School’s Out! Insights into what school holidays mean for media habits

My favourite thing to do in the school holidays with my family is

to create new, exciting, educational and memorable

experiences together. Because there is nothing more precious

than magic moments and memories with the ones you love.

Summary of Key Insights

E x p e c t at i o n V s R e a l i t y

R a d i o u s a ge d o e s n ’ t de c l i n e , i t

j u st c h a nge s

T h e r i s e o f t h e P AN K / P UN K

Whilst parents expect school

holidays to be a time of relaxation,

quality time with kids and doing fun

activities, the reality is quite different.

Parents are wanting ideas on what to

get up to so direct them where to go.

For 67% of parents, over school

holidays they are either consuming

the same or more amounts of radio!

However, without the school run it

means that radio usage has changed

slightly to be consumed more when

they are out and about.

It’s not only mums and dads that are

purchasing more on holidays – aunts

and uncles are ready to spend freely

before they hand the kids back.

Make the most of this cashed up

segment but including them in

your messaging.

- Advertising influences purchase decisions for 55%

- 85% spend more on their kids during school holidays with the spending

primarily going to entertainment, groceries and eating out.

- Word of Mouth sparks activity ideas but media sparks WOM

General School Holiday Habits School holidays is always about pre-planning and juggling care arrangements. Whilst it’s a chance to spend

quality time with the kids, many things need to be thought out first. It is also an expensive time of year so we

will look at where they are spending their money and what media influences their decision to purchase.

6AM 7AM 8AM 9AM 10AM 11AM 12MD 1PM 2PM 3PM 4PM 5PM 6PM

70% Wake up a bit later on

school holidays

78% Leave the house later in the

day compared to a school day

57% Stay out later at night

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. N= 1301

A Typical day consists of… mixing up the routine!

Plus, almost half say their routine changes dramatically on school holidays! 70% Of SCA pa ren ts re l ax t he i r da i l y r ou t i nes on schoo l ho l i days .

“Bit of a sleep in with the kids,

relaxing morning making breakfast

and the kids watching kids tv…”

“…listening to them fight with each

other and annoy the heck out of me,

me yelling at them, them eating all day,

dinner time and eventually bed.”

“…do an physical activity together,

cycling, walking swimming playing

ball sports etc, lunch…”

School holidays are about…

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. N= 1301

9%

23%

23%

26%

27%

32%

59%

66%

74%

76%

Travel overseas

Exhibitions (Royal Easter Show, EKKAetc.)

Museum

Theme parks

Day trip to another city

Travel domestically

Beach

Park

Take the kids shopping

Cinema

Now, which of the following activities do you usually do when on school holidays?

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. “Now, which of the following activities do you usually do when on school holidays?” N= 1301

Cheap thrills are what school holidays are about

School holidays are an expensive time of

year. So, it’s not surprising to see free or low

cost activities top the list of things to do.

Businesses could benefit from offering deals

during the school holiday periods to entice

families.

With 74% of parents (77% of mums) taking

the kids shopping, school holidays are the

time of year whereby parents spend more on

groceries -don’t forget the purchasing power

kids have!

Did you know??

Parents in regional markets are 43% more

likely than their metro counterparts to take a

day trip!

Entertainment

Now thinking about your spending habits on school holidays in comparison to other times, which of the following products do you spend MORE on when school holidays occur?

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. “Now thinking about your spending habits on school holidays in comparison to other times, which of the following

products do you spend MORE on when school holidays occur?” N= 1301

Entertainment is where they are spending more

Are

spending

more on…

Groceries

57%

Are

spending

more on…

Eating Out

53%

Are

spending

more on…

Fast Food

51%

Are

spending

more on…

82%

Attractions

Are

spending

more on…

Confectionary

32%

Are

spending

more on…

Clothes

18%

Are

spending

more on…

Toys

11%

Are

spending

more on…

49%

85% Spend more on their kids during school holidays and 69% make more spontaneous purchases.

But what are they spending more on?

Advertising inf luences purchase decisions...

55% Say advertising for local businesses and attractions can influence their purchase decisions when on school holidays.

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. N= 1301

Advertise to leverage awareness and purchases

So, what media helps spark ideas on what to do on school holidays and how

can these media platforms drive purchases?

What sparks ideas on what to get up to on holidays?

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. “What sparks ideas on what to get up to on holidays?” N= 1301

Parents ask around for inspiration, whether it be friends or their kids.

“Ask the children and depends on budget. I

have a list of 'reward' activities that we can do if

they are well behaved and these come in to

play more during holidays”

“Facebook discussions with friends, talking to

other school mums, ads on radio or TV, online

sites (e.g. drive ins or movies), googling ideas”

17%

25%

29%

34%

43%

55%

56%

63%

74%

Magazines

School

Flyers/mailouts

Shopping centres/stores

Newspapers

Radio

TV

Internet

Word of mouth

Narrowing it down... which of the following inspires ideas and activities to do on the school holidays?

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. “Narrowing it down... which of the following inspires ideas and activities to do on the school holidays?” N= 1301

WOM is what inspires ideas but people need to get these ideas from somewhere!

Whilst word of mouth is the key platform to determine

what to do on school holidays, mass media can be the

driver behind WOM.

Over half of parents use radio to spark ideas on what to

do on school holidays- this is considerably higher than

any print media.

Did you know??

Parents in regional markets are 32% more likely than their

metro counterparts to use radio to discover activities!

I N S I G H T # 1 …

Expectat ion Vs Real it y

In looking at what parents feel is the best part of school holidays is and comparing it with the worst, it can be said there is some

juxtapositions which suggests the expectations of school holidays with the reality is quite different!

W H A T Y O U C A N D O :

With radio listening staying prevalent across the school holiday period and parents wanting inspiration on ideas, radio is the perfect

environment for brands to communicate their products or services to these parents.

EXPECTATIONS (BEST) REALITY (WORST)

Spending time with the kids The kids drive them crazy with ‘I’m bored’ & ‘I’m hungry’.

Having new adventures The expense of school holidays limits the activities that can be done

Sleeping in Most still have to work

Relax the daily routine Getting them back into the school routine is a nightmare

Spending time with family Shuffling the kids between family members

What is the best thing about school holidays?

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. “What is the best thing about school holidays?” N= 1301

The BEST thing about school holidays was having extra time to do things

“Not having to wake up and quickly throw together lunches and uniforms and

bags and shoes. Instead we wake up and the kids lay in bed with me and we

decide what adventures we are going go take for the day.” B E S T K E Y P O I N T S

- Being able to spend quality

time with the kids

- Have a sleep in together

- Relaxing the routine for a few

weeks and not having to rush

around

- No school lunches to pack or

uniforms to iron

What is the worst/hardest thing about school holidays?

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. “What is the worst/hardest thing about school holidays?” N= 1301

The WORST thing about school holidays is keeping kids entertained

“Finding cheap, affordable things we can do as a family. And that's when the

boredom sets in. We'd probably best to go picnicking or hiking but we're fairly

new to the area so not too sure where we can go & what there is to do that

doesn't involve spending a great deal of money.”

“Having to work full time, the hardest thing about school holidays is the kids

needing get shuffled around between family members helping out in looking

after them. And not being able to spend the time with them myself.”

W O R S T K E Y P O I N T S

- Still having to work

- It is an expensive time of year

to keep kids entertained

- Boredom sets in and tempers

flare- fights amongst siblings

- Finding activities to keep them

occupied

I N S I G H T # 2 …

Rad io usage doesn ’t dec l i ne , it just changes

Whilst there may be an assumption that radio usage declines over the holidays, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, 20%

actually listen to MORE!

Even though the school run takes a break for a couple of weeks, radio listenership between Breakfast and 3pm remains high.

However, radio listening also increases across the WHOLE day.

67% of SCA parents

consume more or the same

amount of radio on holidays

Aside from the internet,

radio is the top media

platform for parents before

3pm. It remains number one

in Breakfast.

Leaving the house later

means people are more

likely to be listening to the

radio when they are out

and about across the day.

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. “Now thinking about your media usage during school holidays, what media do you consume during these time

periods?” N= 1301

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

5am-9am 9am-12pm 12pm-3pm 3pm-4pm 4pm-7pm 7pm-9pm

Radio TV Internet Magazines Newspapers Catalogues Cinema

Despite not having to do the school run, radio is still the number one media before 9am demonstrating

that Breakfast is still a key daypart to advertise to reach parents. Whilst people do increase their trips to

the cinema over the holidays, radio still remains one of the top media platforms.

How they consume media changes

“I do listen to a lot more radio as I am always running around after them- My internet usage is minimized to

later in the evening as the kids are up later. I watch more TV/Movies than I would on a school day. I read

more woman's magazines well on outing waiting for rides to finish or playing in the park”

67% O F S C A PA R E N T S C O N S U M E

MORE OR THE SAME A M O U N T O F R A D I O O N H O L I D AY S .

In fact, 20% listen of these parents are listening to more

radio! Therefore it’s not only key to advertise prior to school

holidays to catch those forward planners but also on holidays so people can make spontaneous decisions.

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. “Do you consume MORE, THE SAME OR LESS of the following media platforms when on school holidays

compared to an average day?” N= 1301

1 in 5 are listening to more radio!

6AM 7AM 8AM 9AM 10AM 11AM 12MD 1PM 2PM 3PM 4PM 5PM 6PM

Later starts… “6.00 get up, gym breakfast read

paper, 10.00 drag kids out of bed…”

Out and about… “… usually go out for lunch or go to

the shops to fill in some time , the

kids play on the computer or ps4 ,

walk the dogs and have a kick of the footy …”

Down time… “…chilling out a bit, listening to them

fight with each other and annoy the heck out of me…”

Later nights… “…come home curl up on

lounge watch telly till late then

do it allover again”

A typical day changes on holidays and so does their media habits

“My internet usage is

minimized to later in the

evening as the kids are

up later. “

“I listen to the Radio a lot more as I

am driving around in the car for

longer.” “Don't tend to listen to radio early

morning… listen to radio in the

car travelling so use more radio

during day time.”

Radio later… Driving… Down time…

“With no afternoon activites more

television is watched, will hire dvd's

to have a movie and popcorn day

at home”

Personal use…

Radio is all about information when on holidays!

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. “Now, how do you feel about the following statements in relation to school holidays?” N= 1301

51% Feel the local radio station is a great source of information when on school holidays

But what about those without kids? 44% of people (no kids) feel school holidays have an effect on their day to day habits! The following

section will take a look at how school holidays effect those without children.

Take my nephew somewhere that he'll

enjoy that I secretly want to go too as well.

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. “Holiday habits change?” N= 1710

Day to day habits also change for those without kids

Do your habits change during school holidays?

Leave for work later… “I can get up a bit later as the morning

traffic to work is lighter during school

holiday weeks”

Less traffic on the road… “Less traffic means a bit more time to do

other stuff, particularly catching up on

paperwork, and an opportunity to catch

up with mates.”

Tel l them where to go… “Don't go to the shops as much over

the holidays and do not go anywhere

near the theme parks!”

Catch ups & babysitting… “I look after my nephew who

goes to kindy so when he is on

holidays I look after him an

extra day per week.”

I N S I G H T # 3 …

The r i se of t he P ANK/P UNK School holidays usually mean that parents are purchasing more for their children. But, a new trend has emerged that means it’s

no longer just the parents purchasing and entertaining children.

T R E N D :

A PANK (Professional Aunt/Uncle, No Kids) are a segment of younger women with high disposable incomes who are ready to

be engaged by brands. They have the time, income and passion for purchasing the best for kids in their life (not their own kids).

Check out the below to see how this falls into place.

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. “Holiday habits change?” N= 1710 Source: PANK Power. Pankpower.com

W h at o u r l i s t e n e r s s a y t h e i r f a v o u r i t e p a r t o f s c h o o l h o l i d a y s i s…

“Taking nephews and

niece to movies. Hype

them up on fun and sugar,

then take them home!”

“I love spending time with my

nephew, going places and

exploring Melbourne and

surrounding areas, I go back

to being a kid :)”

“Watching late night movies with

my nephews and we all sleep in the

lounge room together! They gently

wake you with a kiss and say

morning and it's still dark lol.”

Source: SCA School Holidays 2014. “Holiday habits change?” N= 1710

Many offer to help out with the kids- the rise of the PANK and PUNK

Source: PANK Power. Pankpower.com

With so many people helping with child minding over the holidays, it is important not to disregard the power of

the PANK and PUNK in spending money on kids. Particularly because their media habits will essentially

remain the same so you can talk to them with messages you may use to target parents.

28% Of fe r t o he lp ou t f r i ends / f am i l y w i t h k i ds when schoo l ho l i days a re on

With a new trend occurring in the rise of the P ANK/P UNK,

it’s no surprise that…

Prepared by Southern Cross Austereo Research

For more information contact:

SCA Resea rch scaresearchdepartment@sca.com.au

M E T H O D O L O G Y

The results of this survey are “INDICATIVE” ONLY.

The survey was conducted by Southern Cross Austereo using its

online panel nationally.

The panel is obtained from our radio networks database under the

labels of ‘VIP’ on the TODAY Network and ‘Music Jury’ on the MMM

Network. All members of these databases would be considered

listeners to these stations.

The database contains about 246,000 members. Of these,

approximately 20,000 are a part of our online community.

The is split between the Today VIP database and the Triple M

database. Members of both databases were asked to take part in the

study, and over 3011 did so.

Certain questions asked for an ‘essay’ or ‘verbatim’ type of response OR

brands/words that first came to mind.

A keyword search was used to sort and rank the responses to these

questions.

The results are an un-weighted sample, but are reflective of the Southern

Cross Austereo Austereo audience. SCA brands reach approximately 40% of

the 10+ population and approximately 46% of the 25-54 population in the five

metropolitan markets in Australia, suggesting it would be reasonable to

consider these results to be a fair if not fully balanced representation of the

opinions in these marketplaces.

Furthermore, as it is an online survey, the respondents would also be skewed

towards being ‘early adopters’ for technology, ‘trend setters’ in general and

likely to be a good early indication of brand leaders, trend setters and early

adopters in general.

These research surveys conducted by Austereo are done so to provide a

general understanding of the opinions, interests and attitudes of the

metropolitan marketplaces only.