The generation of UK men currently becoming fathers is increasingly taking on family household roles traditionally filled by mums. With Millennial men now entering fatherhood – the average age a man becomes a dad in England and Wales is currently 32.6 years old – UK dads increasingly have sole responsibility for key aspects of day-to-day parenting. For example, in just one generation, dads have become 90-100%* more likely to be the only parent preparing meals and shopping for clothes and toys for their children.

In doing these roles, Millennial dads are also more likely than the previous generation to be the ones that buy the products and brands that go along with them – from bubble bath to breakfast cereal. And as Millennial mums have been doing for years, these dads are turning online for help.

46% visit online parenting communities, like BabyCentre.co.uk, at least weekly to seek support and 44% say it’s important to them to interact with other dads in parenting groups online. Nearly half are as likely to go online as consult a healthcare professional (both 46%) when seeking information about pregnancy and parenting.

Compared to Generation X dads, in the past month, Millennials are 93% more likely to have sought expert advice from a parenting website, 41% more likely to have consulted parenting blogs for tips and 23% more likely to have asked advice of other parents via parenting social media communities. Parenting hacks are a top draw. Brands that can provide this sort of content in an engaging format, helping these dads feel like they’re doing a good job of parenting and supporting them in their desire to do-it-all will win over both this audience and their partners.

The great news for marketers is Millennial dads are much more likely than Generation X to notice advertising across all platforms, including digital. When it comes to digital ads, those using humour, featuring deals or savings, or featuring real dads, rather than actors or models, are the best ways to catch a Millennial dad’s attention. He’s less likely than his Generation X counterpart to be drawn to digital ads carrying images of kids and families, and more likely to be attracted by images of men in work or leisure settings – leading a meeting or exercising on a beach for example. Mobile is powerful tool to reach him:

  • Millennial dads are 50% more likely to frequently notice ads on their smartphone than the previous generation
  • Six in 10 Millennial dads access parenting information most often from their mobile device
  • 92% of Millennial dads are using smartphones to look at parenting information
  • The top mobile destinations are Google, expert parenting websites and videos

Video is also a key attraction for Millennial Dads – they’re 26% more likely than Generation X dads to watch videos to get parenting tips. 30% look for video information on labour and birth, 49% for parenting hacks and 36% for parenting methods.

Everyone knows Millennial men are information hungry and always online – this doesn’t change when they become dads. But now they want to know how to decorate a nursery and how to dress a baby. Companies who do this well will not only earn dad’s engagement and loyalty; they stand a good chance of earning mum’s respect, too.

 

By Julie Michaelson, Head of Global Sales at BabyCenter.

 

* Millennial dad are 92% more likely than Generation X dads to have sole responsibility for preparing their children’s meals, 94% more likely than Generation X dads to have sole responsibility for the bedtime routine, 100% more likely than Generation X dads to have sole responsibility for children’s activities like play dates, music groups and sports classes, 100% more likely than Generation X dads to have sole responsibility for shopping for products for their child, e.g. clothes and toys.

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