Savvy marketers know that online moms are a powerful, vocal group that should be nurtured when they are the target of a brand. But recent research shows that we shouldn’t be putting all of our attention on mom—dads deserve a little bit too. Consider this recent study from Edelman and The Parenting Group: Millennia dads tend to have more online connections than millennial moms (96% compared to mom’s average of 70%), and 56 percent of new dads post family photos on social networks at least a few times per week. Surprised? Don’t be. One in six dads is now a stay-at-home father, and it’s a sign of the times that fathers are taking a more active role in raising their children. So what’s the lesson here? Marketers should be careful when defining parenting roles. Yes, moms are the major decision makers in most families, but today’s “father” is changing. Today’s fathers view themselves differently from the way fathers of earlier years once did. They aren’t afraid to push the stroller while mom is at work. They’re going to the grocery store and spending time in the park with their kids. They’re part of daddy groups. Gender roles are evolving. On top of that, today’s families are no longer the cookie-cutter portrait of mom, dad, 2.4 kids, and a golden retriever. America’s families are becoming more and more diverse. Recently, Huggies was forced to revamp their “Dad campaign” after online complaints from men across the country surfaced, saying that the advertisements stereotyped fathers as hands-off parents. Ouch! Here was Huggies’ response through their Facebook page: “We've heard the feedback from moms and dads alike regarding our recent ads, so we've taken steps to immediately update our TV advertising, Facebook page and online advertising…” So don’t discount dad. He’ll speak up if you forget about him. Do your research to determine if he could be an important target for your marketing efforts. Mom still holds the torch, but dad’s right on her heels. To learn more about how you can market to moms in order to create brand preference and instill brand loyalty, check out our Florida marketing agency’s recent whitepaper on marketing to moms, which discusses strategies for segmentation, creating appeals and assessing your own brand to determine the right moms for your business.

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