Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Figure 1: Households, by type, 2015
- The issues
- Many families seek excitement on a tight budget
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- Figure 2: Attitudes toward family activities – Any agree, by gender, November 2015
- Audience fragmentation means advertising reaches fewer family members
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- Figure 3: In-home sources of entertainment – Select responses, by generation, November 2015
- Parents worry about what children are exposed to in the media
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- Figure 4: Attitudes towards children’s media exposure – Any uncomfortable, November 2015
- Brands must adapt to the fading away of the “traditional” family
- The opportunities
- Using tech to facilitate family bonding
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- Figure 5: The role of technology – Any agree, November 2015
- Parents like the trend toward gender-neutral products for kids
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- Figure 6: Attitudes toward gender neutrality in kids’ products and activities – Any agree, by gender and by generation, November 2015
- Strong consumer confidence means a willingness to spend on leisure and entertainment
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- Figure 7: Consumer Sentiment Index, January 2007-October 2015
- What it means
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The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Some 35 million households include children younger than 18
- 2014 fertility data indicates a possible “baby bounce”
- Spending on entertainment higher in households with children
American Families
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- Children younger than 18 present in 28% of US households
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- Figure 8: Households, by type, 2015
- Millennials delay, but likely will not forgo, marriage and family
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- Figure 9: Detailed marital status, by generation*, 2013
- Could 2014 be a prelude to a baby bounce?
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- Figure 10: Annual births and fertility rate, 2003-14*
- Share of households with children in decline
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- Figure 11: Households, by presence of own children, 2003-14
- Asian and Hispanic households most likely to include families, children
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- Figure 12: Households by type, by race/Hispanic origin of householder, 2013
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- Figure 13: Households with own children, by race and Hispanic origin of householder, 2013
Entertainment Expenditures
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- Households with kids spend more on entertainment than those without
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- Figure 14: Average and indexed average annual expenditures for selected entertainment categories, by presence of children, 2012-14*
- Spending on fees and admissions likely going to kids and family outings, not “parents’ night out”
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- Figure 15: Average and indexed annual expenditures for fees and admissions, by presence of children, 2012-14*
- Musical equipment, video games popular in households with children
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- Figure 16: Average and indexed average annual expenditures for audiovisual and electronic gaming, by presence of children, 2012-14*
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- What’s working: Imagination, diversity, nostalgia
- Challenges: Keeping kids active, pleasing everyone
- What’s next: Including dads, sensitivity training, empowering girls
What’s Working?
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- Imaginative forms of entertainment sure to please children and parents
- Incorporating diversity and teaching language
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- Figure 17: “Sesame Street & Autism: Highlight Reel,” online video, October 2015
- Figure 18: Attitudes towards children’s media exposure – Netted – Select responses, November 2015
- Targeting parents with nostalgia
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- Figure 19: “Disney’s The BFG — Teaser Trailer,” online video, December 2015
- Cause marketing for kids
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- Figure 20: “Be Inspired | The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar | Disney Channel,” online video, November 2015
Challenges
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- Parents struggle to keep kids active
- Same-sex couples becoming more visible, not all parents are okay with it
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- Figure 21: “Your Father,” online video, October 2015
- Keeping kids safe online
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- Figure 22: “Torch. The Router for Parenting in the Digital Age,” online video, October 2015
What’s Next?
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- Allowing for more fluid gender roles
- The future is modular
- Sensitivity training for customer-facing employees
- Encouraging girls to pursue STEM
- Rethinking how to talk to kids about sex and gender
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Average monthly family entertainment budget: $182
- Moms enjoy watching kids’ TV shows and movies
- Only 44% of parents are comfortable with their children seeing same-sex couples in the media
- Parents most likely to seek imaginative and educational activities
- Family entertainment helps parents feel like kids again
- Dads more likely than moms to feel pressure around family entertainment
Monthly Family Entertainment Budget
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- Average family spends $182 on entertainment per month
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- Figure 23: Monthly spend on family entertainment, November 2015
- Dads, Older Millennials are family entertainment big spenders
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- Figure 24: Mean monthly spend on family entertainment, by gender and by generation, November 2015
- One third of families spending more on entertainment, few spending less
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- Figure 25: Change in spending on family entertainment, November 2015
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- Figure 26: Change in spending on family entertainment – Spending more than last year, by gender and by generation, November 2015
In-home Sources of Entertainment
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- TV remains king in family entertainment
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- Figure 27: In-home sources of entertainment, November 2015
- Streaming services provide brands access to young parents
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- Figure 28: In-home sources of entertainment – Select responses, by generation, November 2015
- Streaming roughly equally common in low- to high-income households
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- Figure 29: In-home sources of entertainment – Select responses, by household income, November 2015
- Larger households invest more in entertainment
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- Figure 30: In-home sources of entertainment – Select responses, by household size, November 2015
Approach to Family Entertainment
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- Majority of parents enjoy watching kids’ movies/TV shows, parents looking for ways to bond
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- Figure 31: Approach to family entertainment, November 2015
- Moms more likely to say they enjoy kids’ programming
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- Figure 32: Approach to family entertainment – Select responses, by gender, November 2015
- For young parents, devices are part of the family
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- Figure 33: Approach to family entertainment – Technology is a distraction, by generation, November 2015
- Educational entertainment resonates with parents of younger kids
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- Figure 34: Approach to family entertainment – Select responses, by age of children in household, November 2015
Attitudes towards Children’s Media Exposure
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- Sexuality and gender identity polarize parents
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- Figure 35: Attitudes towards children’s media exposure — Netted, November 2015
- Moms more conservative than dads
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- Figure 36: Attitudes towards children’s media exposure – Any comfortable – Select responses, by gender, November 2015
- Older Millennials least conservative
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- Figure 37: Attitudes towards children’s media exposure – Any comfortable – Select responses, by generation, November 2015
- White, Hispanic parents tend to be more lenient
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- Figure 38: Attitudes towards children’s media exposure – Any comfortable – Select responses, by race/Hispanic origin, November 2015
Important Qualities in Family Entertainment
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- Parents seek activities that will give their kids an edge in school but kids must buy in as well
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- Figure 39: Important qualities in family entertainment, November 2015
- Moms expect more
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- Figure 40: Important qualities in family entertainment – Select responses, by gender, November 2015
- Majority of parents like the gender-neutral trend
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- Figure 41: Attitudes toward gender neutrality in kids’ products and activities – Netted, by gender, generation, and kids’ age, November 2015
Attitudes toward Spending Time with Kids
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- Parents enjoy watching their kids, acting like kids themselves
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- Figure 42: Attitudes toward spending time with kids – Netted, November 2015
- Dads may be more “down to clown”
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- Figure 43: Attitudes toward spending time with kids – Any agree, by gender, November 2015
- Millennials seek “throwback” to childhood
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- Figure 44: Attitudes toward spending time with kids – Any agree, by gender, November 2015
- Hispanic parents may view throwbacks as a way to stay connected to their heritage
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- Figure 45: Attitudes toward spending time with kids – Any agree, by race/Hispanic origin, November 2015
Pressure on Family Time
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- Family entertainment is not all fun and games
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- Figure 46: Pressure on family time – Netted, November 2015
- Dads feel the pressure when it comes to family entertainment
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- Figure 47: Pressure on family time – Any agree, by gender, November 2015
- More children, more pressure
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- Figure 48: Pressure on family time – Any agree, by number of children, November 2015
The Roles of Experience and Technology
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- Families seek memorable experiences, opportunity to go out
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- Figure 49: The role of experience – Netted, November 2015
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- Figure 50: The role of experience – Any agree, by gender, by generation, and by race/Hispanic origin, November 2015
- Technology becoming more enmeshed in family time
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- Figure 51: The role of technology – Netted, November 2015
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- Figure 52: The role of technology – Any agree, by gender, by generation, and by race/Hispanic origin, November 2015
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales and demographic data
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – Market – American Families
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- Figure 53: Households, by type, 2015
- Figure 54: Households by type, by race/Hispanic origin of householder, 2013
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- Figure 55: Households, by presence of own children, 2003-14
- Figure 56: Households with own children, by race and Hispanic origin of householder, 2013
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- Figure 57: Household size, by race/Hispanic origin, 2013
- Figure 58: Detailed marital status, by age, 2013
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- Figure 59: Marital status of people aged 18 or older, by race and Hispanic origin, 2013
- Figure 60: Annual births and fertility rate, 2003-14*
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- Figure 61: Births and birth rates, by age of mother, 2013 and preliminary 2014
- Figure 62: Births, by race and Hispanic origin of mother, 2003-14*
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- Figure 63: Population of children, by age, 2010-20
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Appendix – Market – Entertainment Expenditures
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- Figure 64: Average annual expenditures for selected entertainment categories, by presence of children, 2012-14*
- Figure 65: Distribution of average annual expenditures for selected entertainment categories, by presence of children, 2012-14*
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- Figure 66: Market shares, selected entertainment categories, by presence of children, 2012-14*
- Figure 67: Average annual expenditures for fees and admissions, by presence of children, 2012-14*
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- Figure 68: Average annual expenditures for audiovisual and electronic gaming, by presence of children, 2012-14*
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Appendix – Consumer
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- Figure 69: Households with pay TV and video-on-demand subscriptions, July 2008-September 2015
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- Figure 70: Households with pay TV and video-on-demand subscriptions, July 2008-September 2015
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