Within the last generation, there has been a tectonic shift in the structure of the family. Traditionally, it was a hierarchy with the parents at the top. Now, that hierarchy has transformed into more of a web.
Fifty- four percent of Millennial parents believe that “the kids are my best friends,” compared to 38% of Gen X parents. The new dynamics within the family suggest that marketers need a different approach to research and insight gathering that prioritizes shared family “Passion Points” over individual needs.
The Family Room and Focusvision undertook a qualitative and quantitative study of the passion points in Millennial families. The qualitative portion consisted of recorded “in the moment story-telling,” letter-writing, and “photo safaris” to explore the meaning of the passion points, while the quantitative phase measured the size of the passion points, their dimensions, and how they shaped family decision-making.
The authors discovered that:
“To win with Millennial moms and families,” they conclude, brands need to “chase the elephant, not the rider” [i.e., focus on the emotional sub-conscious, rather than the rational].