BabyCenter® & YouGov Research Reveals That Featuring Diverse Family Types In Advertising Resonates With Today's Parents

SAN FRANCISCO, March 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BabyCenter®, the #1 pregnancy and parenting web destination worldwide, has released "Family Diversity Is the New Norm: 7 Best Practices for Brands to Connect With Today's Parents," a new report revealing how brands can more effectively engage with parents by reflecting shifts across the American family landscape – spotlighting households with parents who are single, co-habitating, LGBTQ, mixed race, or who include stay-at-home dads. Created in partnership with research company YouGov, the whitepaper features exclusive quantitative research, pinpointing parents' views on family trends, advertising, and brands, showing that a majority (80%) like seeing diverse families in marketing, regardless of the composition of their own family. Moreover, 4 in 10 families include these "modern family" types, with the classic "traditional family" types shrinking. The report also taps into opinions and advice from 10 luminaries from the brand, entertainment, ad creative, and media agency worlds to provide meaningful insights that can guide advertisers who are considering campaigns that embrace the new diverse family paradigm.

"It is clear that diverse families are becoming the new norm in the U.S.," said Julie Michaelson, Head of Global Sales, BabyCenter. "The transition has many marketers unsure of how to mirror this shift in their advertising, and several of our own brand clients have come to us for guidance in walking the 'new modern family' tightrope. This report is a direct response, providing real world advice, supported by hard data, to give brand marketers a guidepost for successfully connecting with all of the different kinds of families that make up the mosaic of this country."

Industry experts offering their opinions and advice include:

• Vida Cornelious, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Walton Isaacson
• Samie Kim Falvey, Executive Vice President, Comedy Development and International Scripted Development, ABC Entertainment Group
• Teresa Gonzalez Ruiz, Vice President, Global Brand Marketing, Fisher-Price
• A.J. Hassan, Vice President, Creative Director, Leo Burnett
• Jane Lacher, Executive Vice President, Strategy, Zenith Media
• Nick Law, Global Chief Creative Officer, R/GA
• Michelle Lynn, Chief Insights Officer, Dentsu Aegis Network
• Jamie Moldafsky, Chief Marketing Officer, Wells Fargo
• Gary Osifchin, Vice President, Global Brands, Biscuits Category, Mondelēz International
• Manoj K. Raghunandanan, Senior Marketing Director, Johnson & Johnson (U.S. Pain Franchise)

Collectively, these media and marketing innovators and leaders help distill seven best practices for marketers looking to engage with current shifts in the family dynamic:

1. Depict families realistically and authentically
2. Conduct in-depth research that includes garnering feedback from diverse types of parents
3. Stay true to your brand, aligning new marketing efforts with core brand storylines
4. Match your brand's corporate values, policies, and actions to its external marketing communications
5. Feature universal truths – highlight qualities and experiences that unite all families
6. Ensure that inclusivity drives media strategy
7. Prepare to stay the course – with stakeholder support – in the face of detractors

These guidelines are bolstered by in-depth surveys and interviews with parents in "modern" families as well as "traditional" households, showing that:

• 87% of parents agree that society is more accepting of different types of families
• 66% of parents think it is important that brands respect all types of families
• 72% of parents say a brand that shares their values is an important factor in their purchasing decisions

The results also demonstrate that showcasing diverse family types makes good business sense:

• 49% of Millennial parents are more likely to talk to their friends about products that include more diverse family types in their ads
• 41% are more likely to purchase these products

In addition, the study points to the need for a comprehensive approach and careful consideration:

• 61% of parents agree that "brands tend to claim to support causes that are popular regardless of whether they are making an authentic commitment to that cause"
• 7 in 10 parents have consciously not purchased a product because they don't believe in what the company stands for

YouGov BrandIndex data also provides another layer of intelligence, tracking consumer perception surrounding specific ad campaigns that showcase diverse families. 

"With the paths through adulthood, relationships, and parenthood so diverse and potentially fluid, the time is right for brands to recognize and celebrate that diversity," Ted Marzilli, CEO, YouGov BrandIndex. "That said, it is critical that brands appear authentic and the messaging reflects the values of the company. Balancing a message of inclusiveness while not alienating existing customers is a challenge for many brands."

"Family Diversity Is the New Norm: 7 Best Practices for Brands to Connect With Today's Parents" will come to life onstage during two official sessions at the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, March 12, 2016. Held at the Hilton Garden Inn's 18 Over Austin, the 2pm and 3:30pm (Central) panels will feature select experts from the whitepaper, as well as Steven Levitan, Co-Creator and Executive Producer of ABC's hit show Modern Family; Chloe Gottlieb, Senior Vice President and Executive Creative Director at R/GA; and University of Maryland Professor Philip N. Cohen, who is the author of The Family: Diversity, Inequality, and Social Change (W. W. Norton & Company, August 2014).

To learn more about the SXSW sessions or download the complete "Family Diversity Is the New Norm: 7 Best Practices for Brands to Connect With Today's Parents" paper, please visit http://www.babycentersolutions.com/sxsw.

Methodology

The research for this whitepaper included qualitative, quantitative, and syndicated research conducted by BabyCenter as well as our research partner YouGov. Consumer research included 18 in-home focus groups with moms and dads in Chicago, San Diego, and San Francisco. A variety of family types were represented in the groups. Survey research was conducted using BabyCenter's proprietary 21st Century Mom® panel as well as Research Now's panel of 1,000 parents with children under the age of 18. "Modern families" in these surveys were defined as households with single or co-habitating (non-married) parents, LGBTQ, or multi-racial parents or households with stay-at-home dads; all other families were considered "traditional." YouGov, in cooperation with BabyCenter, fielded a survey among its national panel including 1,100 online adults. It also included brand tracking data for advertisers that are embracing family diversity in their ad campaigns through YouGov's BrandIndex.

About YouGov

Founded in London in 2000, YouGov is considered the pioneer of online market research, and now has offices throughout the UK, the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

At the heart of the company is a global online community of some 3 million respondents and thousands of political, cultural, and commercial organizations, engaged in a continuous conversation about their beliefs, their behaviors, and their brands. Companies, governments, and institutions use our data to better understand the people that sustain them.

About BabyCenter^® LLC

BabyCenter is the world's partner in parenting. The #1 pregnancy and parenting digital destination, BabyCenter reaches more than 45 million parents a month from every corner of the globe through its 11 owned and operated properties in 9 different languages. In the United States, 8 in 10 new and expectant moms online use BabyCenter each month. BabyCenter provides parents with trusted information, advice from peers, and support that's Remarkably Right® at every stage of their child's development. Products include websites, mobile apps, online communities, email series, social programs, print publications, and public health initiatives. BabyCenter also leverages its industry-leading audience engagement to provide unparalleled insights and innovative marketing solutions to the world's top brands, retailers, and institutions. BabyCenter is also committed to improving maternal health globally, and, through its Mission Motherhood™ campaign, works closely with nonprofits, NGOs, and governments to help make motherhood safer for all women. BabyCenter LLC is a member of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies. Visit BabyCenter on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn or follow @BabyCenter and @MomInsights on Twitter.

SOURCE BabyCenter LLC

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