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Marketing to Dads: Incl Impact of COVID-19 - Canada - December 2020

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Key issues covered in this Report
Definition
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Top takeaways
Market overview
Impact of COVID-19 on marketing to dads
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
Today’s dads are not the same as past generations
TARGET AUDIENCE – BY THE NUMBERS
One in ten Canadians are dads
A demographic look at dads
Figure 2: Age, men with kids at home vs men without kids at home, September 2020
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
Dads are less concerned than most about COVID-19
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
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
Figure 7: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on dads’ attitudes and behaviours, December 2020
MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
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
Gillette and Dove talk directly about modern masculinity and fatherhood
Figure 8: We Believe: The Best Men Can Be | Gillette (Short Film), January 2019
Figure 9: Dove Men Care Instagram post, September 2020
Adapting traditional messages to today’s dads
Figure 10: Stihl Canada Instagram post, October 2020
Figure 11: Black and Decker Canada Instagram post, October 2019
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
Figure 14: Tactical Baby Gear Instagram post, October 2020
Figure 15: West Coast Kids Instagram post, September 2020
Figure 16: Frigidaire Instagram post, March 2020
Video game companies are selling nostalgia to Millennials
Figure 17: Nintendo of America Instagram post, September 2020
THE CONSUMER – KEY TAKEAWAYS 
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
Using channels to strategically target dads 
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
Figure 19: YouTube usage, dads vs moms, September 2020
Figure 20: YouTube usage among dads, by age, September 2020
Streaming TV is particularly common among fathers
Figure 21: Use streaming TV platforms weekly, men with kids vs without kids by age, September 2020
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
Figure 23: Audio content channels used in an average week, dads vs moms, September 2020
Figure 24: Use AM/FM radio in an average week, by household income, September 2020
Figure 25: Audio channels used in an average week, by age, September 2020
Cable/satellite TV is widely used, but struggles to stay relevant
Figure 26: Watch cable/satellite TV in an average week, by age, September 2020
HOW DADS SPEND TIME WITH THEIR KIDS
Watching TV and free outings are the most common activity
Figure 27: Typical activities with kids, September 2020
Figure 28: Space Jam A New Legacy Facebook post, April 2020
Figure 29: Walmart Instagram post, November 2020
Figure 30: Watch TV/movies with their kids, by age of children in household, September 2020
Video games and sports skew heavily to dads
Figure 31: Playing video games and sports with children, dads vs moms, September 2020
Figure 32: EA Sports NHL Instagram post, April 2020
Using sports to connect with dads
Figure 33: Play sports with kids, by household income, September 2020
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
Figure 36: Typical activities with kids, dads vs moms, September 2020
Figure 37: 2015 Commercial - #RealStrength Ad | Dove Men+Care, January 2015
SKILLS AND VALUES DADS WANT TO TEACH THEIR KIDS
Dads have many lessons they want to instill in their kids
Figure 38: Skills and values to teach kids, September 2020
Dads want their kids to get a good education and work well with others
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
Figure 40: Roots Instagram post, July 2020
Training kids to be independent adults
Figure 41: Skills and values to teach kids, by race, September 2020
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
Figure 44: Want to teach their kids about religious values, by race, September 2020
RESPONSIBILITIES AT HOME
Fathers are in charge of stereotypical ‘dad tasks’ at home
Figure 45: Household tasks dads are mostly responsible for, September 2020
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
Figure 47: Child-focused tasks dads are responsible for, September 2020
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
Figure 50: Food-related tasks dads are responsible for, September 2020
Figure 51: Chips Ahoy Original Cookies (Canada), October 2019
Figure 52: Voila Twitter post, August 2020
KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH FRIENDS
Digital tech is a valuable tool to keep connected with friends
Figure 53: Difficult to stay in touch with friends (% agree), by age of kids in household, September 2020
Figure 54: Ways of staying in touch with friends, September 2020
Figure 55: Digital ways of staying in touch with friends, moms vs dads, September 2020
Figure 56: Digital ways of staying in touch with friends, by age, September 2020
Figure 57: Make Connecting Possible, June 2018
In-person meetings have become more challenging during the pandemic
Figure 58: In-person ways of staying in touch with friends, moms vs dads, September 2020
Figure 59: In-person ways of staying in touch with friends, by household income, September 2020
Replicating in-person get-togethers in safe ways 
Figure 60: 3 Brasseurs Canada Twitter post, September 2020
Sports as a social setting are unique to dads
Figure 61: Sports as a way of staying in touch with friends, by age, September 2020
PARENTING AMID COVID-19
Dads are worried about how the pandemic is affecting their kids
Figure 62: Concerns about kids due to COVID-19 (% agree), September 2020
Figure 63: Blue Mountain Resort Instagram post, September 2020
Fathers have experienced direct negative impacts from the pandemic
Figure 64: Personal impact from COVID-19 (% agree), September 2020
Figure 65: Personal impact from COVID-19 (% agree), by age, September 2020
Figure 66: Personal income negatively impacted by COVID-19 business closures (% agree), by household income, September 2020
An opportunity to highlight the silver linings
Figure 67: Positive outcomes from COVID-19 (% agree), September 2020
Figure 68: Goodfood – No Stress Meal Kit – 30s, August 2020
Figure 69: Home Depot Canada Instagram post, August 2020
Figure 70: Home Depot Canada Instagram post, October 2020
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Data sources
Consumer survey data
Mintel Trend Drivers
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
Terms

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