Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

What we know about marketing to parents and families

Article • WARC Best Practice, May 2019

Looks at how brands are having to adopt more inclusive and nuanced approaches in order to adapt to changing demographics and modern family structures, including challenges to gender stereotyping and kids' influence in purchase decisions.

How to market effectively to parents and families

Article • Hanna Chalmers, WARC Best Practice, November 2016

This article explores the demographic, socioeconomic, technological and attitudinal shifts that are fundamentally changing the nature of parenthood.

Children's Panadol: First Timers

Case Study • WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Best Use of Data, 2019

Children's Panadol created a custom algorithm to drive sales and deliver outstanding results in Australia.

Wall's: Not to Be Served Cold

Case Study • Ha Tran, Nga LeNgoc, Anish Appukuttan, Soumya Ranjan Panda, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2019

Wall's, the market leader in Vietnam's ice cream category, faced stiff competition from local players and wanted to redress the balance and strengthen its position.

Lifebuoy: Real-Time Infection Alert System

Case Study • Thuy Tran, Soumya Ranjan Panda, Linh Ngo, WARC Media Awards, Bronze, Best Use of Data, 2019

Soap brand Lifebuoy created a real-time, and hyper-customised, infection alert system targeting mums, to build relevance and drive penetration in Vietnam.

OMO: Express it, don't text it

Case Study • Uyen Nguyen Diep, Soumya Ranjan Panda, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Best Use of Data, 2019

Laundry brand Omo launched a one-day, data-driven digital and social execution to build relevance for a new product variant on Mother's Day in Vietnam.

Puck: Save the Cows

Case Study • Tahaab Rais, Anna Sadykova, WARC Media Awards, Silver and Effective Native Special Award, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2019

Food brand Puck's Blue Jar Cheese used a gamification strategy delivered through Snapchat to appeal to kids and mums and fight off other breakfast alternatives in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Selecta: Select 'Grabs' a sweet treat

Case Study • Pam Agpoon, Meryl Yap, Abhishek Gupta, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Best Use of Data, 2019

Selecta, the top-selling ice cream brand in the Philippines, increased brand awareness by partnering with ride-hailing app Grab to spread time-based family bonding messages to busy professionals.

Ford Everest: Carpool Talk

Case Study • Hang Nguyen, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2019

Car-manufacturer Ford used a disruptive content marketing campaign, amplified on social media, to change perceptions of its Everest SUV in Vietnam.

Vinasoy: Fami Base – good taste to catch TV moments

Case Study • Hang Nguyen, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Use of Tech, 2019

Soya brand Vinasoy used TV-patented, fingerprint technology to deliver targeted ads to multi-screeners and strengthen its position in the soya milk category in Vietnam.

Uniqlo: Top Gifting Choice

Case Study • Benjamin Condit, Colin Xu, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Tech, 2019

Clothing brand Uniqlo focused on Chinese New Year as an opportunity to target young consumers and drive sales.

Jinlingguan: AI Baby Expert

Case Study • Nicholas Short, Qirong Li, Ariel Ban, Sara Wang, WARC Media Awards, Silver, Effective Use of Tech, 2019

Infant formula milk brand Jinlingguan partnered with smart speaker manufacturer Xiaomi to create the AI Baby Expert and appeal to new parents in China.

L'Oréal: Winning Mothers' Hearts

Case Study • Sarah Shen, Lim Suk Yee, Nicholas Short, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2019

Makeup brand L'Oréal Paris partnered with parenting app, Qin Baobao to boost trial of its new Filler Eye for Face product among young mothers in China.

P/S: Ready Player Mom

Case Study • Anish Appukuttan, Hang Tong, Sang Lam, Soumya Ranjan Panda, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

P/S, a popular oral hygiene brand in Vietnam, increased sales of its anti-cavity toothpaste by creating a mobile gaming platform targeted at millennial mums.

Shell: Cross-channel measurement beyond last-click attribution

Case Study • Hong Tran, Priyanka Gupta, Joyce Wu, Germaine Tse, WARC Media Awards, Bronze, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Fuel brand Shell launched a multi-media promo programme to drive top-of-mind awareness and boost fuel sale volumes in Hong Kong.

Paneton D'Onofrio: Spreading the Christmas spirit

Case Study • WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Peruvian fruitcake brand Paneton D'Onofrio took a multi-platform approach to transform its Christmas relationship with Peruvians and secure sales growth.

Babyshop: World Without Walls

Case Study • Tahaab Rais, WARC Media Awards, Silver, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Children's retailer Babyshop used a multichannel approach to redefine its brand strategy during Ramadan in the Middle East.

Johnson's Baby: Choose Gentle

Case Study • Paulina Ballina Zarco, Victoria Iviglia, Samantha Jocelyn Gonzalez, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Multinational Johnson & Johnson used a mobile-first strategy to relaunch its Baby line in Mexico.

DANCOW: FortiGro UHT – Virtual Lunch Box

Case Study • Eugenia Teo, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Instant milk brand Dancow FortiGro ran a promotional giveaway on mobile and social media to drive brand equity, increase footfall to stores, and increase sales of its Dancow FortiGro UHT variant in Indonesia.

Dulux: Brighter Homes, Brighter Kids

Case Study • Daniel Cui, WARC Media Awards, Bronze, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

International paint brand Dulux took a multichannel approach to persuade parents to decorate more often to promote its Easy Painting Service and boost sales in China.

Lifebuoy: A mission to cut sick days by half

Case Study • Ha Tran, Thuy Tran, Soumya Ranjan Panda, Vu Nguyen, WARC Media Awards, Bronze, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Lifebuoy, the leading hygiene soap brand in Vietnam, boosted brand love and antibacterial soap sales with a health-awareness campaign aimed at teaching children and their parents the importance of good hygiene.

Hiroshima Oyster: Oyster Kanji Dictation

Case Study • Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards, Silver, 2019

Hiroshima Oyster, an oyster producer, increased consumption of oysters among Japanese consumers by launching a local language dictation workbook for schools around the topic of oysters.

Project Unfriend: Project Unfriend

Case Study • Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards, Gold, 2019

Be CyberSafe, an advocacy for the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines, launched a campaign to bring awareness to kids and teens about the risks of being online and avoiding child predators in the Philippines.

Ovaltine: Empower Kids’ Happy Exploration

Case Study • Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards, Bronze, 2019

Ovaltine, a brand of milk flavouring product, drove brand mentions and ROI in Vietnam by launching a brand battle between itself and its competitor, MILO, advocating for child happiness against MILO's competitive attitude.

HSBC Singapore: HSBC Visa Make Family Time More Fulfilling

Case Study • Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards, Bronze, 2019

HSBC, a banking brand, increased penetration and sign ups for its Visa Platinum credit card in Singapore by launching a social experiment film and targeted media that showed the importance of spending quality time with your family.

Parents & families