
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Why Leave Home?Kids are living at home for longer and longer because the parents want them to
Parent losing a best friend! Parent losing the focus of their life! Parent worried about being alone! Parent worried about what might happen to them!
Hence many parents create an environment that is “impossible to leave”: No rent No bills No rules All cooking and washing done Toys – necessities not luxuries Space dedicated to fun
And they boomerang because real life is way too tough….
“I have always encouraged them to be at home, and that way I know what’s going on.”(Single mother of four older boys)
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Why Leave Home… Oh. My. God.
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Why Leave HomeMeet the Dumb 20 Somethings!
A dynamic where parents: Do everything for their child Protect kids from life experiences Encourage children to stay at
home longer
Result: 20 somethings with little grasp of how to manage adult life, (especially males)
How to cook? How to get a job? How to pay bills?
“We get ever worsening applications for jobs. Spelling mistakes, cut n pasting,wrong names. It’s like they don’t think. One who we turned down for just for these reasons
actually had their Dad call us to ask why!?”
HR Manager Synovate
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Spending Blitz
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Spending Blitz: Spoiled Rotten
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Spending BlitzRich
Poor
UnawareOf spoiling
AwareOf spoiling
Successful Drivers• Parents highly successful
• Understand the importance of hard work and education
• Insist on chores being done• Children highly focused on achieving
Value Instillers• Parents have small disposable income
and kids understand• Children expect little
• Children often focused on achieving
Spoil Seekers• Parents small disposable income but
spend heavily on children• Desire to ‘spoil’ their children
• Spend to make themselves feel good• Spend to keep up with consumerist
society• Shopping main hobby
• Children want for nothing and know the value of nothing
Prince Makers• Parents have high income
• Often from a poor background• Refuse to ask children to do anything,
provide everything for them• Children want for nothing and know the
value of nothing
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GUILT
FEAR
EGOLOVE
TREND
• Long working hours• Family breakdown• Arguments• Lack of connection
• Kids = fashion accessories
• Kids=cool, parents are cool…
Spending BlitzNeed.States
• Youth becoming less emotionally dependent
• Parent finds comfort in being the PROVIDER
• Reaction-based
• Child – fits in• Parent-peace of mind• Parents want to be young and cool
• Keep kids at home
• Stay safe
• Educational products
30%
22%
8%
2%
30%
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Spending Blitz
71% of parental child purchases are made without any child request (Source: Synovate TeleNation)
Best friend syndrome Mom does everything…
Parents purchase based on what they know or think their child will like… Guess-ter Power
In research, we came across no structured allowances – money provided as and when required
Older children often have parent funded credit cards
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So, what do the kids think?
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So, what do the kids think?Source: Synovate TeenNation
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What Does This Mean For Brands?
