Advertisers fail to keep up with the changing Aussie family

Australian consumers expect brands to reflect real life, but new research suggests that many are failing to do so as their marketing continues to focus on the traditional nuclear family. 

Why it matters

While advertisers and agencies are often quick to pick up various passing trends, they can also be surprisingly slow to adapt to longer term trends, such as changing family dynamics. An industry frequently regarded as youthful is constantly harking back to a nostalgic past rather than addressing the new reality – that ‘family’ is no longer (if it ever was) mum, dad, two children and a pet in the suburbs. 

That said, there’s a fine line to walk to avoid offending a sizeable minority: in research conducted by TV network Nine and cultural insights agency FiftyFive5 (and reported by Ad News), 46% wanted brands to uphold and represent the traditional notion of family.

Takeaways 

• Over 50% of Australians believe brands don’t reflect the reality of family life in their marketing, while 25% believe their own family is poorly represented in advertising.
• Mothers, especially, want to see more honesty from brands about the challenges and triumphs of family life (89%). 

• Almost 70% say family isn’t defined simply by blood or marriage: more than a third of Gen Z consider close friends to be family.

• Dogs and cats are widely regarded as part of the family; 77% agree that you don’t have to have kids to be a family. 

Key quote

“Recognise the ways in which family life is changing and start to rely less on one set idea of family. Promote inclusivity and find new ways for your brand to show up for parents. Be mindful of how gender roles in the home are changing, and if taking a position on a social issue, back it up with tangible efforts” – Toby Boon, director of strategy & insights at Nine. 

Sourced from Ad News [Image: Getty]