INSIGHTS RESEARCH
Jonathan Watson Chief Product Officer at The Insights Family
MAKING IT MATTER:
HOW THE NEXT GENERATION CONTINUES TO DRIVE REAL CHANGE
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ince I began working in children’s research in 2017, I have been astonished at times with our findings. Whether it’s the access and impact of digital technology on kids’ lives, or their awareness and reaction to social issues, the speed of change and the complexity of the children’s and family market – in the five years that I have been studying it and scrutinising it – is like nothing we have experienced before. What’s clear is that across the globe, children’s voices throughout
societies are becoming stronger and more relevant. The influence that a child now has over their parents, the brands they engage with, and the organisations that surround their market, simply continues to grow every day. In a short space of time, both the Sustainability in Licensing Conference and the Products of Change platform have managed to unite the industry and drive positive change. It’s been a privilege to take part in previous events – representing The Insights Family - and talk about how children’s attitudes are changing. However,
SWITCHED ON AND CONNECTED Across the 22 countries The Insights Family now surveys, 52% of three to five year olds now have access to a tablet, 50% of tweens (ages ten to 12) are now watching videos on YouTube, and 31% of that age group are using TikTok. Digitally enabled kids are learning and expecting to access the content they want when they want. And as those kids become more exposed to technology and social media, they become more aware of the issues affecting society today, and that includes a greater likelihood to harbour concern for global issues. Globally, since the start of 2021, concerns among children have risen over: Animal Cruelty (+79%), Gender Equality (+38%), Racism (+18%), and Human Rights Issues (+42%). Children as young as six in the UK now rank the Environment (placed at number four) and Racism (at number five) as some of their biggest concerns today. Take it to the next age group up and children aged ten to 18 in the UK are now making the environment a key topic of conversation. In fact, a quarter of this demographic now name climate change as a major concern – that’s an increase of 11% over the last 12 months alone.
while it’s clear that popular attitudes have indeed shifted, the question we get asked the most is whether these attitudes have translated into action. Have behaviours and consumption patterns changed enough to justify brands making a change? This year, we’d like to demonstrate further how integrating sustainability into your business strategies not only results in an increase in brand advocacy, but also saves the planet.
THE INSIGHTS FAMILY’S MAKING IT MATTER REPORT The Insights Family’s Making It Matter report discusses the rising importance of sustainability to engage kids in further detail as well as explores others trends such as the increasing influence of children in the household and strategies for engaging the modern family. Released in April, it is the first report produced by the company’s new Industry Knowledge team, dedicated to identifying the next big opportunities for brands and organisations in the kids, parents, and family market. Download yours for free by visiting: get.theinsightsfamily.com/ familyreport2022 or by scanning the QR Code on this page.
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