Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
- Impact of COVID-19 on marketing to dads
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- Figure 1: Short, medium and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on dads’ attitudes and behaviours, December 2020
- Opportunities
- The changing role of fathers creates an opportunity for new, fresh messaging
- Companies can support dads in raising their kids
- Focusing on unique dad behaviours to celebrate identity
- Challenges
- Changing roles for dads means more fragmentation
- Many aspects of fatherhood are difficult for brands to connect with
Target Audience – Key Takeaways
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- Today’s dads are not the same as past generations
Target Audience – By the Numbers
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- One in ten Canadians are dads
- A demographic look at dads
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- Figure 2: Age, men with kids at home vs men without kids at home, September 2020
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- Figure 3: Household income, men with kids at home vs men without kids at home, September 2020
- Single dads are becoming more common
Market Factors
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- Dads are less concerned than most about COVID-19
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- Figure 4: Concern about risk of exposure to COVID-19, dads vs moms and overall, November 2020
- Fathers have shown resilience during challenging economic times
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- Figure 5: Unemployment rate, men over 25 years old, February-October 2020
- Figure 6: Healthy finances among dads, November 2020
- Dads are relatively comfortable with debt
- The evolving roles of fathers in Canadian families
- Canadian government has made it easier for dads to take paternity leave
- More dads are helping take care of their kids
- Impact of COVID-19 on marketing to dads
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- Figure 7: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on dads’ attitudes and behaviours, December 2020
Market Opportunities
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- Product: dads are spending more time at home with their kids
- Price: willingness to take on debt means a focus on quality can resonate
- Promotion: messaging about more responsibilities at home
- Place: dads are more comfortable than most in stores during the pandemic
Competitive Strategies
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- Gillette and Dove talk directly about modern masculinity and fatherhood
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- Figure 8: We Believe: The Best Men Can Be | Gillette (Short Film), January 2019
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- Figure 9: Dove Men Care Instagram post, September 2020
- Adapting traditional messages to today’s dads
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- Figure 10: Stihl Canada Instagram post, October 2020
- Figure 11: Black and Decker Canada Instagram post, October 2019
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- Figure 12: Black and Decker Canada Instagram post, October 2019
- Figure 13: Coca-Cola Christmas Commercial 2020, November 2020
- Mom-focused products are expanding to include dads
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- Figure 14: Tactical Baby Gear Instagram post, October 2020
- Figure 15: West Coast Kids Instagram post, September 2020
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- Figure 16: Frigidaire Instagram post, March 2020
- Video game companies are selling nostalgia to Millennials
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- Figure 17: Nintendo of America Instagram post, September 2020
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Marketing channels for dads
- How dads spend time with their kids
- Skills and values dads want to teach their kids
- Responsibilities at home
- Keeping in touch with friends
- Parenting amid COVID-19
Marketing Channels for Dads
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- Using channels to strategically target dads
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- Figure 18: Content channels used in an average week, September 2020
- Online video is an important part of dads’ lives
- YouTube is used by nearly all dads
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- Figure 19: YouTube usage, dads vs moms, September 2020
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- Figure 20: YouTube usage among dads, by age, September 2020
- Streaming TV is particularly common among fathers
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- Figure 21: Use streaming TV platforms weekly, men with kids vs without kids by age, September 2020
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- Figure 22: Disney Plus Instagram post, October 2020
- Audio platforms offer multiple ways to connect with dads
- Radio and talk content differentiates fathers from mothers
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- Figure 23: Audio content channels used in an average week, dads vs moms, September 2020
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- Figure 24: Use AM/FM radio in an average week, by household income, September 2020
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- Figure 25: Audio channels used in an average week, by age, September 2020
- Cable/satellite TV is widely used, but struggles to stay relevant
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- Figure 26: Watch cable/satellite TV in an average week, by age, September 2020
How Dads Spend Time with their Kids
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- Watching TV and free outings are the most common activity
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- Figure 27: Typical activities with kids, September 2020
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- Figure 28: Space Jam A New Legacy Facebook post, April 2020
- Figure 29: Walmart Instagram post, November 2020
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- Figure 30: Watch TV/movies with their kids, by age of children in household, September 2020
- Video games and sports skew heavily to dads
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- Figure 31: Playing video games and sports with children, dads vs moms, September 2020
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- Figure 32: EA Sports NHL Instagram post, April 2020
- Using sports to connect with dads
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- Figure 33: Play sports with kids, by household income, September 2020
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- Figure 34: Tim Hortons Twitter post, August 2020
- Figure 35: Molson Canadian Twitter post, July 2020
- Activities that skew to moms are an opportunity stand out
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- Figure 36: Typical activities with kids, dads vs moms, September 2020
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- Figure 37: 2015 Commercial - #RealStrength Ad | Dove Men+Care, January 2015
Skills and Values Dads want to Teach their Kids
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- Dads have many lessons they want to instill in their kids
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- Figure 38: Skills and values to teach kids, September 2020
- Dads want their kids to get a good education and work well with others
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- Figure 39: Skills and values to teach kids, by age, September 2020
- Quebec fathers are less likely than average to teach their kids social skills
- Good citizenship is an opportunity for Canadian companies to leverage
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- Figure 40: Roots Instagram post, July 2020
- Training kids to be independent adults
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- Figure 41: Skills and values to teach kids, by race, September 2020
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- Figure 42: Fitbit Instagram post, August 2018
- Figure 43: Home Depot Canada Instagram post, February 2020
- Religious values are much more important to certain cultures
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- Figure 44: Want to teach their kids about religious values, by race, September 2020
Responsibilities at Home
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- Fathers are in charge of stereotypical ‘dad tasks’ at home
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- Figure 45: Household tasks dads are mostly responsible for, September 2020
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- Figure 46: Household tasks dads are mostly responsible for, born in Canada vs not born in Canada, September 2020
- Taking care of kids is an important responsibility for dads
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- Figure 47: Child-focused tasks dads are responsible for, September 2020
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- Figure 48: Tide PODS® | Mega Modern Family, January 2019
- Figure 49: Dove Men Care Instagram post, July 2020
- Dads are grocery shoppers and conduits into home kitchens
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- Figure 50: Food-related tasks dads are responsible for, September 2020
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- Figure 51: Chips Ahoy Original Cookies (Canada), October 2019
- Figure 52: Voila Twitter post, August 2020
Keeping in Touch with Friends
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- Digital tech is a valuable tool to keep connected with friends
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- Figure 53: Difficult to stay in touch with friends (% agree), by age of kids in household, September 2020
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- Figure 54: Ways of staying in touch with friends, September 2020
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- Figure 55: Digital ways of staying in touch with friends, moms vs dads, September 2020
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- Figure 56: Digital ways of staying in touch with friends, by age, September 2020
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- Figure 57: Make Connecting Possible, June 2018
- In-person meetings have become more challenging during the pandemic
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- Figure 58: In-person ways of staying in touch with friends, moms vs dads, September 2020
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- Figure 59: In-person ways of staying in touch with friends, by household income, September 2020
- Replicating in-person get-togethers in safe ways
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- Figure 60: 3 Brasseurs Canada Twitter post, September 2020
- Sports as a social setting are unique to dads
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- Figure 61: Sports as a way of staying in touch with friends, by age, September 2020
Parenting Amid COVID-19
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- Dads are worried about how the pandemic is affecting their kids
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- Figure 62: Concerns about kids due to COVID-19 (% agree), September 2020
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- Figure 63: Blue Mountain Resort Instagram post, September 2020
- Fathers have experienced direct negative impacts from the pandemic
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- Figure 64: Personal impact from COVID-19 (% agree), September 2020
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- Figure 65: Personal impact from COVID-19 (% agree), by age, September 2020
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- Figure 66: Personal income negatively impacted by COVID-19 business closures (% agree), by household income, September 2020
- An opportunity to highlight the silver linings
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- Figure 67: Positive outcomes from COVID-19 (% agree), September 2020
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- Figure 68: Goodfood – No Stress Meal Kit – 30s, August 2020
- Figure 69: Home Depot Canada Instagram post, August 2020
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- Figure 70: Home Depot Canada Instagram post, October 2020
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Mintel Trend Drivers
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
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