Dive Brief:
- Seventy-four percent of millennial fathers in the U.S. said they think advertisers and marketers are out of touch with modern family dynamics, according to a Saatchi & Saatchi NY survey made available to Marketing Dive.
- The survey of 1,100 dads found that 85% said they know more than people give them credit for, and 80% think a "real man" is one who's comfortable expressing his feelings.
- Thirty-two percent of 25- to 40-year-old dads consider themselves first adopters of tech, per the survey, compared to 22% of millennial moms.
Dive Insight:
As gender and family dynamics continue to shift, advertisements portraying the modern American family follow suit to reflect the changing times. Still, Saatchi's survey found that most millennial dads think today's ads don't ring true to the engaged roles they play in maintaining a home and caring for their kids.
Some brands, including Unilever's Axe and Dove Men+Care brands, are ahead of the game and have been redefining "dadvertising" to promote their products. Their messaging portrays millennial fathers as caregivers and educators — not the well-meaning but clueless head of households of the past. Unilever's focus on strengthening the emotional connection with men is smart given that the global men's personal care market is expected to grow 5.4% annually to reach $166 billion by 2022.
According to Saatchi's survey, 60% of respondents claim to be better dads thanks to parenting content on social media, highlighting a potential channel to reach this growing consumer group, which has more family-oriented decision-making power than it did decades ago. By reflecting changes in family and parenting roles, brands could tap into this progressive and digital-savvy group via updated ads portraying millennial fathers as engaged caregivers and emotionally available role models.
