5 minute read
THE INSIGHTS FAMILY
Jonathan Watson Chief Product Officer at The Insights Family
MAKING IT MATTER:
HOW THE NEXT GENERATION CONTINUES TO DRIVE REAL CHANGE
Since 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 THE INSIGHTS FAMILY’S MAKING IT MATTER REPORT
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, 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.
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. 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.
IS THE VALUE-ACTION GAP NARROWING?
At last year’s Sustainability in Licensing Conference, we highlighted the ‘value-action gap’ between the attitudes and behaviours of kids when it comes to sustainability.
Let’s take food as one example. In 2021, 14% of kids globally considered the environment when choosing food and drinks – that’s lower than the 22% who say they were concerned about the environment in general. This shows an 8% value-action gap, suggesting that concern does not directly translate into action.
In 2022 so far, however, the value-action gap has shrunk to 5%.
The whole industry continues to shift, and we are constantly tracking the impact of various announcements from brands. And there’s been plenty from some very influential sources. News surrounding Love Island’s partnership with eBay “Let’s take food as one for the latest series was of particular interest for us. The TV example. In 2021, 14% of show is renowned for setting kids globally considered the fashion trends, particularly among younger audiences who look to fast-fashion brands to environment when choosing food and drink.” purchase outfits that they have seen on their screens. Following the recent tie-up with eBay, ITV
has revealed that contestants on the reality TV series will now be wearing second-hand clothes
to promote reuse and encourage sustainable purchasing. The production company even issued a statement that it hopes to combat a disposable attitude to fashion which some of the series’ past contestants have been criticised for promoting. Our data suggests that this will be a particularly strong move for the show.
Love Island is currently the number 21 favourite TV show for kids aged nine to
18 in the UK, and these fans are 11% more likely than average to strongly agree that it is important for the products they buy to have eco-friendly credentials. They are also 9% more likely to shop online than the average kid. Meanwhile, eBay currently
ranks as the second favourite online shop for kids aged three
to 18 in the UK. Fans of eBay among this age group are now 56% more likely to like Love Island, demonstrating a crossover in audience. This suggests that the partnership could encourage
more viewers to look to resale
sites to find pre-loved items and follow the sustainable living trend. We’re looking forward to the Sustainability in Licensing Conference this year. We have run some special research which will be shown – for the first time – at the event, offering some great insight into how children’s consumption continues to be driven by the environment. Children’s voices are becoming stronger and more relevant. Understanding what attitudes kids hold in realtime and how these affect their purchasing decisions is a critical advantage for brands. Building sustainability into your business not only
but it also saves the planet.
