Parents are keen to spend quality time with their children, even in the simplest of ways, such as spending time outdoors, watching TV and sharing meals together at home. Brands have significant opportunities to facilitate quality time in the everyday, for example by promoting deeper conversation, fostering opportunities for connection and reducing digital distractions.
Marketing to Parents UK – Current Trends
Finances are the primary source of stress in family life. The pressure of managing the household budget has intensified in recent years due to rising costs across nearly all spending areas. Whilst inflation has fallen to, statistically, manageable figures, the financial and emotional hangover is lingering. In August 2024, almost half of parents with children aged 18 and under said the cost of living crisis wasn’t getting any better, and over half said that it is getting better but is still a problem.
For households in weaker financial situations, managing finances is an even greater stressor. The impact of financial stress is extensive on families, including negatively affecting parent and child mental health and straining parental relationships.
Parents are keen to spend quality time with their children, and this quality time doesn’t need to be time consuming and expensive. This opens up avenues for brands to enhance everyday family interactions, such as watching television or cooking together.
UK Marketing to Parents Consumer Report – What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analysed in the Report
- A demographic overview of families and parents in the UK.
- Causes of stress in family life.
- The sources of childcare parents use on a weekly basis.
- Who the decision-makers are in the family, across selected categories.
- How parents would most like to spend quality time with their children.
- Parents’ attitudes towards their own and their child(ren)’s social media usage.
Report Scope
Mintel commissioned consumer research for this Report to assess the behaviours and attitudes of parents in the UK. Research was carried out by Kantar Profiles among 563 internet users aged 16+ who are parents of children aged 18 and under that live in their household all/most of the time in June 2024.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Francesca Smith. Francesca joined Mintel in September 2021 as a Market Research Analyst in the Consumer Lifestyles Research team with previous experience in market analysis, market research and knowledge of consumer trends. Francesca holds a First Class BSc (Hons) degree in Psychology.
Parents are increasingly anxious about their children’s wellbeing and social media use, creating opportunities for brands to help families navigate the online world safely.
Francesca Smith
Senior Research Analyst – Consumer Lifestyles
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Executive Summary
- Opportunities for marketing to parents
- Support children’s wellbeing through reducing online harm and fostering open conversations
- Facilitate quality time in the everyday
- Intertwine kids preferences in food for the family
- Market dynamics
- The fertility rate has been consistently declining
- Graph 1: total fertility rate (TFR), 1982-2022
- Most families have parents that are married or in a civil partnership
- Graph 2: family types with dependent children, 2003-23
- What consumers want and why
- Finances and work place most strain on family life
- Graph 3: causes of stress in family life, 2024
- Parents are relying on grandparents for childcare
- Graph 4: sources of childcare used on a weekly basis, 2024
- Children have significant influence in family life
- Parents prefer simple activities for quality time
- Address parents’ anxieties about social media
- Graph 5: parents attitudes towards child(ren)s social media usage and development, 2024
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Market Dynamics
- Macro-economic factors
- Financial and emotional hangover of the cost of living crisis
- Parents are slightly better off and more financially confident than adults without children
- Graph 6: financial wellbeing, by parental status, 2024
- Graph 7: financial confidence for the coming year, by parental status, 2024
- Social, environmental and legal factors
- The UK is home to over 8 million families
- The makeup of families is diverse
- Graph 8: family types with dependent children, 2003-23
- Most families have one or two children
- Graph 9: number of children in families with dependent children as a proportion of all families with dependent children, 2023
- The fertility rate has been declining since 2010
- Graph 10: total fertility rate (TFR), 1982-2022
- For some, there are growing hesitations about starting a family
- Age of parents reaches record high each year…
- Graph 11: standardised mean age of mothers and fathers at birth of child, England and Wales, 1982-2022
- …but parents are being caregivers for longer
- Graph 12: proportion of young adults aged 15-34 living with their parents, by age and gender, 2023
- Soaring costs and shortages fuel childcare crisis
- Young people’s struggle with mental health
- The Online Safety Bill sets out new  regulations for tech companies
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What Consumers Want and Why
- Causes of stress in family life
- Finances cause parents the most stress
- Graph 13: causes of stress in family life, 2024
- The strain of finances on parents isn’t felt equally
- Graph 14: causes of stress in family life, by financial situation, 2024
- Hybrid working can ease some family stress
- Mums worry more
- Graph 15: causes of stress in family life, by gender, 2024
- Mothers take on additional domestic, cognitive and emotional labour
- Brands can teach positive habits and alleviate pressures on children
- Encourage open conversations in families
- Sources of childcare
- Parents use a mix of formal and family/friend childcare
- Graph 16: sources of childcare used on a weekly basis, 2024
- Childcare struggles are widespread
- Parents and in-laws are most used source of childcare…
- …which can influence family dynamics
- Households struggling financially manage limited childcare options
- Graph 17: causes of stress in family life, by financial situation (NET), 2024
- Family decision-making
- Parents often employ their children’s help for family decisions
- Graph 18: decision makers in the family, 2024
- Children have the most influence over what they wear
- Help children express themselves through fashion and grooming choices
- Children’s influence extends to parents’ choices
- Pester power impacts family eating habits
- Child safety is a priority with technology
- Graph 19: parents’ concerns about online life, 2024
- Social media companies have made progress , but much more has to be done
- Family quality time
- Multiple ways parents want to spend quality time with kids
- Graph 20: how parents would most like to spend quality time with their child(ren), ranked in top-5, 2024
- Parents want to get kids away from digital distractions
- Family-friendly dining experiences will appeal
- Graph 21: how parents most like to spend quality time with their child(ren), by age of children in household, 2024
- Quality time can be found in everyday moments
- Elevate watching experience to increase opportunity for connection
- Despite busyness of modern life, most households have enough quality time
- Social media in the home
- Most teenagers are social media users
- Graph 22: child(ren) aged 12-18 social media usage in the past three months, 2024
- Parents’ concerns about social media are wide-ranging
- Dangers of algorithms have been spotlighted
- Arm parents with the tools to talk
- Brands that nurture children’s confidence and skill development will appeal to parents
- Barbie’s campaign tells children they can be anything
- Social media presents new challenges for parents
- Parents feel the pressures of social media too
- Graph 23: parents’ attitudes towards parenting and social media, 2024
- Fight back with realistic portrayals of parenthood
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Appendix
- Report scope, definitions and methodology
- Market definition and consumer research methodology
- Abbreviations and terms
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